The start of the school year can bring excitement as equally as exhaustion. To some, the new school year is the time to once more meet with friends and return to the same educational process, yet to others it is the return of restlessness and eventual anxiety.

High school students have shown an increase of anxiety levels in recent years. With this rising trend, it is important to bring up the importance of support when a student is facing these tides of anxiety and overwhelming stress. Sarah Heroman, the school nurse, is a student’s first line of support when facing anxiety.

“In recent years yes, there has been a rise in anxiety,” said Heroman. “I haven’t done any research online but, in my personal opinion I think there’s a lot more information coming into students and more reasons to be stressed out. When I was a kid I didn’t have the internet and only what was in my world stressed me out and I didn’t have access to what was happening everywhere else.”

With multiple reasons for students to be stressed out, it is important to know what to do when you or a student shows the symptoms of a panic attack. Common symptoms are: feeling weak and dizzy, numbness, chest pains, a feeling of loss and control, and possibly a sense of terror. The nurse’s office is a good area to go to when one feels as if they are feeling any of these symptoms.

“When the student has a known diagnosis and is having a panic attack, they come in here and chew on some ice and it usually helps. They squeeze a stress ball and take deep breaths until it is over,” said Heroman. “Sometimes they don’t know it’s an anxiety attack. It presents itself as a headache or stomachache, or they are just crying. It happens all the time.”

Every person is different and not everyone expresses anxiety the same way. There are different factors to what causes an attack, but there is also support for those who need it. It is important to remember that the faculty is here to offer support as well.

“Be aware of it and know that it comes and goes,”said Heroman. “You don’t have to live in this state of anxiety and there are people to help you.”

If you or anyone you know are facing symptoms of anxiety or mental health issues it is important to reach out to someone you trust to support you through it. There are also helplines that are available to walk you through these symptoms.

• Panic Disorder Information Hotline: 1-800-64-PANIC (72642)
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Teen Line: 1-310-855-HOPE (4673) or 1-800-TLC-TEEN (1-800-852-8336)