As we navigate college and all the responsibilities that come with it, it’s easy to fall victim to stress and anxiety. Our parents are away, there’s more on our plate to do, and there’s greater pressure to perform well. Studies show that 20% of college students say they’re stressed “most of the time”, 13% have been diagnosed with depression, PTSD, or anxiety, and a whopping 80% reported feel “often stressed”. While it might seem like an issue to just push through or ignore, students need to watch out about consuming substances to cope with their negative emotions. Researchers have found that students with stress, specifically anxiety disorders, are three times more likely to fall into a substance use disorder. It’s in your favor to watch out for your mental health and organize your lifestyle to be as healthy as possible. Since not everyone knows how to do this, seeing a recovery professional can get you the help you need.
Signs of Stress
Symptoms of stress comes in many forms, but the four primary types that arise are physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. If you feel that your mental health is taking a negative toll, watch out for the following red flags.
Physical signs of stress include getting sick much more than normal, chest pain, headaches, nausea, trouble sleeping, and extreme fatigue. Emotional signs of stress are easier for a person to diagnose as they happen immediately. From having less normal patience, feelings of sadness or restlessness, irritability, or trouble coping with negative events, any emotional symptoms will cause a dramatic shift in a person’s emotions and overall mood throughout the day. Cognitive signs of stress can range from impaired concentration, trouble with memory, chronic worrying and anxiety, and respective thoughts that are negative. Lastly, behavior symptoms are more noticeable over a period of time and include a change in eating habits, sleeping, physical activity, trouble getting along with others, and a new or increased use of addictive substances.
Stress and Addiction
According to doctors who specialize in mental health, stress and addiction can easily co-exist as a person develops a disorder and becomes dependent on the drugs they are self-medicating themselves with. A person could also initially begin with a substance addiction and develop a stress or anxiety disorder from the consequences that their behavior brings. Either way, both can occur within a person simultaneously and become a huge obstacle to their mental health. To make matters more difficult, often a person who does seek help for these problems can receive conflicting advice. For example, if they first saw a psychiatrist, they would be told to seek an abuse counselor to control their addiction before getting treated for anxiety. Or, if they first saw an abuse counselor, they could be referred to the psychiatrist to treat their anxiety before even dealing with their substance abuse. As a result, neither approach truly works until the patient realizes that their anxiety and addiction must be treated simultaneously.
Seeking Treatment
The first step to recovery is to acknowledge the problem and seek out dual diagnosis treatment. If you know someone who is going through these problems, Maryland Recovery advises to be compassionate to their feelings, watch out for any initially defensive behavior, and offer practical support. Their professionals work around the clock to help patients who are experiencing stress and addiction at the same time. They also provide a lot of information about more facts about who how a dual disorder could come about, especially when it comes to the mental health of college students.
Along with the treatment that a counselor and psychiatrist can provide, taking measures to live a healthy lifestyle can help a student reboot their system. Whether it’s practicing daily mindfulness, exercising more often, mediating, preventing negative thinking patterns, or getting enough nutrition and sleep, simply being more aware of the body’s needs through the day can make a big difference.
Disorders are Temporary
If you’re struggling with a stress and addiction disorder, or know someone who is, make sure to remember that the situation is only temporary if steps to recovery are taken. It’s not embarrassing to ask for help and admit what you’re going through to others who can help. It’s easy to feel uncomfortable around rehab professionals who are merely strangers, but they have your interests at heart and are passionate about helping people feel themselves again. Don’t hesitate and take action to reclaim your mental health!