E110 SCARY STORIES

You’re checking out at the grocery store. Everything is fine – or is it? What if people think you’re standing weird? Are you holding your basket the proper way? Is your debit card ready to pay? Don’t make eye contact with anyone. Keep the perfect distance from the people in front of and behind you. Make sure to smile – but not too much. Don’t look weird. Don’t be stupid. Act normal.

 

This is a look inside the mind of a person with Social Anxiety Disorder. SAD for short (Quite the unfortunate credential). SAD branches from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and is a phobia of social situations. No, not just the typical “I’m nervous because I’ve never met this person” scenario, but a quite serious (and sometimes traumatic) fear of the public. To have social anxiety means to be afraid of looking stupid, being embarrassed or making simple, forgivable mistakes. Often times, people experiencing social anxiety can have anxiety attacks (panic attacks). These are instantaneous emotions of terror. Symptoms include feeling faint, numbness, sweating, chest pains, loss of breath, and a racing heart.

 

Given these symptoms, it may still be hard to understand why anxiety is so difficult to ignore. Let’s get scientific. As explained by John Crawford, the limbic systems in the brain controls all emotions – a.k.a., the control of anxiety, panic, pleasure, and reward. Importantly, this part of the brain is not involved with logical or intellectual thinking. Therefore, the repeated thoughts of imagined possible wrong-doings in the head form here. The intellectual part of the brain controls common sense. The knowledge that nothing bad is absolutely going to happen. However, in times of stress, the emotional brain takes over the intellectual brain. Remember “fight or flight” from middle school? That sort of thinking is the limbic brain system. This means anxiety can override logical thinking and entirely consume all thoughts – quite literally. (Crawford).

 

The breakdown of the brain’s thinking in the mind of a person with anxiety helps a lot in understanding what it does in the course of someone’s life. However, I felt that talking to someone who has personally experienced it in their life (other than myself) would help grasp another take on the illness. Brandon Goodnow, age 19, was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder 8 years ago. In the past 3 years, he has sought treatment and gotten the help needed to function in everyday life again. When asked about his anxiety, Goodnow says, “Basically, [anxiety] is a constant voice in your head that says you're doing something wrong, or a paranoid feeling that something is going wrong” (Goodnow).

 

There’s the constant feeling that something is not quite right – something feels off or weird. Next comes the inevitable pit that begins to form in the heart of the stomach. No matter what is happening, this feeling never ceases. Social anxiety envelopes everyday life. In fear that something may go wrong, life outside of the house feels overwhelming and terrifying. Relationships with friends fall off because the nerves to create plans or initiate interaction never quite build up. The hallways at school are daunting because there’s that voice in the back of the mind saying so many things, so fast. Too fast. Too many thoughts. The thought of having a job is impractical, because the simple thought of being able to manage the assigned tasks correctly or even the small process of arriving on time are haunting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step back. Education, the importance of a young person’s life. Until the age of 18, everything is done relatively simple. Teenagers are always with their friends, and they are always told the exact way to do something, step by step. However, once they graduate much more is expected of them. College is the next big step. I personally remember senior year as one big stomach ache. Not only was I expected to select a college, a decision I’d be stuck with for four or more years, but expected to choose a major – ultimately choose where my life is going.

 

Anxiety is one of the most concerning mental illnesses on college campuses, taking in a whopping 41% of students. Why not make this information a little bit more relevant. Of the 17,000 undergrad students at the University of Delaware, this means 6,970 students suffer from anxiety. That’s roughly 2 out of every 5 students. Think about it; personal friends, roommates, random strangers. So many colleagues suffer from anxiety disorder. Why?

 

Numerous factors can weigh in on these statistics. College is vastly different from high school. The stakes are higher, the consequences are deeper, the courses are tougher. These amount of responsibilities being dumped on an already stressful life can surely lead to mental health issues. Not only are young teens faced with more tasks in life, but their social views being to change. The levels of peer pressure rise. Their friends are out partying every night, meeting new people, exploring a new world. And here the anxious person sits, afraid of change. Afraid of this new life being presented to them.

 

"Could you imagine always feeling wrong, or like something is off?"

 

I cried in my car on my first day of college. I was so nervous, I left my house an hour early – afraid I would miss my class. Getting to campus so early, I didn’t know where to go. I was alone in this large, unknown environment. I was afraid of the library, of lounges, of the cafes. I was nervous that I would sit in the wrong spot, near the wrong people, do anything wrong. I was terrified of looking foolish. I sat outside on a bench for 45 minutes before deciding to wait outside of my classroom. I spent the entire grueling 15 minutes thinking about where I would sit, and what the classroom layout was like, and what the professor would be like.

