Informative Speech Outline On Anxiety

Title: A Better Understanding of Anxiety in College Students

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about anxiety in college students with a focus on test anxiety, how our bodies express stress, and time management skills.

Thesis: Once you understand the differences between regular anxiety and an anxiety disorder, learn how your body communicates anxiety, and improve your time management skills you will be able to cope with anxiety much more efficiently.

Introduction:

I. A study from spring of 2012 states that, and I quote “more than 25 percent of college students have been diagnosed or treated by a professional for a mental health condition within the past year.”

II. Once you understand the differences between everyday anxiety and

Body:

I. Understanding what anxiety is as well as the differences between everyday anxiety and anxiety disorder responses can assure you that everyone else is experiencing a similar situation.

A. According to the source “Under Pressure and Overwhelmed” and I quote, “At its most basic level, anxiety is the apprehension, uneasiness, or worry we experience when we perceive a threat to our security.”

B. Many people confuse the experiences of anxiety with a life that knows nothing but anxiety.

1. Leibow, author of “What to Do When College is Not the Best Time of Your Life” suggests considering the three Is when inquiring about a disorder: intensity (extreme, intolerable), intractable (lingering anxious feeling), and interfere (with daily functioning).

2. A chart displaying some examples comparing a response with and without an anxiety disorder from “Under Pressure and Overwhelmed” may also help us get a better understanding of the difference.

a. Common responses of someone with normal anxiety (and I quote):

i. “Realistic fear of a threatening object, place, or

“Anxiety, sadness, or difficulty sleeping immediately following a traumatic event.”

b. Common responses of someone with an anxiety disorder (and I quote):

i. “Irrational fear or avoidance of an object, place, or situation that poses little or no threat of danger.” ii. “Performing uncontrollable, repetitive actions, such as washing your hands repeatedly or checking things over and over.” iii. “Ongoing and recurring nightmares, flashbacks, or emotional numbing related to a traumatic event in your life that occurred several months or years ago.”

C. One of the more common types of anxiety in college students is test anxiety – the uneasy feeling about a test due to fear or worry, explains “Under Pressure and Overwhelmed”.

a. Also according to “Under Pressure and Overwhelmed”, most students with test anxiety are well aware of the problem in which they suffer.

b. Grayson and Cauley, both of who have a Ph.D., mention that procrastination is often correlated with test anxiety.

i. Not enough studying can lead to extra anxiety and regretting not spending your time more wisely. ii. Anxious thinking, as I mentioned before, fills up your brain with worried thoughts leaving no room in your brain for the information you need to actually complete the