Students of all kinds are required to turn work in on time and take tests that require studying. Some students are also working full-time and part-time jobs that are between three and eight hours. All of this causes the human mind and body to stress nonstop. Stressing is very dangerous and can potentially be harmful and cause terminal illness such as medical problems. Stress is a daily thing every high school student goes through, especially seniors. In high school, a lot of students are trying to figure out their careers and what colleges they are going to go to. All of this leads to stress that can and will turn into much much worse outcomes that can often be deadly.
I take medication for anxiety due to my stress levels being so high. My resting heart rate is 120 when the normal resting heart rate is anywhere between 60 and 90 beats per minute. Anxiety has always taken a toll on me. I have had to find crazy ways to cope with it.
Anxiety: everyone has it including myself; however, some have it worse than others. Anxiety has many effects such as stress and long-term health issues. These factors can eventually be deadly and end with someone passing from a body system failure. Mental disorders such as chronic anxiety can lead to other more severe issues such as depression. Symptoms of anxiety include rapid breathing or heart rate, light headedness or dizziness, indigestion, chest pain, insomnia, and headaches. There are many different types of anxiety, for example there is GAD (General Anxiety Disorder). General anxiety disorder (GAD) has few different effects such as muscle tension, depression and social isolation. GAD is marked by excessive anxiety for no logical reason. Stress causes anxiety, and anxiety causes health problems that can be deadly. For example, diabetes, which can cause hormones to release either too much or too little amounts of glucose, and if the changes are significant, there is a good chance diabetes will develop. Diabetics constantly have to check their blood sugar levels. The levels can be very dangerous if not checked properly which can also lead to hormone issues. The hormones released from the body regulate heart rate and metabolism.
Too much school work can cause stress amongst students, and a lot of students may be dealing with other stressful situations outside of school. Eventually, all this built up stress can lead to a panic attack. I have had many panic attacks, most often at school during a test or while studying for said test. During panic attacks, I get very sweaty, chills form, I stare off into nowhere. Many think panic attacks look worse, like someone crying or breathing heavily; many people who have panic attacks are often silent and overthinking and most likely zoning off due to not knowing how to cope or react with the situation that is going on. Every person handles anxiety differently, however. I myself, when having an anxiety attack, am typically quiet, with a raised heart beat, which is very common.
Anxiety affects the human body so much that it could eventually shut down physically and mentally. However, why is stopping anxiety related and important to prevent other long-term illnesses? There are many different ways to cope with anxiety and reduce it. Many programs exist to help with anxiety; these programs are known as behavioral clinics. Behavioral clinics help with multiple things, mainly mental disorders and illnesses. Anxiety is one of the most common illnesses that is seen in everyday life. It is important to put a stop to chronic anxiety. There are a few non-medical coping methods that one can try themselves without seeing a specialist. The methods include deep breathing, writing in a journal, meditating, yoga, and reading. All of these methods can distract the human mind from the chaos around them. When stressed, the human mind and body release hormones that cause heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, and oxygen levels to change rapidly. The factors listed cause a negative feedback loop in homeostasis. The main goal of the human body is to maintain a constant level of stability. When error or failure to do so occurs, this is what leads to illnesses that can be chronic. As humans, we want to avoid chronic illnesses and that is why it is important to reduce stress. Overall stress and anxiety need to be reduced to prevent illness. Practice deep breathing, journalism, and any other coping method that is brought up because it’s important to prevent illness!
