Imagine unexpectedly experiencing a horrible pain in your back, and then a knot tightening so badly you cannot move or breathe. Or suddenly you become dizzy and get a severe headache. Your eyes completely black out, and then, just as swiftly, you lose consciousness -- all because of stress. \nFor freshman Katie Behan, this is all too real.\n"The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I was so freaked out," Behan said. \nSince this incident, doctors have diagnosed Behan with hypoglycemia, a medical condition in which the body's blood glucose, or blood sugar, level drops too low to provide enough energy for activities. In Behan's case, doctors decided her condition stemmed from stress. \n"I just have a stressful personality," Behan said. "I take every honors class that's offered. It's recommended to take one honors class a semester, but I took three."\nBehan is not the only person who has negative reactions to stress. It has a profound effect on the body and has been linked to numerous other medical conditions, including asthma, high blood pressure, increased susceptibility to colds and infection and ulcers. To help students such as Behan cope with crazy schedules, tests and hectic lives, IU offers different options to help make life more stress-free.\nWork out your stress\nBehan's parents and doctor have placed an exercise requirement on her. Scientists have linked prolonged exercise to an increase in endorphin hormone levels in the brain. Endorphins work not only as a mood booster but also as anti-anxiety and acute stress relievers, according to the National Center of Biotechnology Information.\nBut Behan said finding the time and motivation to exercise does not always exist, even though she knows she might become more sick if she does not exercise.\n"I just don't do it," she said.\nTo counteract this lack of motivation, Behan has taken advantage of the class E102, "Aerobic Dance," from the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. In this one-credit course, students partake in group exercise twice a week in the hopes of improving their health. \n"I'm hoping that I'll really get addicted to exercise so I'll do it more," Behan said.\nThe HPER also offers other exercise classes, such as swimming, tai chi, yoga and E100, "Techniques of Stress Reduction: Meditation and Physical Activity."\nOn the other hand, Stephanie, a sophomore journalism major whose last name was omitted to protect her privacy, regularly partakes in step aerobics and runs about 30 minutes a day to help her stressful life. After her mother recently was diagnosed with cancer, Stephanie began having stress-induced anxiety attacks. During these attacks, she noticed tightness in her chest and a shortness of breath. Sometimes her arms would tingle. \n"The first time it happened, I woke up at around 6 a.m. It was horrible. I went to the hospital. I thought I was having a heart attack," Stephanie said. \nShe said she thinks her difficult classes and personality also contribute to her high stress level. \n"Other people tend to let things roll off their backs if things don't go well, but everything sets me on edge," Stephanie said. "I also try to hold too much inside."\nAfter a few days without exercise, Stephanie said she will notice her stress level rising up again. The Student Recreational Center and HPER building are facilities that students at IU use to beat stress.\n"The SRSC is great, it's better than the gym I go to at home," Stephanie said.\n \nTalking through it\nIn the past, freshman Milo Lamar used drugs and alcohol to help deal with stress in his life. To stop this habit, he tried counseling sessions several times and eventually found a group program that worked for him. He went through an intensive outpatient program with counseling. \n"(The counselors) were experts at stress management," Lamar said. "They really look at what sets you off and what makes you want to do the things that you do. I felt it really helped." \nLamar said he now has found positive outlets to deal with his stress, such as utilizing his family for support.\nSeveral resources for counseling help students battle stress. Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS, at the IU Health Center, offers counseling and group support to those dealing with stress. Appointments are available on an ongoing or walk-in basis. The School of Education also offers counseling through the Center for Human Growth to the IU and Bloomington communities.\nShorter-term workshops are available through the Student Academic Center that focus on reducing stress through fostering better lifestyle habits.
A simple solution\nWith stressful topics like tests, homework and interviews to worry about, lying in bed at night can cause the mind to wander. For sophomore Jackie Kalb, this stress keeps her from sleeping, a condition better known as insomnia. \n"I can tell when it's usually late at night, when I have deadlines to meet for things, I start getting really nervous," Dempsey said. "I can't sleep very well." \nInstead of exercise or counseling, Dempsey offered a simple solution to dampen stress: Just try to unwind.\n"I'll pick up a book and start reading," she said. "Any time of night, I'll call one of my friends. I try to sleep off things, try to lie down and take 20 minute naps. I like to relax." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Amie Dworecki at adworeck@indiana.edu.
