How stress and anxiety can actually be helpful

Everyone feels stressed and anxious once in a while. Both stress and anxiety are basic emotions that can be highly useful to help us react to difficult and threatening situations quickly and effectively.

When you come across a threat, your built-in stress response system is activated and multiple hormonal reactions enable you to shift into a state of alertness and respond appropriately.

This is particularly useful when you’re studying. If, for example, you suffer from fear of failure, this fear can enhance a stress reaction in your body that stimulates you to do your very best and study harder. In other words, it makes you more alert and temporarily boosts your performance.

When your ‘fear of fear’ increases significantly, you may be dealing with an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety problems and disorders can take on many forms. These include:

• fear of failure
• panic disorder: panic attacks with hyperventilation and fear of the attacks themselves
• generalised anxiety disorder: generally being afraid of everything, often accompanied by intense worrying
• social anxiety disorder: the fear of feeling inadequate in social situations
• post-traumatic stress disorder: reliving a tragic event
• specific phobia: a particular fear of certain animals, blood, confined spaces, etc.
• separation anxiety: the fear of being abandoned by loved ones
• obsessive-compulsive disorder: developing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours to undermine the fear

All these types of anxiety are different, yet they have many things in common. Typically, different forms of anxiety occur at the same time.

Stress and anxiety also have an impact on your relationships. During periods of excessive stress and fear, you may feel an intense need to be surrounded by others, and for them to be close. Conversely, you may prefer to be on your own, withdraw and avoid social contact as much as possible.

The impact of an anxiety disorder can be so intense that it triggers dreariness, which, in turn, can develop into depression. In that sense, anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. The reverse is also true: people suffering from severe depression can become anxious due to the experiences that depressive disorders bring about.

Talk about it

Are you feeling stressed and anxious, and are you worried about it? An important first step in coping is to talk about it. This can be a relief and help you get things straight.

Talk to somebody you trust and feel good around, preferably someone you know, like a good friend, your parents or siblings.

If you struggle to talk to someone in your close surroundings, try to approach a person who is familiar with similar experiences, such as a GP or a student advisor at your college or university.

Would you prefer to share your story anonymously? You can always call on Awel (102 or awel.be) or Tele-Onthaal (106 or tele-onthaal.be). For questions about suicide, call the Suicide Hotline (1813 or zelfmoord1813.be)

Seek help

Anxiety symptoms usually do not disappear by themselves. They can also re-appear after a while. So definitely seek help.

Anxiety disorders can be treated quite well. Psychotherapy has proven to be effective as you learn to understand your own physical reactions to anxiety triggers and to work on your avoidance behaviour. This helps you tackle and break the vicious cycle of anxiety.

Mindfulness, worry training and relaxation therapy can also help you move away from your anxiety patterns. In some cases, medication (tranquilisers and/or antidepressants) can be helpful, too. Speak to a health professional to find out the different options for your particular situation.

Feared and conquered: students & expert sharing their experiences

Anxiety, stress and depression. Sooner or later, many students will have to deal with these issues to some extent. In this episode, our host addresses this topic together with her guests, Birthe and professor Patrick Luyten (KU Leuven & University College London), who is specialized in mood disorders.

Keen to learn, read or hear more about this topic?

Podcasts

• Feared and conquered on MoodSpace
• Panic, agoraphobia, GAD or separation anxiety

Self-help

• E-health programme Stress and Anxiety on MoodSpace

TED Talks

• 3 ways to overcome anxiety
• Be The Warrior Not The Worrier - Fighting Anxiety & Fear
• How to make stress your friend