Anxiety before/during PT school

[cuddles5]

I am starting a DPT program in about a month and my anxiety is getting the best of me. I've struggled with being anxious (especially in school) all my life. I can't stop thinking about the stress of PT school and the fact that I won't have much free time. I am concerned with making ends meet financially when the program starts although I do have amazing support from my family. My main concern is not having enough time in a day to balance school/studying/relationships with friends and family. I'm aware that PT school is a huge commitment and I'm just concerned that I don't have what it takes to endure it. I'm basically stressing out over the idea of being stressed out in PT school (if that makes any sense). I've seen a lot of posts that say to at least have an hour a day doing something non school related to clear your mind. I honestly feel like I'm going to need 3 hours a day away from the material just to keep my anxiety at bay. Any advice for an extremly anxious PT student?

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[nd_dpt]

BREATHE. Everything is going to be okay! Yes, the work in PT school is difficult. Yes, there will be times when you are stressed out. The key to reducing your amount of stress is good time management. Review material before you go to class and then go over what you did that day after class. Never wait until the last minute to learn the material. Never be afraid to ask your professors for help, or even your classmates. It's not like undergrad where it's every man for themselves. You want each other to get through the program, so find people in the class who are doing well at subjects you may be struggling with and ask them for help. You also ABSOLUTELY need to make time for yourself! Depending on how well you manage your time, you can take more than 1 hour! Your first semester will be spent finding a balance between school and yourself because it is so different than your undergrad, but you will get the hang of it. If you are having serious anxiety issues, contact your school's student health center and look into counseling. At my school they have a lot of workshops that teach you how to deal with stress and anxiety, so see if they offer any of those! When you start to doubt yourself, remember that you were accepted into your program because they believe you are the type of student that will be successful in that specific environment. You are fully capable of handling it!

 

[astarblaze]

I am starting a DPT program in about a month and my anxiety is getting the best of me. I've struggled with being anxious (especially in school) all my life. I can't stop thinking about the stress of PT school and the fact that I won't have much free time. I am concerned with making ends meet financially when the program starts although I do have amazing support from my family. My main concern is not having enough time in a day to balance school/studying/relationships with friends and family. I'm aware that PT school is a huge commitment and I'm just concerned that I don't have what it takes to endure it. I'm basically stressing out over the idea of being stressed out in PT school (if that makes any sense). I've seen a lot of posts that say to at least have an hour a day doing something non school related to clear your mind. I honestly feel like I'm going to need 3 hours a day away from the material just to keep my anxiety at bay. Any advice for an extremly anxious PT student?

Have you ever tried professional help for anxiety? Might be worth visiting a (good) therapist to come up with some strategies to use during school (many therapists specialize in anxiety issues- you're definitely not alone in struggling with being anxious!) PT school will be stressful enough on its own without the added stress of anxiety to deal with, so might be worth seeing someone ahead of time before you get into the thick of school!

I don't deal with anxiety to a significant degree (so certainly not an expert here), but my personal coping methods are: doing things I enjoy, getting exercise, being outside in nature, spending time around friends/loved ones, making sure I'm taking care of myself physically (enough sleep, eating well, etc), and mindfulness meditation (Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction (MBSR) is worth looking into!) If I start getting anxious about something, these things seem to help me.

You can and should make time for yourself during school! If you got in, you have what it takes to be successful in school, and you don't need to kill yourself to do it. nd_dpt has some good suggestions. The other thing I'd suggest is to figure out any small things that you can do to set yourself up for success and minimize stressors outside of school. This will look different for you, but for me, for example, some small things included finding a place to live that's walking distance from school so I don't have to worry about a commute, getting a system down for prepping healthy food at the beginning of the week so I don't have to spend as much time making food during the week, and scheduling specific times during the week to do things I enjoy (exercise, etc). Congrats on starting PT school, and best of luck with this!

 

[DaveMillerDPT]

I empathize with the feeling of inadequacy and the anxiety that comes with incessant thoughts that lead to more and more negative emotion. Many of these suggestions are good and I would like to add another I found personally helpful.

I would consider a book to read. It's called "Feeling Good" by David Burns. It is a book for mood disorders. I've struggled in my past with feelings similar to what you describe but with different triggers. I would consider what I've had as relatively mild anxiety and depression but I had it most of my life from what I can remember. I never realized how much it was impacting me.

In any case, David is an excellent author and therapist that lays some good ground work on how to manage anxiety and thought behaviors on your own or with help. He teaches a reframing technique and has several tools you can use to help you manage your emotions. I know I've felt a bit defensive when I hear people tell me to just be happy and smile when I've been dealing with some bout of depression for weeks. It isn't so simple to just stop being anxious about constant fear and worry that you've dealt with for years. Finding a way to manage your anxiety though is key. Please try the book or look for similar books that can help you. If you are able, seek professional therapy (if you haven't done so already).

Feel free to message me if you'd like to chat more. I am of the belief that our minds are just like the rest of the body. We need to exercise them, clean them out when they're infected and treat them well in order to have a healthy life. Just like we do when our bodies have the flu or we're overweight. Knowledge is usually a good step forward in managing our mental sicknesses.

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[starrsgirl]

I recommend just taking it day to day, especially the 1st semester. Try not to bite off the whole chunk, just focus on what's due tomorrow. I highly recommend building in some off time to your schedule. Give yourself at least 1 day (ok, a 1/2 day) off per week. Many of my classmates took Friday night totally off. (I personally studied Friday night, but took Saturday off usually). Plan high quality time with your family and friends so you feel that you are present and having fun.

 

[Empress1971]

I am starting a DPT program in about a month and my anxiety is getting the best of me. I've struggled with being anxious (especially in school) all my life. I can't stop thinking about the stress of PT school and the fact that I won't have much free time. I am concerned with making ends meet financially when the program starts although I do have amazing support from my family. My main concern is not having enough time in a day to balance school/studying/relationships with friends and family. I'm aware that PT school is a huge commitment and I'm just concerned that I don't have what it takes to endure it. I'm basically stressing out over the idea of being stressed out in PT school (if that makes any sense). I've seen a lot of posts that say to at least have an hour a day doing something non school related to clear your mind. I honestly feel like I'm going to need 3 hours a day away from the material just to keep my anxiety at bay. Any advice for an extremly anxious PT student?

You have to be focused and think positively. Keep away from toxic people because they will distract you from your purpose. You can do it!