College Students

by Rita Clark

Rita ClarkAfter more than 20 years of not going to a grocery store, restaurant, or public place alone, not driving out of my safe area and not attending school functions for my children, I began my difficult recovery from panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social anxiety disorder.

by Robert Clark

An evening spent playing bridge with other couples was always fun for Rita, but one time it became a nightmare. Dealing the cards, first her hands began to tremble, and then her body shook uncontrollably. Terrified, she ran to the bathroom where she fell to the floor crying. She didn’t understand what was happening to her, so she told her husband she was ill and needed to go home.

by Amanda Leonard

Looking back, I can see that I had symptoms of an anxiety disorder even as a small child. I remember going for weeks at a time waking up, unable to go back to sleep. Then, as if by magic, I would go back to sleeping normally.

by Kathryn Tristan

Fear is an unseen enemy that can emotionally cripple and turn your life into a nightmare unless you learn, as I did, how to stage your own “anxiety rescue.”

Find Help

If you think you have an anxiety or anxiety-related disorder, or if you feel overwhelmed or just not yourself, it’s time to get help. There is no shame in talking to someone about your feelings. Getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Facts

Anxiety disorders often co-occur with other disorders. Learn more about the following disorders, which often affect college students, too:

by Veronica Feeney

My struggles with emotional and mental problems began at age 12, when I experienced my first nervous breakdown. At age 20 I was diagnosed with major depression. By the time I was 30 that diagnosis had changed to chronic major depression with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Later, ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were added to my diagnoses. At age 40, and after three suicide attempts within two years, my therapist began to suspect that I suffered from bipolar disorder.

College Students

Parental support is extremely important for college students, especially those who may be dealing with an anxiety disorder, depression, or other mental health condition.

Below are tips for helping your college-age child: