Anxiety at university

[Kathrin]

Hello everyone!

I just searched the web for an anxiety forum because my old panic attacks are starting to come back. I was in therapy for PTSD (childhood trauma) back home in Germany, but now I moved to California to study at university for one semester. The pressure here is freaking me out, I cannot handle the fear of failure. Everything's fine as long as I get A's, but every B or C, and every critique by a professor makes me break down again...

Anyhow, it's nice to have found a place like this - hopefully there are people who understand what I'm going through and might have tips.

Kathrin

[Ratzinger]

Hey Kathrin,

Yes, your problem is a common one, especially around exam/deadline time. Having recently finished a Masters myself, I know a lot of people that got various panic/anxiety problems when at university. Make sure you keep regular hours, get plenty of sleep, go outside and have walks, and don't rely on caffeine. This won't solve panic problems, but it will make sure they are not exacerbated. Oh and find some friends to confide in, if the course is tough, you will find that lots of others will be going through the exact same thing!

Hope this helps, and welcome to the forum!