PVCC Puma Press: March 2005

Nineteen-year-old Katie recently broke off a four-year relationship. She has a full course load, is involved in extracurricular activities at her college, is highly involved at her church, and she works a full-time job. Her parents are having health issues, her brother was recently deployed to Iraq, and her sister is having pregnancy complications. Independent to the core, she lives on her own, but finds herself drowning in bills and responsibilities.

Katie’s friends notice that she seems restless and worried all the time, and that she regularly shows evidence of anxiety and fatigue. According to Dr. James Rubin, division chair for the PVCC Counseling Department, these are all signs of “negative stress” and need to be addressed. Other signs include nervousness, sleeplessness, teeth grinding, and the inability to slow down.

Katie is a typical community college student who needs help but may not know that help is available for free right on her campus.

“This is a normal response to so many environmental factors,” Rubin says of stress. [The stress] interferes with her ability to live as well as she can. Friends can lovingly support her and point out behaviors. Then they can take her to see a counselor and maybe even walk in with her. Then the counselor and her can work on dealing with the issues and then talk about ways to cope and look at what she can and can’t control.”

Many times, if stress is left unaddressed, it can lead to more serious issues, such as depression. “[A person] can be so overwhelmed with stress that it can lead to feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. Stress and depression both effect eating, sleeping and interest. They both wear on the body’s immune system,” Rubin says.

So, since stress is so common and frequently serious in nature, how do we

know the right ways to deal with it?

“Stress is normal. We all go through it. Not in the same way, but there are better ways than others to deal with it,” Rubin says. “The first thing to do is breathe, come in to the body. If you slow things down, you’ll be able to use other tools. Think of a four-way stop. You see an accident. There are 15 witnesses and 15 different points of view. But if you take a video of the accident, and watch it in slow motion, you have a better chance of seeing what’s real.”

So where do friends and family come in?

“A support system is important. The wider the better,” Rubin says. “You need support for who you are as a person.”

So if you find yourself or someone you know carrying a heavy load, and feeling a bit high-strung, don’t shy away from the idea of getting help. There are 10 well-qualified and caring people in the PVCC Counseling Division who would love to sit down and help you get a better grip on your life. Rubin and his staff are available for student benefit Monday thru Friday, and all it takes is a simple phone call (602) 787-6540) or a short walk to the KSC building to set up an appointment.

“Stress gives us opportunities to grow, to challenge thinking, to challenge the world. To view it as bad is just limiting,” Rubin says.

To read more about of the symptoms of stress, visit the Counseling Department’s website, which can be accessed from the PVCC homepage.