hi this is Billy Billy is in their third year of University they've had the same friends
since first year and live in the same small student house but recently Billy has started
feeling stressed and worried constantly why could this be Billy's always been nervous in Social
settings avoiding them at all costs and keeping their social group small and obviously doesn't
like public speaking but they've always been like that so what's new Billy has been finding herself
thinking about graduation and their future a lot maybe they're in the wrong major maybe at the
wrong school so much that it's consumed their life they've started staying homework eating less and
losing a lot of sleep Billy's friends are starting to notice Billy may have general anxiety disorder
okay so what is general anxiety disorder a study done in 2018 by the National College
Health assessment reported that 63 of college students have experienced severe anxiety and
23 percent have been diagnosed or treated by a medical professional general anxiety
disorder is the most common disorder in University and college students
Billy is just one of many general anxiety commonly arises at difficult Parts in life
like going away to college for example it can become a long-term problem when not addressed
symptoms of GAD can be seen in many different forms but are generally always being worried or
anxious overthinking and viewing events slash situations as threatening without
any reason inability to relax indecisiveness and more these symptoms can lead to physical
symptoms like constant tiredness muscle fatigue tension nausea sweating and trouble sleeping
what is causing this anxiety there are many reasons like genetics brain chemistry
development and life situations everyone is different and experiences everything differently
should Billy get help yes their day-to-day life is beginning to become affected without proper
Health Billy's patterns can become worse after talking to the school therapist Billy talked
about what is going on and got prescribed a benzodiazepine benzodiazepine is a category
of anti-anxiety medications that enhance the neurotransmitter Gaba gamma amobutic acid Gaba
functions that send calming messages to the brain this counters the overstimulation seen
in anxiety treatment comes in many forms symptoms of GAD are usually helped with medication therapy
coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques after treatment Billy is now able to talk confidently
about school to the therapist who's helping them plan and explore different paths in life
hello everyone this is Steven he is a passionate student who takes his education seriously
during the Copa 19 pandemic all of his classes were online so Stephen Bill left the house
even the thought of stepping out through an entire pandemic threatened him this year his classes
switched from online to in-person learning Stephen comes to all of his classes with a
face mask lifestyle wipes and hand sanitizer as he walks on campus prioritizing his physical distance
before class Steven washed his hands and cleans the steamy area
during class his mind wanders from the class content to the germs around him
and the satisfaction to bring him to wash his hands once more these impulses get worse at
home as extensively cleaned showers and washed his hands on repeat among his friends he gets
very uncomfortable either the thought of sharing food drinks and personal items
his parents have noticed his behavior and have gotten very concerned for his mental health
Stephen might be diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or calmly known as OCD
OCD consists of patterns of unwanted thoughts along with fears which can turn into obsessions
these obsessions can turn into repetitive behaviors and compulsions and interfere
of daily activities ignoring these impulses can increase feelings of distress and anxiety
performing compulsive acts can help to ease stress and tension but will lead
to ritualistic behaviors most OCD patients are hesitant to get help
because they may feel embarrassed but treatments are proven to be effective
OCD typically revolves around certain themes and Stephen's case is getting contaminated by germs
symptoms for the disease are typically obsessions and compulsions such as actions that are excessive
and unreasonable and interview daily activity although experts are not sure the exact cause of
OCD genetics brain abnormalities and environment play a big role in OCD patients the risk factors
that contribute to someone developing OCD in their lifetime depend on family history life
events and other mental health conditions there is nothing wrong with having OCD the treatment for
this condition involves some therapy and medicine to help relieve some of the stress although the
treatments are proven to be super effective it may take months before any progress will be noticed
Henry is a freshman who recently started the university he attends all his classes studies
at a library contains a physically active's lifestyle and hangs out with his friends on campus
it would appear that Henry is living a normal healthy life for the University
of students however a few weeks pass by and would begin to notice some concerning symptoms
overall his friends would still describe him as an outgoing motivated and friendly person
but every once in a while he would adopt an entirely different personality for a few days
during this time period he becomes easily irritable extremely anti-social and presents signs
of mood swings Henry would also find it difficult to go to classes and have the motivation to attend
this academic and personal responsibilities it would often feel sad hopeless and lose interest in
many hobbies though as soon as these videos pass by Henry goes back to being his old cheerful self
it is likely that experts would diagnose Henry with bipolar disorder bipolar disorder is defined
as a serious disorder of mood characterized by the current episodes of depression that are usually
separated by periods of relatively normal mood and functioning Studios have demonstrated an increase
in bipolar disorders over the past few years and college students in particular are one of
the highest risk groups for this disorder this is because while college students adjust the college
life they're more likely to assume new habits that include poorer eating habits less physical
activity problem in alcohol use and pores sleep habits and quality another problem in correlation
is the relationship between bipolar disorder and feelings of stress low self-esteem and low
self-efficacy treatment options are generally broken down in the two streams medications
which include but are not limited to boob stabilizers antipsychotics and antidepressants
and Psychotherapy which could include cognitive behavioral therapy psycho-education and family
focused therapy hopefully these treatment options can help Henry manage his symptoms
meet Claire Claire has just started attending University and her transition
to University was accompanied by many other changes in her life
recently she hasn't been feeling like herself Claire doesn't have the motivation to work out
anymore but is continuously losing weight because her appetite has been affected
she is having difficulty getting out of bed every morning to go to her classes and even when
she does she is having a hard time concentrating and remembering deadlines she undergoes multiple
births of cheerfulness sadness frustration and anxiety throughout the day this is all new for
Claire and her friends are worried for her so they encourage her to talk with a doctor the
doctor tells her that she might be struggling with major depressive disorder also known as depression
it is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of Interest there is
no single cause of depression however differing causes such as stressful events personality
family history poverty loneliness and alcohol and drugs can combines to trigger depression
the average length of a depressive episode is around six to eight months and there are different
treatment options available Psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the
options that can help individuals to recognize and correct negative automatic thoughts while
trying to focus on the present medications such as selective serotonin reoptic inhibitor or SSRI
also increases serotonin levels in the brain which can have good effects on mood emotion and sleep
the doctor reassures Claire that she is not alone a study found that the prevalence of
depressive symptoms among University students around the world in 2021 was 34 percent
but unfortunately as many as 75 percent of the students who are struggling don't seek help
why is that this can be because of the stigma that exists in our society around Mental Health
through increasing access awareness understanding and education we can
end this stigma and offer the support and resources that students like Claire need
although these four stories are fictional real college students around the world are
experiencing similar situations in their everyday lives research interests and mental health and
well-being in University students have grown exponentially in the last few decades though
it is interesting to note that even with the increase in research interests the majority of
University students experience in mental health problems and poor well-being are
not receiving the treatment that they need perhaps this calls for increased attention
and the implementation and delivery methods of Mental Health Services to college students
to be used for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis
we are not doctors if you or anyone you know is experiencing any mental health related
symptoms make sure to visit your physician for diagnosis and discussing treatment options foreign