Page 293 - Keys To Community College Success

yourself, get help. There are people who care and can assist you. The right help can
change or even save your life.

Anxiety Disorders
As with depression, anxiety disorders have been on the rise among college students
over the last decade. Potential causes include the struggling economy and job market,
being constantly available via communication technology, and information overload—
both in general and specifically regarding what everyone around you is doing and
accomplishing. If factors like these cause a high stress response that won’t settle down,
an anxiety disorder can result.
Types of anxiety disorders include: Wellness and Stress Management
■ Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), characterized by a nearly constant state of
worry that is difficult to control and not always related to a cause
■ Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by obsessive thoughts that
lead to compulsive behaviors
■ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is especially common in war veterans
or survivors of abuse, and involves flashbacks, avoidance, and heightened emotion
and awareness
■ Panic disorder, characterized by “panic attacks” that feature increased heart and
breathing rates, dizziness, and a sense of impending doom
Recognizing an anxiety disorder can be challenging. In fact, many students who ulti-
mately are diagnosed do not initially believe they have a medical problem, figuring that the
anxiety they are experiencing is normal. This is especially true for students who have expe-
rienced high levels of anxiety all of their lives up until this point without any medical inter-
vention. Any student who feels that anxiety is affecting his or her ability to function in or
out of class should consult with a professional to see if an anxiety disorder is to blame.
For general advice about mental health issues, visit the Campus Mental Health:
Know Your Rights! website found at www.bazelon.org.

Eating Disorders
Millions of people develop serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders every
year, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. Negative effects of
these disorders range from fertility and obesity issues to digestive tract and other organ
damage, heart failure, and even death. There are three basic types of eating disorders: 15
■ Anorexia nervosa. People with anorexia nervosa restrict their eating and become
dangerously underweight. They may also engage in over-exercising, vomiting, and
abuse of diuretics and laxatives. Eventually, without proper nourishment, their
internal organs begin to shut down, ending in death if no intervention occurs.
Anorexia nervosa is often linked to excessive anxiety and perfectionism or the
desire for control.
■ Bulimia nervosa. People with bulimia engage in “binge episodes,” which involve
eating excessive amounts of foods and feeling out of control. Following the binge,
the person feels remorseful and attempts to purge the calories through self-induced
vomiting, laxative abuse, excessive exercise, or fasting. Bulimia is often linked to
emotional distress that causes so much pain that an individual tries to “numb”
the feeling by overeating.
■ Binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder.
People with this condition eat large amounts of food and feel out of control, simi-
lar to those with bulimia, but they do not purge after a binge episode. However,
just like bulimics, they eat unusually fast, eat in secret, eat until they feel uncom-
fortably full, and feel ashamed of their eating behaviors.

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