This issue includes...
1) TODAY'S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
2) FEATURE ARTICLE: College Students Use Alcohol
as Way of Coping with
Social Anxiety
3) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
4) CONTENT FOR YOUR WEB SITE OR E-ZINE
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1) TODAY'S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
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"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s
quite
simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking
of
failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be
discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead
and
make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember
that’s
where you will find success."
-- Thomas J. Watson
============== FEATURE ARTICLE ================
2) College Students Use Alcohol as Way of Coping with
Social Anxiety
==============================================
It's no secret that alcohol use is alive and well on college
campuses across America. New research studies investigate
a largely unexplored area -- the relationship between heavy
drinking and social anxiety.
According to a recent report by the National Institute of Health
(NIH), anxiety is a psychological risk factor associated with
heavy or problem drinking among college students. Along
with anxiety and other psychological factors, the NIH report
suggests that an impulsive personality and a family history
of alcohol abuse may be additional risk factors for problem
drinking.
People with social anxiety, students and non-students alike,
can benefit from these findings by taking action to eliminate
risk factors for problem drinking and address their anxiety.
Social anxiety is the most common type of anxiety disorder
and it affects 15% of Americans. Social anxiety, also known
as social phobia, is diagnosed as overwhelming anxiety, fear,
and self-consciousness in everyday social situations. It
triggers a host of physical symptoms, anxious thoughts, and
avoidance behaviors.
People that suffer from social anxiety disorder usually realize
that their fears are unfounded or extreme, but still feel unable
to control their fears that others are looking at or judging
them.
What You Can Do
Ask yourself why you drink. Do you drink to relax, to relieve
stress, or to help alleviate social fears and anxieties? If any of
these reasons describe you, you may be using alcohol in a
vain attempt to cope with the root cause -- social anxiety.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol may mask the problem for
a few brief hours. However, once the mask comes off you are
faced with yourself, and your anxiety returns stronger than
ever.
In fact, problem drinking hinders you from making positive
strides forward in healing because instead of one problem
to overcome, you now have two problems, social anxiety
AND alcohol abuse.
Here are several ways you can empower yourself to
address
the root causes of social anxiety, instead of masking
the
problem with heavy drinking.
-- Build a social support system. Many people rely on drinking
for social support. Instead of using drinking to connect with others,
seek social support outside of the drinking environment. This is
easier said than done, I know. After all, the social anxiety
is what hinders these types of connections in the first place.
Remember, baby steps can move mountains over time. Start
with safe people like a trusted family member, a best friend,
counselor, or pastor, and build from there.
Some colleges offer group therapy for people with social anxiety,
which gives you an opportunity to learn how to overcome your
fears in a safe environment with people who understand what
you're going through.
-- Change your expectations about what alcohol can do for
your stress level. National Institute of Health research indicates
that when a person EXPECTS that alcohol will relax them or
loosen their social inhibitions, it leads to increased drinking.
Problem drinkers tend to believe that drinking alcohol will
reduce stress and help them to relax. In fact, there is
much
debate as to whether this assumption is actually true.
While some studies suggest that low levels of alcohol
temporarily reduce the stress response (also known
as the fight or flight response), other studies now indicate
that alcohol actually INDUCES the stress response.
Much research demonstrates that alcohol actually triggers
the fight or flight response by stimulating the release of
stress hormones such as corticosterone and adrenaline.
In other words, large amounts of alcohol can actually
CREATE many of the symptoms that you're trying to
avoid!
-- Practice wise drinking habits. If you find it difficult to stop
once you start drinking, or have a difficult time drinking
responsibly, skip the alcohol altogether (at least until you
learn how to engage in healthy drinking behaviors). As the
saying goes: "If in doubt, go without."
If you do decide to drink, alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic
drinks, and do not drink on an empty stomach. Foods high in
protein or fat will slow the absorption of the alcohol.
Note: If you think you have a drinking problem and you want
help,
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a wonderful resource.
AA groups have helped millions transform their lives, and
meetings are available in most communities. Visit
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org for more
information.
-- Increase your sense of control over social anxiety by learning
anxiety reduction techniques. Nutritional strategies for reducing
anxiety, deep breathing, guided imagery, and cognitive-behavioral
strategies are just a few examples of anxiety reduction
techniques that are included in our Conquer Anxiety Success
Program.
Anxiety reduction techniques can be highly effective tools in
helping you to conquer anxiety. For example, NIH findings
indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy (such as those in
our program) can be as effective
as medication in treating
anxiety, and even more effective than
medication at preventing
long-term recurrence of anxiety.
The coping skills that anxiety reduction strategies give you
empower you to bring your anxiety down to a healthy level.
These skills also increase your sense of control so that you
don't need
alcohol to successfully handle social situations.
Remember, you are not alone, and you CAN feel better. :)
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support your anxiety-free lifestyle at:
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3) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
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4) CONTENT FOR YOUR WEB SITE OR E-ZINE
==============================================
Need some fresh content for your web site or e-zine?
You now have permission to reprint these Anxiety Tips
articles on your web site or in your e-zine as long as:
a) Each article is printed in its full form with no changes.
b) You send a quick e-mail to editor@conqueranxiety.com
to let us know where you'll be publishing.
c) You include the following byline at the end of each article:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deanne Repich is the Director
of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., a
former
anxiety sufferer, and creator of the Conquer Anxiety
Success Program. The course is a "take-action" self-study
program that guides you step by step through over seventy
practical strategies for overcoming anxiety. The course, our
newsletter, and other helpful resources are available at:
http://www.ConquerAnxiety.com
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Copyright 2001-2005 by the
National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc.
900 E. Pecan St., Ste. 300, PMB 305
Pflugerville, TX 78660
All rights reserved.
Article copyright January 20, 2004, revised August 23, 2005
Disclaimer: All material provided in this newsletter
is provided
for informational or educational purposes
only. No content is
intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment.
Consult your physician regarding the
applicability of
any opinions or recommendations with respect
to
your symptoms or medical condition.
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