Grad school, Burnout - mild or severe depression, anxiety and symptoms of stress on graduate students

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Education that is "a way of life" may create vulnerability

Grad school is a long haul educational enterprise. Many research programs last 5 to 7 years, on top of the five to six years typically required to get the BA and masters degrees which precedes it.Students who aspire to graduate degrees usually have a history of dedicated scholarship which extends back into high school or even elementary school.For many Grad students education has been Arsene "a way of life"... sometimes the only way of life that is well known or family.

Linda Curci of the Caltech Counseling Center suggests that:

"Burnout is a process that happens gradually over time."It creeps up on a person through an accumulation of random minor negative thoughts, sporadic lost hopes, and a series of small disappointments in oneself.Burnout is a painful process that includes emotional exhaustion, loss of pleasure in interpersonal relationships, and a diminished sense of self worth.Burnout is the result of trying too hard for too long in a situation where the odds are against meeting one's expectations.
"People who burn out are intelligent, dedicated people who have high expectations for themselves."

Grad school can be an emotional and psychological "trial by fire" and burnout tends to happen when you've been pushing too hard for too long and

The warning signs of burnout are:

Loss of interest in or questioning the meaning of your studies and research.Chronic fatigue - exhaustion, a sense of being physically run down and increases flat Anger at those making demands Cynicism, negativity, and irritabilityA sense of being besieged Feelings of helplessness
From the point of view of to psychologist however, there is a bit more to be seen in some of the typical symptoms.

Perfectionism - As Curci suggests, one common area of difficulty lies in the impossibility of meeting expectations and all too often these exaggerated expectations are inner demands rather than outer ones.

Perfectionism, can create an inability to start or finish major tasks. Perfectionists are their own worst critics.Nothing is ever good enough and this constant self-criticism leads to palsy or avoidance which sabotages progress.

Perfectionism is always to defense. Individuals with perfectionistic expectations hope (wish), need to protect themselves from all failure or criticism.This criticism which is imagined to be emanating from others is usually coming from within. This can create a vicious circle of fear-driven effort which no amount of external evidence of success ever seems to correct... if only because the possibility of failure cannot ever be reduced to zero.

Suffering in silence-Grad students are individuals who have accepted to put themselves under the yoke of a program of training.They have often given up or put aside valid needs and foolish in the name of their studies.They have left countries, communities, families, and personal relationships to follow their studies and often set aside personal interests and pleasures to fulfill program requirements.

The pain and anger caused by these losses is real but because the demands have been undertaken "voluntarily," individuals often feel they have no right to complain... or to grieve.These strong feelings, unacknowledged can't insist on being experienced psychologically and eventually when relevant and emerge as depression, anger and cynicism towards ACE or a program which has been responsible for so much pain.

Fear of graduation?Grad students, as noted above, are often individuals who have dedicated themselves for most of their young adult life to a particular academic world.As the end of a program of study comes into sight questions may arise about how to live in the real world.
A whole different set of qualification may be felt, frighteningly, to be lacking.

Supervisory strain-While Grad school programs are often well organized to support academic development, supervisors vary in their ability to be helpful with the more personal challenges of their students.
In fact if the interpersonal relationship is not optimum the supervisory relationship may even be an additional stressor.

Ill-Health and Computer crashes...
The psyche's hardware and software solutions to stress-Even when the strain of grad school is not extreme enough to create a full-scale burnout, it may manifest itself in chronic or minor health problems, particularly those which are significantly related to stress such as headaches, migraines, stomach problems, asthma, sleep difficulties... and if it's not you getting sick, maybe it will be your computer...

Strategically timed computer crashes can be caused by inattention and neglect as the over-stressed psyche looks for ways to create time out.

Cumulative strains-Even if you have been sailing through Grad school for the most part without excessive perfectionism or personal sacrifices, the long term stress of grad school may interact with other stressful events such as unavoidable major losses personal or cumulatively setbacks and funding crises to throw even the most balanced student over the edge into depression or burn-out

Leading a whole human life - The world needs the passion and enthusiasm of those individuals who are willing to push forward into the highest levels of knowledge in their domains, to broaden and deepen what we think and know.
It is a loss to us all if students burn out or drop out in despair after such significant investments in their studies.

But the excessive and exclusive focus on their values as scholars may lead Grad students to neglect other aspects of their humanity.Often what is most needed is compassionate and encouraging human contact and reassurance that they are valuable and valued in the world as individuals outside of their studies.

Some general notes on depression

Common signs and symptoms of depression include:

to persistent sad or "empty" moodloss of interest or pleasure in activities that were eleven enjoyedloss of appetite or weight losssleep problemsfatigue, despite adequate sleepfeelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, pessimismindecisiveness, difficulty concentratingpsychomotor agitation or slowingthoughts of wanting to escape, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts
At its extreme end depression can become so severe that it can create feelings or suicidal thoughts.If you experience suicidal thoughts or feelings, it is very important to:

Make taking care of yourself your top priority.Talk about these thoughts with someone.Don't suffer in silence.Contact your institution's counseling center for an assessment or referral to community or other mental health services.
If these symptoms seem all too familiar, you might like to take an on-line depression screening test or contact your counseling center or a mental health professional for an assessment.

References:

Linda Curci (Caltech Counseling Center) http://www.counseling.caltech.edu/InfoandResources/StressBurnout

Susan Meindl, MA, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Montreal Canada.She has a special interest in Jungian ideas and practices to Jungian approach to psychodynamic psychotherapy

http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/RMS/59983

School anxiety - Don't Let You Squeeze Out pressure

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Anxiety comes in many forms, especially in the school system. It lurks around as social phobias, it is ready to pounce in the form of test anxiety, it ambushes us in our fear that we won't like we should perform. In this day and age, anxiety has become a harbinger of negativity to our kids, from the beginning days of elementary school all the way up to high school and beyond. Students who are charming, intelligent, funny, and totally competent somehow believe that they are ugly, boring, stupid, and incapable.Why?

