Volume 124 Issue 114
kansan.com
Friday, March 9, 2012
at the Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment, says is probably the most common type of anxiety.
WHAT IS SOCIAL ANXIETY?
Smith says about 20 percent of college students have social anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health defines social anxiety among adults as "a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and feeling embarrassed or humiliated by their actions." This fear can become so severe that it interferes with work, school and other activities.
People who have social anxiety have the fear of appearing negatively to others and have certain thinking patterns and thoughts. Smith says one of the thinking patterns is called mind reading, which is when someone assumes everyone else is thinking something negative about them. People with social anxiety tend to overestimate the amount of attention people are paying to them and spend a lot of time in their own heads evaluating what they say and do, as well as what they will do next. They don't want to say something embarrassing or look dumb.
HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE
It's normal for everyone to experience some sort of anxiety, especially in situations such as giving a presentation or speaking in public. Smith says social anxiety is a continuum. "Someone can be socially anxious without crossing the social anxiety disorder threshold," she says. "If the anxiety is interfering with a person's functioning, or causing a person to not have the social life they want to have, then it's a disorder."
Social anxiety can cause major interference in the life of college students, says Ron Rapee, a psychology professor from Sydney whose research focuses on anxiety and author of "Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia: A Step by Step guide." Rapee says at lower levels, social anxiety might affect class presentations or talking to professors and other people of authority. On a higher level, social anxiety can start affecting friendships and limit romantic relationships as well as lead to perfectionism and difficulty with assignments. At the highest level, Rapee says social anxiety can stop people from coming to class and might lead to severe loneliness and isolation, and eventually cause students to drop out of school.
Social anxiety has physical symptoms, including sweating, rapid heart rate,
blushing, shaking, difficulty breathing. dry mouth and an upset stomach. Erin Gomer, a senior from Bonner Springs, says when she attempts to speak in class she gets nervous and feels like she is blushing. "Instead of just talking, its easier not to talk because I don't like the nervous and uncomfortable feeling," she says. Gomer hasn't been diagnosed with the disorder, but she says she gets anxious when she is around a lot of people on campus.
Social situations are easier for Gomer than being in the classroom. When Gomer is in social situations she can tell who the other shy people are in the group and sparks up conversation with them. "Socially you can pick the topic and comment on their shoes or something. It's really easy to start a conversation. If you're in a classroom you can't control the conversation," she says.
When Katie Copeland, a senior from Dallas, was in high school she hardly ever spoke in class and didn't look at people when she walked down the hallway. She always thought they were judging her. Copeland was diagnosed with social anxiety her sophomore year of high school. She says her anxiety has gotten better since she came to college, but Copeland's anxiety still finds its way back to her. Some days she will be so anxious she won't want to leave her apartment. Other days it won't bother her at all.
If Copeland doesn't like what she is wearing one day, she will worry everyone around her is looking at her and secretly criticizing the way she looks. She goes the entire day only thinking about that and nothing else. "I know that that it's not true and that they have more important things going on and are not focused on me, but I just can't get that thought out of my head that they are only focused on my stupid hairdo that day," she says. Listening to a good song on her iPod and reminding herself that the people around her aren't looking at her help Copeland relax.
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT
Medication is available to help ease anxiety. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRI, are medications that can be prescribed for people with severe anxiety, but they take three to six weeks to start working. Anxiety medications called benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, Valium and Librium, can be prescribed for anxiety as well.
If you take anxiety medications on a regular basis, there's a risk that you can
become addicted to them, says Russ Settle, a psychiatrist from Colorado. Settle says if you think your anxiety is so severe that you need medication, you should consider going to a professional, such as a psychiatrist, to help diagnose your level of anxiety. If you take medication, he recommends going to counseling or therapy as well because the chances of getting better with solely medication aren't as great.
Ron Rapee says to change your thought patterns and expose yourself to those situations that cause anxiety until you are used to them. The treatments are practical and based on learning new coping skills. Learning to think more realistically, getting good feedback from trusted others, reading self help books and gradually facing the situations that make you frightened over and over again are all ways Rapee says will help overcome social anxiety. This kind of treatment has helped me.
Majoring in journalism and interviewing many different people for the stories I write has helped me become more confident and less anxious around people I don't know. When I took my first journalism class that involved interviewing strangers, I wanted to drop the course and even thought about changing my major. I decided I had to deal with my fear and forced myself to continue with my class.I realized I enjoy talking to new people and hearing what they have to say.
SOCIAL ANXIETY IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD
I have become more confident being the interviewer,but when the tables are turned and I am the one being interviewed, I get anxious. I stumble over my words and have to keep digging into my mind until I find the right words. A successful job interview is something that I need after graduation and I'm going to need to figure out how to have one without letting my anxiety take over. Davis Gaston, director of the University Career Center,says preparing for future job interviews you will face after graduation is important and will help ease the anxiety that comes before and during the interview.
Gaston tells the students he works with that they need to be as prepared as possible for the questions that they may be asked to alleviate the unknown. Gaston savs to:
-Prepare and try to figure out what the interviewer is going to ask.
-Know as much information about the
employer as possible.
- Think of a job interview as a discussion and find a good conversation so the interviewer can see your real personality. Anxiety can hide the real you.
