Counseling Center

Anxiety

At some point everyone has felt anxious, apprehensive, fearful, or worried. That’s because anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Thus, most of us have experienced feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, job interview, giving a speech, or first date. When we experience arousal in anticipation of such events, it is our body’s way of preparing us to take action – the old fight or flight response.

However, when a person’s life is filled with overwhelming anxiety, if one fears things that are not likely or realistic, or is afraid of things so far removed from us in time and space that being aroused serves no useful purpose, and when anxiety creates other problems in our life for which we cannot find a solution, then anxiety is a significant problem. In each of these instances, one may be suffering from an anxiety disorder and seeking help may be the most effective way of addressing these unpleasant experiences.

As a group, anxiety disorders are the most common form of psychological illness in America. More than 19 million adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year, and children and adolescents can also develop anxiety disorders. Descriptions of some of the most common forms of anxiety disorder are listed below.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder -- excessive anxiety and worry accompanied by restlessness, fatigue, irritability, feelings tense and/or sleep difficulties.
Phobias -- overwhelming, even incapacitating fear of a particular object or circumstance that always leads to trying virtually everything one can to avoid it.
Panic Disorder -- periods of intense, sudden apprehension or fear that brings with it a sense that something awful is about to happen and where one's body reacts with symptoms such as chest pain, racing heartbeat, problems breathing and/or a fear of completely "losing it."
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) -- here the symptoms of anxiety are tied to involvement in some unusual and traumatic experience, although one need not make the connection between that event and the anxiety symptoms for PTSD to happen.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) -- the experience of being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts, images, or ideas that are distressing, unwanted and/or inappropriate or engaging in repetitive behaviors one believes one has to do in an effort to prevent or minimize anxiety.
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder -- the experience of intense anxiety in a specific social situation such as public speaking or meeting new people, to more extreme and pervasive problems associated with being near or around other people
Test or Performance Anxiety -- the experience of anxiety associated with exams and the academic evaluation process that can reach such a level that performance is negatively affected.
Help at SIUC
• Counseling Center, Student Health Center, Room 253, 618-453-5371
• Wellness Center, Stress Management Program, Student Health Center, first floor,
618-536-4441
• Clinical Center, 141 Wham, 618-453-2361

Help in the Carbondale Community
• Southern Illinois Regional Social Services (SIRSS), 604 E. College,
618-457-6703

Links to Other Resources about this issue

Got Anxiety? Get Help.

The Anxiety Panic Internet Resource

National Institute of Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

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