Many College Students Struggle With Anxiety: Here's How To Cope

ST. LOUIS, MO — With college students around St. Louis settling into their new classes this week, it's important to remember that the start of a new school year isn't just all hacky sack* and beer pong. It can bring a lot of anxiety too. For freshmen, there's the excitement of leaving home for the first time, but there's also the stress of leaving home for the first time. For seniors, who have been in school for almost two decades at this point, there is the looming prospect of navigating a difficult job market, not to mention just making it through those last few semesters.

Claudia Charles, director of Counseling and Wellness at Fontbonne University, said college freshmen often feel overwhelmed with all the changes — being away from family and friends and thrown into more difficult courses. For students with a prior history of anxiety, it can be even worse.

But anxiety isn't just limited to freshmen.

"For our upper classmen, they're dealing with a new level of class," Charles said. "They're worrying about how they're doing and if they're in the right major for themselves."

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Anxiety isn't all in your head, either. It can manifest through excessive worrying, loss of sleep, shortness of breath, fatigue, breaking out, sweating and other physical symptoms.

"Anxiety is something many people deal with, and it's normal because we deal with change all the time," Charles explained. "But when you feel like it's getting in the way of your happiness, it may be time to talk with a therapist to work through whatever's going on so that you can get back on track."

Otherwise, students might be tempted to deal with anxiety in less healthy ways: drugs, alcohol or unhealthy eating, just to name a few.

"Sometimes students with anxiety will decide to avoid the things that create anxiety for them," Charles said.

That might mean they avoid talking to new people or quit going to class. And once they've skipped one class, the anxiety about going back gets even worse, leading to a vicious cycle.

If that sounds like you, then maybe it's time to talk to someone. But — we know what you're thinking — what is a therapist actually going to do?

"Some of the ways we work with students to deal with their anxiety is through developing calming statements to help them in the moment — things they can repeat to themselves to help calm them," Charles said.

A calming statement, she explained, might be "I have done this before and I know I can do it again," or "I will get through this" — something to help focus the mind and interrupt the chain of negative thoughts that often develops.

(That kind of sounds like the Litany Against Fear from Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic "Dune." Yeah, we're nerds.)

Taking deep breaths, learning to recognize negative thoughts, developing healthy routines and even role-playing stressful situations are also good techniques. And those are all things counselors can help with.

"Part of what happens when people are anxious and worrying is they tend to think one thought to another to another," Charles said. "So picking out a calming statement can help them come back to a more centered place so that they can ultimately deal with whatever situation that they're anxious about."

Families too can be a great source of support. They can also be a source of stress.

"What I encourage for parents is that they recognize, with their student going away to college, there are going to be changes that they can expect," Charles said.

Recognizing those changes and respecting their child's autonomy are important, she explained, suggesting that parents look for new interests or hobbies but also stay connected with their student and reach out to mental health resources when necessary.

If you, a friend or loved one are experiencing any signs of concern — including talk or threats of suicide, self-harm, bizarre or erratic behavior, frequently missing class or work, drug use, mood swings, poor hygiene or financial pressure — reach out for help, Charles said.

At Fontbonne, you can call the Department of Counseling and Wellness at 314-889-1434 or email Dr. Charles at ccharles@fontbonne.edu. Or you can fill out the school's online Worried About a Friend form.

Fontbonne also offers physical fitness classes and a campus ministry for spiritual support. Most schools have similar programs, so if you're not a student at Fontbonne, reach out to your own school's wellness program.

Or maybe you're not a student at all — Charles said many of the tips she gives students work just as well for general anxiety.

"Deep breathing and calming statements can work with any type of anxiety," she said. "But if a person is feeling like their anxiety is interfering with their well being and their ability to function, it's important to get connected with a counseling center or your primary care physician."

Find a list of mental health resources in St. Louis here.

Anyone struggling with mental health can also get help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, visiting this website or by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Behavioral Health Response's local crisis hotline at 314-469-3638 or TTY for the hearing impaired at 314-469-6644.

Image via Shutterstock

*Is that still a thing?