Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to anxiety and mental illness. 

Information in this article, originally published October 12, 2023, has been corrected. Technician used the incorrect title for Ralph Clark.

A few weeks ago I was speaking with someone over the phone. We got on the topic of scheduling a time to meet, and I asked them if we could text about it later. I told them I had felt my heart beating fast all afternoon and that looking at my calendar would make it worse. They responded by saying I should drink water.

They meant no harm, and I told them I would, but in my day-to-day life, I recognize that as a sign of anxiety. For me, it comes on without warning, and when I’m experiencing more than a typical amount of stress, my heart rate stays up.

A snack and a nap are great, but sometimes we need more than that.

I spoke with Ralph Clark, a psychology instructor at NC State, about mental illness — particularly anxiety — and how there are a range of experiences and means of managing it.

“We all are anxious at one point or another in our life,” Clark said. “You know, maybe we’re anxious about an exam that’s coming up. Maybe we’re anxious about a relationship. You know, we’ve had feelings for somebody and we’re anxious about that. That doesn’t mean that somebody meets criteria for [an] anxiety disorder.”

Clark said some solutions might address that normal range of anxiety, but may not address an anxiety disorder.

“[To] drink more water and take a nap might work for somebody that’s anxious within what is considered normal,” Clark said. 

This, of course, isn’t meant to gatekeep the very real feelings of anxiety from anyone. Rather, it means different solutions work for different people. When I’m experiencing an elevated heart rate, I usually have to take a hot shower and read some comics to get out of my own head. 

But since I don’t always have access to either of those methods, I have to rely on managing my day until those feelings go away. Because I am not medicated, this is what I have to do, and drinking water doesn’t immediately solve my anxiousness.

Similarly, Clark said not all activities are effective at managing anxiety.

“If you go get a hobby, you know, if you enjoy it and it brings a sense of peace, then it’s going to work,” Clark said. “But if it’s just another, you know, point of anxiety for you, well, then it’s counterproductive now. So in order for any of these self care techniques to be effective, they have to truly be relaxing and provide some level of solace to the person.” 

Clark said one very simplified way to understand anxiety and depression and their effects broadly is to imagine it’s a water bottle.

“When somebody’s bottle is full, it overflows right? And when it overflows, that’s when, you know, somebody might have a panic attack or somebody might have some other activation of the limbic system or some detrimental behavioral pattern,” Clark said. “When somebody is predisposed, they might [already] start at half full or three-quarters full.”

In this way, it’s not about getting rid of the water bottle — that’s not possible — but rather about how you manage it.

“When you talk about the sort of self care techniques, what that does is assume it’s effective,” Clark said. “It pours a little bit of that water, and so it makes more room in the bottle for other anxieties or other depressive issues. All right, so it keeps the bottle from overflowing.”

Returning to my anecdote, the person I was talking to didn’t know how I experience the world; their water bottle probably wasn’t as full as mine at that moment. But that’s not to say their water bottle has never overflowed or that taking time to do a hobby helps them. 

For me though, it doesn’t help as much. In this way, I recognize I need a little more support.

In a sense, it’s not much different from bodily illness.

“Let’s say that I wake up tomorrow and I’ve got a stuffy nose and maybe a little sore throat on the back,” Clark said. “I think it’s just a post-nasal drip, and I think it’s just a little cold or something. So I take some over-the-counter aspirin or Tylenol or whatever and do some self-care, right? If that’s all it is, that’s probably going to go away. But if it’s the flu, or if it’s COVID, that ain’t gonna do anything.”

For a serious medical issue, we go to a doctor. For a serious mental issue, we should also go to a doctor. Self-care isn’t enough to fend off an oncoming panic attack. It may alleviate one later in the day, but it won’t prevent them from happening altogether.

It’s okay to seek outside help. No person is an island, and getting support is a part of life. If you feel you need someone to talk to, or are noticing increased nervousness, lack of interest, sleep or are feeling more easily agitated, look into the counseling center. 

Even if you don’t have a formal diagnosis, it never hurts to talk to someone. The University provides 12 free counseling sessions to students, and while the paperwork is a bit to fill out, it’s worth giving it a shot if a snack and a nap just aren’t cutting it.