- If your hands sweat when you get nervous, put tissues in your pockets before you go in for the interview. You can stick your hands in your pockets to dry them off before your shake hands with someone.
People with social anxiety can get overlooked in the job world because they aren't reaching out and don't seek as much promotion. Michael Haderlie, a clinical psychology resident (which means he holds a doctorate in psychology and is working towards getting his license), says people with social anxiety tend to be underemployed despite their skill levels. Someone with the same credentials who doesn't have social anxiety can make more money and have a better career path.
"There are some people with social anxiety that are successful. If people are willing to put an effort into treating social anxiety and treat social anxiety correctly, then they can overcome it," Haderlie says.
It's normal to have anxiety when you have to give a speech or presentation to the class. Chelsea Graham, a graduate teaching assistant who teaches two sections of COMS 130, provided these tips about public speaking;
-Don't practice speaking while sitting down or lying in bed. Stand up like you are delivering the speech.
-Practice in front of other people. You can read their facial expression and have them critique your 'speech delivery.
- Visualize the classroom where you will be giving your speech and think of yourself making a successful speech.
- Exercise the morning before your speech or presentation to get out the extra energy.
- Realize that you aren't the only one in the classroom who's nervous about speaking. Even instructors can sometimes get nervous when they have to present to the class.
- Know your material and what points you want to make. The more you know your outline and the information you want to cover, the easier it will be.
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any specific incident.
"We're just trying to be proactive," he said. "We want to make it safer than it was in 2008."
He said that the University student community, and the rest of Lawrence, have maintained order well in that past and no significant issues have come up during past NCAA tournaments.
Brandon Graham, bought Jefferson Restaurant, 743 Massachusetts St., in May, 2011, and bought Papa Keno's Pizzeria, 1035 Massachusetts St., in January. He said he doesn't know what operating those businesses during the tournament will be like, but he doesn't expect crowds to be a problem.
He said the ordinance shouldn't affect bars because people are already prohibited from leaving drinking establishments with open containers. And, Graham said, Papa Keno's uses plastic cups
"I give the public the benefit of the doubt," Graham said.
tain order.
Squire, who assists the city in planning for NCAA tournament crowds, said the police would have a significant presence downtown during the Final Four weekend. Squire said he couldn't give specifics about how the police and city plan to deal with a large crowd, but did say a number public safety and sanitation were considered.
"It's a no-brainer public safety issue," he said.
Squire said along with broken glass causing injuries, glass can be used as a dangerous projectile. He said plastic containers are much less likely to cause injury or property damage.
"With that many people, plus alcohol, bad things can happen," he said. "We want eliminate as many things as possible."
Edited by Ian Cummings
CLASSIFIEDS 11
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
LUKE RANKER
lranker@kansan.com
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
Free State High School will host the local Kansas Republican Presidential Caucus Saturday.
University assistant professor of political Science Michael Lynch said the Kansas caucus is more important in this election than in past elections, because the Presidential candidate has usually been determined before the Kansas caucus is held.
According to a fact sheet provided by University of Kansas College Republicans' president Ashley Moretti, students who are 18 years or older by March 10 registered as a Republican before Feb. 17 can vote at Free State High School on Saturday, as long as they live in the same congressional district as the University. If students don't live in the same congressional district as the University, they can still vote in a provisional ballot at the local site. Voters should bring a valid ID, which will prove state residency.
Index
- A Kansas Driver's License or no-driver's identification card
- A concealed carry of handgun or weapon license
- A US Passport
- An employee of identification document issued by a government employer
KANSAS CAUCUS FORMS OF VALID ID:
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Source: Kansas Federation of College Republicans
- A public assistance identification card issued by a government office
- A student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
Burdett Loomis, a University professor in political science, said he predicted Rick Santorum will probably be favored in the Kansas Caucus, because he has a strong support from social conservatives.
Presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romeny, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum will appear on the ballot.
"The general rule is that strongest supporters are the ones that come out," Loomis said.
Don't forget
speeches supporting each candidate on the ballot before they cast their votes. He said Evangelical Christians and other very conservative Republicans are more likely to vote during a caucus, because they are more willing to take the extra time. Lynch said this demographic of voters supported Mike Huckabee in the 2008 election and will most likely support Santorum this year.
Lynch said caucuses last longer than regular primaries, because voters have the opportunity to hear
He said students who want to vote in Saturday's caucus should expect to spend more time at the polls than they would during other elections.
Loomis said Kansas' role in the presidential election is greater during the GOP primaries, because Kansas is a traditionally Republican state.
"If Santorum wins Kansas and couple other states, he can argue it's not over," he said.
Loomis said Mitt Romney, who took a lead over other candidates on Super Tuesday, has a strong chance of wining the GOP nomination, but Santorum is not far behind.
"Presidential politics will leave the state after Saturday," he said.
Lynch also said voters who arrive at 10 a.m. will have to listen to about 30 minutes of speeches before voting. Speeches will repeat through out the voting period, and voters should expect the high school to be crowded, as there is only one caucus site in Lawrence.
"You aren't just showing up and voting" Lynch said.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
Tabling and organization visits for Student Senate elections will begin Monday.
Today's Weather
Brisk winds and sunny 5-10mph
Already feels like Spring Break