Argumentative Research Essay
The Anxiety Crisis on College Campuses
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in the United States, and it is no surprise that college students are developing these disorders at an alarming rate. Anxiety disorders are debilitating and may cause students to lose motivation, do poorly in their classes, and in severe cases drop out of school. The anxiety crisis on college campuses is increasing and evolving, and universities need to be adapting to their students’ needs. Some of the most common anxiety disorders can be treated through means that universities can easily provide. Universities and their staff should be more informed and better equipped to help their anxious students succeed.
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stressful circumstances. However, an anxiety disorder can occur when the body’s anxious response occurs for an extended period of time even after the stressful situation is over. There are many potential causes for anxiety including genetics, chemical imbalances, and trauma. There are also several risk factors that may contribute to an anxiety disorder. A few of these include the individual’s characteristics, gender, their parents’ characteristics, the influence of the individual’s peers, and stressful life events. Although anxiety can be caused by many different things and there are many different risk factors, everyone’s anxiety can be caused by different things and it is specific to each individual.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in the United States. Furthermore, almost 75 percent of individuals who are affected by anxiety will experience it before the age of 22 (Best Colleges). In addition to those statistics, women are almost twice more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than men. If nearly 75 percent of people affected by anxiety are affected by it before they turn 22, and if there are present risk factors, college students may at the highest at risk for developing an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders can be identified through a few key characteristics. A few common symptoms include extreme feelings of stress and fearfulness, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, nausea, and difficulty with concentration. Although those are some generalized symptoms, anxiety disorders can be divided into many different categories. A few of the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Social Anxiety Disorder. Although each of these sub-categories falls under the umbrella term of anxiety, each has specific traits that are unique to that disorder.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is identified in individuals that struggle with acting upon repetitive, uncontrollable actions, thoughts, or ideas. Many of the obsessions often have disturbing, morbid, or frightening qualities to them and they are out of the person’s control. Some individuals may develop OCD and become tidy to an extreme over a fear of bacteria or of getting sick. Someone afraid of contracting illnesses may be afraid of doorknobs, and will avoid touching them with their bare hands to such an extreme that they may carry gloves with them (Kleinknecht, 152). Obsessing on thoughts, impulses, images, and fears may lead individuals to act compulsively in retaliation to those intrusive obsessions. Compulsions are recurring behavioral decisions that an individual feels required to complete. For example, some individuals spend excessive amounts of time washing their hands or cleaning their environment. Others unreasonably double check locks, appliances, or light switches. This is not to say that everyone who double checks their locks is OCD, only that individuals with OCD repeat the action to the point where it seems mechanical, senseless, and excessive. OCD is a result of anxiety and produces many anxious tendencies that take the form of obsessive and excessive thoughts, actions, and impulses.
Another common anxiety disorder is the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). People with GAD are characterized as having incessant worries and the fears tend to be more unrealistic. Psychologists may identify GAD if the individual has had near constant anxiety over numerous things for over six months. Many individuals that struggle with GAD have sleep disorders, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and fatigue. To be diagnosed, there needs to be at least three of those symptoms present in addition to having severe anxiety for over six months. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 6.8 million adults are affected by Generalized Anxiety Disorder and women are two times as likely to have it. GAD can occur at any time during an individual’s life, but the highest risk is for children through middle aged people. That illustrates that college students are also at a high risk for developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
A third type of anxiety disorder is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It was once thought that PTSD only affected military veterans and those who had gone through war; however, any traumatic situation in a person’s life may cause PTSD. Traumatic situations may include war, terrorist attacks, a natural disaster, the death of a loved one, rape, or a horrible accident. After the distressing situation, the individual may re-experience the situation through nightmares, intrusive memories, or panic attacks. Mood changes, irritability, sleep disorders, and jumpiness are all common symptoms that an individual may exhibit after the traumatic event. They also may avoid situations that bring back memories of the event. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD as men are, and it can also occur in children. They also report that, “7.7 million Americans age 18 and older have PTSD, and 67 percent of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD, a higher rate than those exposed to natural disasters or other types of traumatic events.” (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). PTSD is an anxiety disorder that needs to be more widely recognized and cared for.
Furthermore, Panic Disorder is another prevalent anxiety disorder. Panic Disorder is defined as repeated, unexpected panic attacks that are characterized by overwhelming fears of dying, losing control, or going crazy. Individuals may experience physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, chest pains, and sweating. Panic Disorder often begins in early adulthood, and it is common for college students to struggle with this disorder. It is also more common for women to be diagnosed with Panic Disorder than men. It can be caused by genetics, major life stress, chemical imbalances in the brain, and substance abuse. Agoraphobia, which is an abnormal fear of social situations or public places where a panic attack may occur and be extremely embarrassing, is closely tied to Panic Disorder because about one-third of people who are diagnosed with panic disorder also develop agoraphobia (WebMD). It is important to understand the symptoms of Panic Disorder so that individuals who suffer from it are able to receive better help if a panic attack occurs.
