Stress Can Kill You

Nathaniel Murry – Editor-in-Chief

A young man was walking down the street when he fell into a pit. The hole was dark, confusing, and left him with a feeling of desperation. He wanted so terribly to leave this lonely place. He called out to the people above him, a preacher who threw down a written prayer, and a banker who threw down money. All seemed lost until the young man noticed the footsteps of a familiar person, a friend.

He yelled again, hoping for aid and he received it. As his friend jumped down into the hole the young main exclaimed, “You idiot, now we are both stuck here!” His friend replies, “That’s true, but I’ve been here before. I know how to get out.”

Students attending FSU, we need to talk. I have no more logical, more reasonable, or more thoughtful point to make than that stress kills.

Stress manifests in your head, and your head controls the functionality of the rest of your body. Ultimately, it can be the reason behind serious physical issues. Thus, there cannot be enough emphasis placed on finding a means to control the stressors in your life.

Fear is a heavy contender that acts as an igniter for stress. Fear is something that people never really admit, and so it can become a bit of a monster. It begins to grow inside of you; welcoming, kindling, and housing more stress. How do I know this? Because that was my life as a student; it is the reason I have a 2.4 GPA. It is because I let the fear and distress during my freshman year keep me down.

I reasoned that if I could over-book my freshman year as a Biology major, then I could avoid having to become the dreaded super-senior. Now, as a senior, I have to apply myself for three more semesters as a prospective Chemistry major; certainly beyond the four-year goal.

As my senior year continues, I am forced to recognize and understand that there was a moment in my life that I became suicidal. I simply had too much work, put in too much effort, and still did not see results.

I put in time to go to tutors; still no improvement. I watched people miss many days of class, only for us to take the same test and they would still outscore me. I felt awful, but I made it out. I won’t sugarcoat it; it was not one of my greatest moments by a long shot. However, I took my cold shower and made a plan. Perhaps I needed that year to realize that I could improve myself, just not in the manner I had been trying.

There are ways to deal with a thing like stress. The first problem is to recognize what issues were or are causing your emotions to go haywire.

If you’re stressed out because you’re not passing your classes, find out why. If you’re having family issues, you need to confront your family or deflate the situation that is causing the stress as best as you can. You’re old enough to know when your parents are rightfully upset with you and when they are not.

After you’ve found the stressor, squash it! The most important thing that you can do to improve your quality of life and manage your stress is to have a plan. No, not just any plan. A real, honest to God, 4-year plan. It needs to be a thorough contingency of what will happen if certain events don’t unfold as you wish.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll be great, as that comes with building up a tolerance to what life throws at you. However, I can guarantee that you will gain patience as you wait for what is deservedly yours. Please, do not let your stress cripple you. Embrace your stress. It is a part of you and your life. You will get through it, but you have to allow yourself to do it.

If you feel that you would like professional advice, I suggest going to the Center for Personal Development that is located in the Spaulding building for issues with stress and abuse.

Even if you cannot meet with them in person, they will gladly answer your questions via phone at (910) 672-1222. Another option, if you have the money or the means is to visit an off-campus professional. If I may, I recommend you do see someone.

Please seek the relief you deserve and need. Stress is a killer, I cannot express that enough. The reason why you should go to therapy and talk through your problems is because eventually, something will bother you. It’s going to be a very small thing and eventually it will become a greater, more bothersome issue.

Therapy is often viewed as a need for people who are crazy; however, it’s meant for people who have problems that they cannot hash out on their own. It sucks, I know, but it’s not something you should be ashamed of. The only reason I’m telling you to do this is because I did it. I’ve been here before and I through my experience in counseling, I was able to get out.