Students susceptible to anxiety near end of semester

As finals approach, anxiety is prevalent among college students.

"I think anxiety brings about stress in life," said Supatra Kamtui, sophomore biomedical sciences major from San Diego, Calif.

"Anxiety is three things," said Joe Wyatt, professor of psychology at Marshall University. "It's the feeling in your gut, tension. It's having thoughts like ‘I can't stand this. Something horrible is going to happen.' And it's mobile behavior like washing your hands obsessively several times daily."

Wyatt said some people react more anxiously due to not having the skills to cope with anxiety.

According to the Anxiety Disorders of America Web site, 40 million college students suffer from an anxiety disorder and 75 percent will have an anxiety episode by age 22.

Wyatt said anxiety disorder comes in several forms.

"One example is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD," he said. "A person might get out of bed six times to check if they locked the door even though they checked it 30 seconds ago. They feel like they can't go anywhere without doing a repeated activity."

Wyatt also referenced the movie "As Good As It Gets," where actor Jack Nicholson's character opens a bar of soap, washes his hands, throws away the first soap and opens another one.

Another disorder is phobia, or an irritation fear of an object or condition. Wyatt said an example is the fear of heights.

Wyatt said another type of anxiety disorder is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. It occurs after a person sees an event that threatens their life or has a traumatic effect on their mindset. The best way to treat PTSD is through some kind of therapy session.

School is a common anxiety trigger for college students.

"School is my biggest concern," said Benjamin Harlan, senior political science major from Louisa, Ky. "I'm stressed about it two to three times daily."

"It's the pressure of finishing school and fear of failure," Kamtui said.

Harlan listed other areas of his life that caused him anxiety, including his social life and money.

Wyatt said if someone admits to feeling stress, they are probably feeling anxious along with the stress.

Some students separate the feelings of stress and anxiety.

"I think anxiety is something when you are worried you can't succeed, and I think stress is the actualization of knowing you can't succeed," Harlan said.

Kamtui said anxiety is worse because an anxiety attack can occur at any moment and can be more severe than stress. She said she recently had an anxiety episode after not getting accepted into Marshall's nursing school.

Wyatt said stress is a term used commonly.

"Stress is a layperson's term," he said. "It's used interchangeably with anxiety. Stress is what you're feeling while anxiety is the action behind the emotion."

Kamtui said she turns to her family when she's feeling anxious.

"I talk to my mom," she said. "I get advice from her. She talks to me and I feel better."

If anxiety is severe enough, one should seek treatment, Wyatt said.

Harlan said when gets anxious, he doesn't dwell on the emotion.

"I just get my schoolwork done and know I did a good job," he said.

Wyatt said while statistics have reported anxiety disorders skyrocketing, it's not necessarily indicative of the truth. He said the disorders are more openly diagnosed than a generation or two ago.

"There is a little stigma," he said. "People feel it's as if it's admitting they are crazy. That's not the case because anxiety disorders are, by and large, not psychotic disorders. They are not crazy or psychotic. It's not going to be that way."

Students feeling anxious can go to two places on Marshall's campus for help. The Counseling Center, located in Pritchard Hall, has counselors on staff to help students manage their stresses and anxieties. The Marshall University Psychology Clinic, located in Harris Hall, offers treatment for anxiety disorders and depression.

Both clinics are free to students.

Kristen Hainkel can be contacted at hainkel@marshall.edu.