Finally, Social Anxiety Disorder is common among children and young adults. Social Anxiety Disorder is an irrational fear of social interaction and embarrassment. The symptoms of social anxiety disorder include an extreme fear of talking with strangers, a fast heartbeat, dizziness and lightheadedness, an upset stomach or nausea, and muscle tension. To escape participating in activities or speaking to people, individuals with social anxiety may avoid attending social gatherings, dating, going to work or school, or eating in front of other people. It is most common to occur in adolescents and young adults and it can strongly interfere with a person’s daily routines. These may include their school life, job, social life, romantic relationships, and friendships. College students facing social anxiety may avoid social events, have difficulty getting to know new people, skip classes, and avoid becoming involved in classes that require social participation.
There are a few different treatment options that are available for individuals suffering from an anxiety disorder. One option is Cognitive and/or Behavioral Therapy. This is when an individual goes to see a counselor to discuss their anxiety and work towards changing the individuals thought patterns and behaviors. Other options include medications, yoga, meditation, and other self-care techniques. Individuals who suffer from anxiety can receive help that may eliminate or at least subdue their anxiety. This is important because less anxiety will allow students to stay healthier and do the things that they need and want to do more freely.
Universities already provide some services that college students will find helpful, such as a counseling center; however, they can be doing more to help alleviate anxiety in the classroom and help their students succeed. Professors should be made aware of the common symptoms of anxiety so they may be able to identify students in their classroom and aid them if necessary. Also, the university can provide more opportunities for students to participate in self-care activities. For example, in addition to yoga classes, they could offer meditation classes. There could be self-care courses that include healthy snacks, breathing exercises, or music therapy. These courses could be provided in the evening for no extra cost to students as a way to de-stress and give them anxiety-busting tips to incorporate into their everyday routines.
One opportunity that the university could provide is relaxation training. This will give students tangible steps to becoming more relaxed even when anxiety-provoking situations occur. During relaxation training the students could be taught the Jacobson Relaxation Technique which is a method of tensing and relaxing specific muscle groups to gain awareness between being tense and being relaxed. The Progressive Muscle Relaxation script begins with the hands and arms, then moves to the shoulders, neck, and back. After that the participants flex and release the face and head, the mouth and jaw, the chest and stomach, and their legs and feet. These exercises may help students relax during their free time, and they can even be implemented in the classroom for the student to remain calm during lectures or class activities.
Another opportunity that the university could present is Self-Control Training for Anxiety. This encourages students to inspect their thoughts, activities, and feelings and react to their anxiety in a constructive way. There are six steps of the training, beginning with identifying anxiety provoking thoughts, situations, feelings, and activities. After identifying the anxiety-causing situations, the next step is to increase the student’s mindfulness of calm thoughts and relaxed responses. Then, the students learn to understand the connection between the way that they perceive anxious situations and the way that they react to those situations. Students should then set realistic and attainable standards, and break down their individual goals into smaller goals. After putting these steps into practice, the students can then look back at their thoughts and reactions and assess their successes or failures. This self-control training will not cure a student’s anxiety, but it will help them determine the situations in which they feel the most anxious and determine the appropriate response to the situation.
If students had access to these courses, in addition to yoga classes or music therapy sessions, college could be a less stressful place where students have better developed coping mechanisms than drinking or drugs. College students who struggle with anxiety will perform worse academically, struggle with more social issues, and are more likely to develop health problems or become sick throughout the semester. To keep the students healthy, the university should provide more opportunities for both students and staff to be trained in the proper identification and treatment options for students who struggle with anxiety. There is always a concern about funding for these programs; however, the colleges of America can spare some of their resources to provide better mental health care for their students. Future generations could have the resources to help them cope with anxiety constructively. This will not only lead to a happier and healthier generation of college students, but also a healthier generation of young employees in America. Anxiety coping techniques can be applied to every area of life, and it could be a skill that employers will value in the next generation of employees.
Anxiety can be caused by many different things, but there are some similar ways of treating each disorder. Through optional therapy and self-care, many individuals with anxiety can eliminate anxiety or at least limit its effect on their life. Universities and staff need to be better equipped to recognize anxiety symptoms and better help those students succeed in the classroom and in life. Anxiety in college can lead to more panic attacks, lower grades, and health problems. Universities should be doing whatever they can to help students achieve their full potential without the shadow of anxiety.
Works Cited:
Dozois, David J.A., and Keith S. Dobson, eds. The Prevention of Anxiety and Depression: Theory, Research, and Practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2004. Print.
“Facts & Statistics.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, n.d. Web. 03 May 2017.
Kleinknecht, Ronald A., Ph.D. Mastering anxiety: The Nature and Treatment of Anxious Conditions. New York: Insight , 1991. Print.
Merrell, Kenneth W. Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety: A Practical Guide. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2008. Print.
“Panic Disorder.” WebMD. WebMD, 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
“Top 5 Mental Health Challenges Facing College Students.” Best Colleges. N.p., 23 Jan. 2017. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.