Why would to student who obviously has the ability to do well NOT do well? We can't eliminate intellectual ability with most of the students I work with. I find that the students who struggle most with anxiety are kids whose IQ's are above-average and even up to genius level. If it's not intellectual functioning, what is it?More often than not, turns out to be a combination of the inability to identify and express accurate characters combined with feeling the pressure to "live up to one's potential" lifelong anxiety.Of course, there is also to genetic tie to a predisposition towards anxiety as well.

However, the following are some common external factors I see as I treat students with anxiety of many kinds:

1. Unrealistic Parental Expectations: Now.... parents BELIEVE their expectations are appropriate. They know how smart their child is and expect them to use that intelligence to the utmost. However, what many parents don't take into account is that living up to expectations also has to do with emotional maturity. Just because your child is very smart, doesn't automatically mean it will be easy for them to be disciplined large cap value, organized, and motivated to excel.Without these other factors, intelligent kids just become frustrated and begin to panic in any situation where they know they must perform or be verbally scourged for not performing. Many of us as parents push our kids way harder than we should. Kids mature and develop at different rates.Pushing them too hard, too fast, is counterproductive to them actually reaching their potential.

2. To Tendency to Compare Themselves to Those Around Them: These comparisons might be academically, socially, or in any other ways. Kids compare the way they dress, how funny they are, how athletic they are and how well they do in large.Healthy competition is one thing but this trait can go way overboard and become an obsession and obsessions lead to anxiety.

3. Thinking Too Much About Things One Cannot Control: Kids worry so much about the future or about what might be on the FCAT or what might happen if they don't do well on the FCAT.Their minds begin to race about all the "what if's" of life and THIS is a huge factor in anxiety. Again, parents often fuel this by their own worries about the future of their children. Yes.... it is good to have goals and pursue them but the idea that life revolves around these things can only lead to anxiety, frustration and anger.

4. A Build-up of Emotional Pressure: so many kids fail to develop their awareness of internal characters, especially vulnerable characters like fear, sadness, disappointment, etc. These kids tend to bury or suppress these characters and the result is a volcanic-like gradual rise in pressure. These buried characters/feelings often manifest themselves as anxiety, depression and anger.

These are a few of the causes I have seen in anxiety. The list is not exhaustive by any means but it's a start. Let me also offer a list of suggestions as to how parents can help their children cope with and overcome anxiety:

TO LAY OFF! Okay, that was a bit harsh. But, truly, parents... more and more... parents have pushed their children to excel and "perform" at younger ages than ever before. It's sad when I have 1st and 2nd graders with high levels of anxiety. The trend to start pushing our children academically even at the ages of 3-4 years just astounds me. Of course, I am all for parents who work with their children at young ages to learn and grow.But that's different than "pushing" them harder and harder and shaming them if they don't reach those standards. Parents, let's all strive to be not only age-appropriate in our expectations but also take into account the maturity levels and emotional development of our kids.There are early and late bloomers, and that's okay.

B. Teach them to relax: Again, we live in a society that encourages "busyness". It's great to be productive but we must learn to relax again.... let our bodies recharge so we can actually be more productive in the long-term.This trend translates to our children as well. We must teach our kids to be quiet and still without filling that time with video games or work or "productivity". It's okay to just sit still or read a book or be quiet and watch the sunset. In fact, teaching kids certain relaxation and breathing techniques can go far in helping them to deal with test anxiety or even in sports performance anxiety.

C. Be Quick to Encourage: Try to catch your kids when they do well... at ANYTHING. Whether it be a good grade, to chore they completed well, or just a good attitude, try to lift them up so they realises you are noticing these things as well.

D. Increase Self-Awareness: Remember those buried characters I mentioned earlier? We must free our kids to discuss negative characters that may be eating at them from a very early age. Teach them how to identify and express them in healthy ways (talking, writing, art, etc). If kids can "get it out" then there is less pressure that builds and, consequently, less anxiety.

E Encourage Positive Self - Talk: If you or your kids beat yourselves up often about failures or mistakes, stop it! We talk to ourselves all the time, whether it is verbal or in our own mind.Learn to encourage yourself as much or more than you get onto your own case. I'm not advocating touchy-feely moments when you look in the mirror and say, "people LIKE me" as the "Saturday Night Live" skit used to mock.However, I am saying that most people beat themselves up far more than they encourage themselves and this can only lead to frustration, depression, and anxiety.

We all face pressure in life.Seriously... there is pressure to perform in school, at work, in relationships, and beyond.Life exerts pressure on us enough.Let's try to stop adding even more pressure to our kids and ourselves to.Set high standards for your kids but also encourage them at high levels.Be patient with their development and be realistic about how hard you should push.There are too many ultra-talented kids who are letting pressure squeeze them out of the good things of life.

About the Author: Aaron Welch is for Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has devoted his life to reaching out and helping people to grow and mature through difficult life situations.Whether it has been through clinical counseling, pastoral ministry, youth camps and conventions, public speaking, leadership training, educational instruction, athletic coaching or small group ministry, Aaron has more than twenty years of experience in assisting people through life struggles and personal growth.His genuine love for people and his outgoing personality combine to create to safe and caring environment for people to put the pieces of life back together.

To find out more about Aaron and the services I can offer, please visit http://www.legacycounselingservices.org or http://www.lifeworksgroup.org.You can also call 407-647-7005 for an appointment.