Dealing with return anxiety

Whether you are a new student arriving at Portland State University for the first time, or are a senior here to finish off your degree, you may be dealing with a bit of system shock returning to school from summer break.

PSU Counseling and Psychological Services are ready to help students who feel overwhelmed by the return to the high-pressure classroom.

The first thing to realize is you’re not alone. Last year, in a survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles, more than 30 percent of freshmen reported feeling “frequently overwhelmed,” a 16 percent increase from 1985.

These feelings of being overwhelmed can be caused by a few different sources, two of which are most common among college students: social anxiety and separation anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common emotional disorder, according to the American Psychological Association, affecting one in nine Americans.

Social anxiety is the nervousness felt before giving a speech to a group of people or otherwise acting in an uncomfortable social situation.

PSU psychologist Dr. Linda Fishman says that feelings like those are common as individuals try to do their best.

“I think that’s one of the things we strive for; you want to be seen as competent and perform to the best of your abilities,” she said.

Separation anxiety is often felt by students living on their own for the first time or again after a short reprieve. Being set apart from that which makes you feel comfortable can be stressful, even frightening.

“For students that are leaving home and being away from parents for the first time, it’s a pretty common experience to feel elated,” Fishman said. A feeling of anxiety can follow this elation as students realize they are to fend for themselves.

“Students come in for all kinds of reasons,” Fishman said. “Some students don’t realize that those are normal reactions, sometimes they go on longer than is typical,” she says of students suffering from stress and anxiety caused by school.

If anxiety or stress seems to be interfering with your daily life or hampering your performance don’t be afraid to seek some help.

The campus Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (the office closes at 5 p.m. on Friday) and helps students ��with difficult situations. The office is located in Smith Memorial Center M343, telephone appointments are preferred, and can be made at 503-725-4423.

“It’s pretty normal for people to seek counseling sometime during a college career,” Fishman said. “I think it’s a sign that people are pretty healthy if they realize they need help.”

A student who visits CAPS will first meet with a counselor to discuss what the student needs help with and what sort of program might help them most.

“Sometimes the first session is all that students need; they just felt they needed to come and get some feedback,” Fishman said.

If the student feels another visit could aid them, a wide variety of programs are available. CAPS provides group and individual therapy and short-term workshops dealing with test anxiety and procrastination.

CAPS also offers a graduate student program, dealing specifically with the stresses of being a graduate student.

CAPS services are covered by the health care package that full-time students automatically have; part-time students can choose to pay the health care fee and have the same coverage.

Students might also consider reading some of the advice that is at www.campusblues.com. The Web site is maintained by mental health professionals and is specifically directed towards the concerns of college students.