 

I think the thing that scared me the most was making friends. New people. Everyone seemed to already have formed their own cliques already. Roommates, floor mates, sports teams, drama, band, anything. They were all acquainted. Being a commuter, I knew no one. I was entirely fresh. I’ve actually not overcome this, in all honesty. It’s almost the third month of school and I haven’t made a friend yet.

 

There isn’t truly a one solve-all cure to anxiety. There are many different steps or processes to take. The number one recommended treatment is therapy. Counseling can help a person in many different ways. Diagnosis, acceptance, and recovery can all come from therapy sessions. Talking to someone about any problems is the first step to bettering overall mental health. It is important to know that nobody is alone in their struggles, and that there are always people to help them, as well as others who are going through the same difficulties they are. Accepting their mental illness will help them overcome it. Knowing what they are dealing with and the responsibility it will take to solve it is a very large step in becoming healthier. They can no longer rely on others’ help in your problems; it’s mostly up to them to fix them. A person’s therapist is not there to completely solve your anxiety disorder for them – it takes their help as well. Recovery is the fun part. After they accept that their brain is wired differently, they can begin to identify their problems and come up with solutions. Say they’re in the grocery store and they begin to have panicked thoughts about waiting in line to check out. Stop, breathe. Think, “Nobody is looking at you. You are fine.” Don’t let your thoughts take control, rather, take control of your own thoughts.

 

"]Y]our anxiety can override your logical thinking and entirely consume your thoughts - quite literally."

 

If both therapy is not for you – which is my case – there are more options. Alternative treatments are still available to those who want help on their own terms. Yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and relaxation techniques are available to anyone, anywhere. Trying studying breathing exercises to help calm you down in times of need, or try counting to ten to avert your mind from overthinking. Simple exercises like these can work wonders.

 

These steps aren’t the only plans available, either. Sometimes people suffering from social anxiety disorder might need help from those around us, especially in a stressful environment such as a college campus. The best thing you can do to help ease those around you is to just be a nicer person. I know if I’m in the store walking through the aisles, and the lady next to me smiles and says “Hi, how are you?” I suddenly feel a lot more confident. It puts to rest the thought in my mind that I’m an annoyance to those around me because – hey, they were nice! That’s the key. Being a nice, respectful person (as someone always should be) can really help better someone’s day. As an anxious person, it may be overwhelming to be walking down the sidewalk and see so many “resting bitch faces” because it’s very easy to assume those bitch faces are aimed directly at them. Remember, social anxiety makes people overthink situations and assume the worst. Overall, a friendly, welcoming place can surely help people with social anxiety disorder feel significantly better, even though it’s such a small thing.

 

It’s important to remember that people with S.A.D. already feel awful that they are so heavily reliant on others, so remember to never pressure them, or ever assume it’s “their fault”, because by no means do they want to react the way they do. Always reassure them that everything is okay, and that things will work out. Never use phrases such as “Calm down” or “Don’t overreact”, because these sorts of words will only make them feel worse, and nobody wants that.

 

Whenever I have panic attacks, my friends always help me by holding my hand and assuring me that everything is OK, they also help me practice my breathing exercises and count to ten multiple times. By counting to ten, the mind focuses on the number and less at the situation at hand, calming the person down. Social anxiety disorder is not a joke. It is a serious mental illness that many people struggle with in their everyday lives, especially on campus. By being more aware of the symptoms and insights on S.A.D., it will help more college campuses become friendlier environments, and more active in helping people dealing with this illness.

 

 

Works Cited

"Are Anxiety Disorders Caused By a Chemical Imbalance?" Are Anxiety Disorders Caused By a Chemical Imbalance? Calm Clinic. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.

Crawford, John. "What Is Anxiety? What Causes Anxiety? Solutions?" What Is Anxiety? What Causes Anxiety? Solutions? Anxiety Specialist, 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Goldberg, Joseph. "What Is Social Anxiety Disorder? Symptoms, Treatments, & More." WebMD. WebMD, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

"Panic Attack Symptoms: Shortness of Breath, Racing Heart, & More." WebMD. Ed. Joseph Goldberg. WebMD, 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Smith, Melinda. "Anxiety Medication : What You Need to Know About Anti-Anxiety Drugs." Anxiety Medication. Helpguide, 1 Nov. 2015. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.

"Teen Health and Wellness." Teen Health and Wellness. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2015. Web. 27 Nov. 2015.

"Treatment | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA." Treatment | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. ADAA, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Goodnow, Brandon. Personal Interview. 15. November, 2015.