University life can seem like an exciting round of parties, drinking and little responsibility. However, it doesn't take much to tip the balance from excitement to anxiety. For some people all the stimulation of going out, meeting new people, and getting to know a new city can be overwhelming – we may feel torn between our desire to throw ourselves into 'the student life', as it is marketed and mythologized by the uni guidebooks, and our desire to run away back to our old lives. A little bit of anxiety is normal, and it is easy to loose yourself a little amidst the pressures to fit in and have fun. Conversely, you may have built up a lot of expectations surrounding university, hoping that it would give you the chance to really be yourself. With such expectations, emotions can run high, and it's easy to forget that self-discovery is a process, not necessarily something which comes neatly tied up with the university package.

It is normal to feel from time to time as if the rug has been pulled out from under you. It's not always obvious where to look for support within the university system, and you can't tell straight away who you can trust amongst your new friends. There is pressure to save face by keeping it all bottled up, and not telling anyone what you're feeling. It's sometimes difficult to know what you're feeling, or whether your feelings will pass. What makes it worse is that it's not always easy to know when the normal anxieties, which arise from starting university turn into what might be deemed an anxiety disorder, or an anxiety problem. It's often something which happens gradually – maybe you don't want to join in the activities, which everyone else is getting involved in, maybe you just want to stay indoors and watch TV, maybe you're having trouble balancing assignments and a social life.

There are many things which characterize an anxiety problem. Anxiety can have a specific focus, or be an abiding sense of fear and trepidation, of being on edge, unable to relax and go with the flow. Specific focuses might include social gatherings walking alone at night, sleeping in a room on your own, being alone, group presentations in class, or a heavy work load. Anxiety can also be focused around one's body image, love life, or friends.   The fears that anxiety focuses on can be rational or irrational – this has nothing to do with the likelihood of the fear being realized – anxiety has as mysterious logic, all of its own.

Sometimes anxiety shows itself in the form of panic attacks – extreme sensations of anxiety, which can be accompanied by physical sensations such as chest pains, dizziness, trembling, shaking, sweating, heart palpitations, the feeling that one is going to faint or fall unconscious, or the feeling that one is 'not really there'. These physical sensations almost never develop into anything worse, however, the fear that they might can increase the panic and the rush of adrenaline which it produces – the so called 'fight or flight' reaction. Often one is unaware as to the origins of anxiety and panic. It could be caused by invasive thoughts, circling around you head, giving rise to fear and dread, which can develop into general anxiety and panic. Equally panic can seemingly come out of nowhere, and therefore can be very unnerving.

Chronic anxiety and panic can be very strange and bewildering experiences. However, they can become more manageable with time and professional help. The longer you have symptoms of anxiety and panic, the more you get to know about your condition. Maintaining an awareness of the mental, physical and emotional patterns of your anxiety can help you to recognize it for what it is, and work towards lessening it or finding a solution. Running away from your anxiety generally just makes it worse – if it's through drink, or constant entertainment and distraction, your anxiety is just going to be there waiting for you when you inevitably find yourself exhausted from running away, and needing to rest.

My recommendation would be to balance comfort and confrontation. Take it one step at a time, rather than running headlong at your anxiety with a fiery determination to beat it. Respect your anxiety as a valid, and informing experience, and try to tame it gently, teasing it back into livable-with parameters. Confronting your anxiety can be a scary and tiring business, so don't be too hard on yourself. Give yourself little treats when you need them, work at trying to gain back a little bit of ground each day, without trying to force the situation. Tickle the Anxiety Monster's tummy, but don't scratch its back - you can't let him have it all his way.