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Is this just stress or could it be a mental health concern?
We’ve all felt anxious in our lives, whether it’s that nervous-butterflies in-your-tummy feeling before a big event, or late-night stress before an exam. For many people, these experiences with Anxiety are usually temporary and don’t leave a significant mark on their daily lives. However, this is not the case for 27% of the student population, who have reported experiencing mental health difficulties while at university. As a student myself, I wanted to explore how to recognise when everyday stress gets to that next level – when should we take action to prevent mental health conditions from spiralling?
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the experience of having no control over the stress and worries in your daily life, to the point where they are impacting your ability to function. Within this diagnosis, people can often experience panic attacks which are a sensation where the body shuts down in fear and a person can lose control of their breathing, vision, and thinking, amongst many other symptoms. Adrenaline pumps through the body which increases a person’s heart rate rapidly, leaving them often feeling drained and lightheaded. Panic attacks can occur without any apparent trigger and people who suffer with panic disorder can experience panic attacks multiple times a day.
This seems like a lot of unnecessary stress to be burdened with, but for many people it is their reality, so how do they learn to cope with this lifestyle?
Recognising the Symptoms
The first step in coping with these struggles is to recognise the symptoms you are experiencing. Frequent headaches, tightness in chest, hyperventilating, shaking – these are all symptoms of an anxiety disorder if they are occurring frequently in your daily life without a specific trigger. Once you have recognised the symptoms, it is a good idea to approach someone in your circle with your concerns about what you’re experiencing. Your GP will be the ideal person to approach as they can use their professional opinion to advise you on the best next steps to take. However, you could also confide in friends, family and even student services at university who can write a referral to your GP if that step feels too difficult for you to take initially.
Medication and Treatment
Following consultation with your GP and a potential mental health diagnosis, you may be offered the route of prescribed medication to combat these feelings you are struggling with. People with diagnosed anxiety disorders can be prescribed SSRIs which are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a type of anti-anxiety medication which helps to reduce anxiety levels and reduce mood fluctuations. Aside from medication, your GP may refer you to an external team for treatment in the form of one-to-one or group counselling, or types of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This is the most common therapy for people with diagnosed anxiety disorders as it teaches the patient to regain control over their thought and action processes.
Developing a Support Network
It can be overwhelming to talk about how you are feeling, so it’s important to have a support network of friends, family or partners who you can trust to be vulnerable and honest with. Talking about our experiences with mental illness is healthy as it helps to release bottled-up thoughts and emotions. It’s okay to not feel okay and talking to others and having people to go to when we feel down is the key in breaking those barriers.
Supporting someone with Mental Illness
You may not be experiencing symptoms of anxiety; however, it is likely you know someone that is. Supporting a friend or partner who is struggling with their mental health is an important role to take on, but it is important to remember that you are there to support them through their journey, not to fix them.
Some tips to consider when supporting someone with mental health
difficulties are:
Ask them what they need from you.
They might simply want to use their time with you to distract themselves from negative emotions by spending time together in a positive atmosphere.
Respect their boundaries.
They might not want to disclose everything they have experienced and that is okay. Just be a person they feel comfortable to talk to and know that you’re always there to listen.
Learn their grounding techniques.
If they are having a panic attack around you, help them to remember to engage in their breathing techniques, remind them they are safe with you and that they can take all the time they need to feel calm.
Remind them that they are not a burden.
People with mental health difficulties can often be hard on themselves and feel like an inconvenience to others around them. Remind your friends that they are loved no matter what they are going through and that you are there to support them.
Choose your words wisely and be kind.
Phrases and sayings can be thrown around in conversations which can unknowingly trigger negative emotions in people with mental health struggles. Refrain from using mental health slurs in conversation to be kind to others who may be struggling.
If you feel you may be struggling with your mental health, do not hesitate to contact any of the free resources available such as Samaritans, Mind, NHS and WellMind app. There is always someone to talk to, and things will get better.
Another amazing article!