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sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
Josh Jackson selected No. 4 overall by Phoenix Suns
Werner: It's not just shyness, it's social anxiety
▶ LAURA WERNER
@laura_werner81
t's more than just being shy. If you're considered an introvert, people may have told you as a kid. "You're just shy." For some, it can be much more than that.
It may not be that serious, it could be that you're a quiet person who takes a while to warm up to people. For several people, including myself, it's a fear of being judged or humiliated for every little thing we do. It's a fear of saying the wrong thing and thinking others will think we're crazy or dumb. It's being afraid of what I say because I don't think it sounds right. I'll think things like, "Does my face look red right now?" or "Can they hear my voice shaking?"
It's extreme self-consciousness.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 15 million Americans are diagnosed with social anxiety, but how many aren't seeking help because they're afraid people will think they're crazy?
So, why don't we just ask for help? The reason we don't is because we think we're being melodramatic. But, when we can't even go out in public because we think every person is staring and judging every little move we make, it's hard to want to talk to a random stranger about our feelings.
Those of us with social
ADAA reports that 36 percent of those with social anxiety have symptoms for over 10 years before seeking help. Think of it this way: 36 percent of another 15 million people could be experiencing those symptoms, but they're too afraid to get help.
anxiety might start to feel like we're crazy because not being able to talk to people out of fear drives us insane. The thought of socializing makes me so nervous that I freeze up or stumble over words. I might try to be social, but I have to think about my words so carefully that by the time I'm ready to talk, it's too late.
A big presentation for a class will make someone like me anxious weeks in advance if you are dealing with social anxiety. Even practicing a speech thousands of
We feel hopeless and cope with this fear by giving up. We give up on things we want because our anxiety toward anything social gets in the way. We avoid everything we have to speak at. This can impact our will to work, go to school or do something we've always desired out of fear that we'll be humiliated.
times in front of the mirror won't help the nerve-wracking few minutes before I'm called up to present. As I speak, I feel the nervousness kicking in, and my voice starts to shake. I start to think people will notice my voice shaking, so I get red. Then, I think people notice the redness, so I start to tear up from embarrassment. The more embarrassed I feel, the more I want to run out of the room and cry.
The more this fear occurs, the more isolated I make myself. With social anxiety, I don't make many friends because people will think I'm rude or weird since I never talk, when really I don't talk because I'm scared.
I also start to feel depressed, which is common with social anxiety. Considering I don't have many friends because I'm afraid to talk to people, and everything I try, I quit because I'm scared of making a fool out of myself, life can get depressing.
Social anxiety doesn't just come up; it begins in childhood. Parents - if you think your child has social anxiety, Anne Marie Albano, director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, has a great article on what parents can do.
So, here's my point there are people out there suffering from social anxiety every day, and not many who truly realize how important it is to get help, and how it's more than being shy. It doesn't make you crazy or weird — it's smart. It helps you better yourself.
Now, how could a girl who claims to understand all of these things from experience, who probably has social anxiety, be writing about it for anyone to read?
Well, what you don't know is, I was shaking the whole time I was writing this. However, I have gotten to the point that I can't take it anymore.
I want help because I know that's what's right for myself. I know I'm not alone in feeling this, and I want others to come to the same realization I have: Getting help is OK.
If you're experiencing social anxiety or another mental disorder and want help, there are resources. If you just want to talk, Headquarters Counseling Center has great counselors who are there 24/7 at 785-841-2345 or NSPL at 800-273-8255. If you need help finding resources, calling 211 is a great place to start.
Laura Werner is a sophomore from Kinsley studying journalism and psychology.
tertioms have been spent cheering for the Jayhawks through thick and, unfortunately, a lot of thin moments. But, it's impossible to argue that the stadium doesn't need improvements.
It's the seventh-oldest stadium still used by an FBS team. It shows signs of wear across its exterior. It's severely outdated by contemporary standards.
This is a great move for all interested parties. For the fans, it's going to enhance the game-day experience for the die hards who trek down the hill to see the Jayhawks play. For the players, specifically future recruits, it becomes a more inviting and
It's undoubtedly time for an upgrade.
thing else at the University.
Discussing college athletics finances is a great way to find out that someone has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Kansas football isn't going to use $300 million that otherwise would have gone to improving the School of Education or updating equipment in the School of Journalism or whichever department you feel is underfunded.
Things like the Williams Fund and private donors are main sources of income for supporting Kansas Athletics projects. It's understandable that seeing a huge sum of money being spent on football facilities could cause a stir, considering the financial straits the University might be facing in some areas. The reality, though, is that this money will be completely disconnected from the rest of the University.
Football is a massive tool for recruiting (both athletically and for general students), alumni relations and income, and if you don't see that then you simply aren't paying attention.
Alabama is a perfect case study for this. A gold standard for college football, the Crimson Tide's on-field success has generated an unconscionable amount of money
and publicity for that school. It's unrealistic for Kansas, or really any program, to think it can reach Alabama's level of success, but it's clear that improving football will improve the University in other areas.
Again, you need to spend money in order to make it. Putting money into the program now, or at least in the near future, will show dedication to the program and is going to help bring in more high-level recruits over time. The football team needs to get better, and this move will
help in that pursuit.
Most of the arguments against the spending come up baseless and sound unintelligent. The money isn't being stolen from other University programs. Memorial Stadium is nearly 100 years old — it needs to be repaired and updated.
And if your argument is based around asking why you would spend $300 million to help a football team that won two games in the last two seasons combined, take a moment and think critically.
Why wouldn't you spend money to try to improve the program? What else would you do, just ignore the disaster and let the team fall into irreparable ruin? That notion is ridiculous and poorly thought out at best.
The cost of this project is a small price to pay for improving the team, and subsequently the University, over time. Don't get caught up in the price tag or the view from your ivory tower. Trying to better the football team is better for all of us who support the University.
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