Wildcat Pause: The Anxiety Issue

Shoreham-Wading River High School
Wildcat Pause
Volume XXXXIII No. 3 250 Route 25A, Shoreham, NY 11786
March 2020
Anxiety Disorder Checklist
Symptoms of GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) may vary. However, if you check
five or more of these symptoms, consider consulting with a parent, guardian
or doctor. You may benefit from speaking with a professional about how
you’re feeling.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
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o
Persistent worrying or anxiety about a number of areas that are out of
proportion to the impact of the events
Overthinking plans and solutions to all possible worst-case outcomes
Perceiving situations and events as threatening, even when they aren’t
Difficulty handling uncertainty
Indecisiveness and fear of making the wrong decision
Inability to set aside or let go of a worry
Inability to relax, feeling restless, and feeling keyed up or on edge
Difficulty concentrating, or the feeling that your mind “goes blank”
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Muscle tension or muscle aches
Trembling, feeling twitchy
Nervousness or being easily startled
Sweating
Nausea, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
Irritability
Consult with a doctor if you have ANY of these symptoms:
You feel like you’re worrying too much, and it’s interfering with your work,
relationships or other parts of your life
You feel depressed or irritable, have trouble with drinking or drugs, or you
have other mental health concerns along with anxiety
You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors — seek emergency treatment
immediately (hotline numbers on page 8)
Wildcat
Pause
Volume XXXXII Issue 3
March 2020
Shoreham-Wading River
High School
Route 25A, Shoreham,
NY 11786
(631) 821-8140
Editors-in-Chief
Sasha Medvedeva & Heather Tepper
Source: mayoclinic.org
The mission of the Wildcat Pause is to provide, entertain, and enlighten
students and faculty with well informed and accurate information. With a
clear vision, we aim to create a more conscious student body by connecting
the community with ideas and events while staying true to who we are
as a school.
Guest articles or columns, letters to the editor, corrections and article ideas, as well as
paid advertisements, are always welcome. Letters should be edited to no more than 50
lines and brought to Room 238 or emailed to jbranna@swr.k12.ny.us. The editors reserve
the right to refuse, print, edit or return any submitted material.
All letters must be signed by the author. Errors should be brought to the attention of
the editors or adviser for correction in the next issue.
Arranged by B. Cohen
From the staff of
the Wildcat Pause
This issue is dedicated to all
students and staff who have
been suffering with anxiety, lots
of stress, or think that they may
have an anxiety disorder. In such
a go-go-go type of world, it’s
very easy to forget about our
priorities, and one of the most
underappreciated priorities is our
mental health. Unfortunately,
people feel as if there’s a stigma
surrounding mental health, and
they are scared to seek help
because others might find out.
Excessive anxiety is not
something we should have to put
up with, so we have published
this special issue that includes
information from self-help tips to
places to go to seek relief from a
stress-filled life.
The staff of the Wildcat Pause
truly believes that this issue is a
great way to promote mental
health and can help diminish the
stigma surrounding such a vital
part of all of our lives.
Staff
John Basile
Sarah Cain
Michael Casazza
Brianna Cohen
Brendan Donnelly
Brooke Powers
Jared Sciarrino
Noell Spuhler
Kayla Tezcan
Advisor: Jean Branna
Distribution
Peter Christ
Jack Como
Christian DeCastro
Michael DeCastro
Dylan Dejesus
MaKenna Elio
Francis Fontinell
Skye Greco
James Hunt
Bobby King
Hunter Lange
Logan Melhus
Steven O’Shea
Jack Rubin
Spencer Sanchez
Gavin VanAuken Low

Refuse getting help? This may be why
John Basile
Staff Writer
Find yourself stressing over everything? Waking up and feeling
miserable and thinking “what can go wrong today?” Feel
embarrassed to ask for help? Is there any hope?
People who have these thoughts may benefit from therapy,
and there are many studies that prove this. According to an
alustforlife.com article, people who attend therapy have their
thoughts interpreted from a different perspective, making them
feel that they are not alone.
Therapy is stigmatized as only needed when in a crisis.
However, according to a refinery29 article titled Reasons To Go
To Therapy, “It can certainly be helpful if you’re
suffering from a diagnosed mental health
problem (or looking for a mental
health diagnosis), but it can also
be beneficial for anyone, at
any point of their life.”
According to psychiatry.
org, “more than 40 percent
of people have sought
psychological help in their
lifetime, and 75 percent of
those who go to therapy
report that they show some
benefit from it.”
Some think that
therapy is only for people
with severe mental
distress. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, reasons
for going to therapy include resolving conflicts, relieving stress
or anxiety, coping with major changes, coping with the loss of a
loved one, or learning to manage unhealthy reactions. Therapy
Sasha Medvedeva
Editor-in-Chief
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
People with GAD don’t know how to
stop the worry cycle and feel the cycle
is beyond their control even though they
usually realize that their anxiety is blown
out of proportion. All anxiety disorders may
relate to a difficulty tolerating uncertainty,
and therefore many people with GAD
try to plan or control situations. They may
be anxious about day-to-day things or
about something weeks beforehand.
They may also experience dizziness, lightheadedness,
sweating, trembling, heart
pounding, and headaches.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD):
Occurs when a person gets caught in
a cycle of unwanted obsessions and
compulsions, or intrusive thoughts, images,
or urges that trigger intensely distressing
feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an
individual engages in to attempt to get rid
of the obsessions and/or decrease his or
her distress.
Panic disorder: Causes panic attacks,
which are sudden feelings of terror when
there is no real danger. People with panic
disorder may feel as if they are losing
control and have physical symptoms, such
as a fast heartbeat, chest or stomach pain,
breathing difficulty, weakness or dizziness,
sweating, feeling a hot or cold chill, or
tingly or numb hands. Panic attacks can
happen anytime, anywhere, and without
warning. People who experience these
attacks may live in fear of another attack
and may avoid places where they have
had one.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
Develops in some people who have
experienced a shocking, scary, or
dangerous event. These people may feel
stressed or frightened even when they
are not in danger. While most but not all
traumatized people experience short-term
symptoms, the majority do not develop
ongoing (chronic) PTSD. Some experiences,
like the sudden, unexpected death of a
loved one, can also cause this disorder.
Symptoms usually begin early, within three
months of the traumatic incident, but
sometimes they begin years afterward.
Symptoms must last more than a month
and be severe enough to interfere with
relationships or work to be considered
PTSD. Words, objects, or situations that are
reminders of the event can also trigger reexperiencing
symptoms.
Social Anxiety Disorder: An intense anxiety
or fear of being judged, negatively
evaluated, or rejected in a social or
performance situation. People with this
may worry about acting or appearing
visibly anxious (e.g., blushing, stumbling
over words), or being viewed as stupid,
awkward, or boring. They also experience
strong physical symptoms, such as a rapid
heart rate, nausea, and sweating, and
may experience full-blown attacks when
confronting a feared situation. Although
they recognize that their fear is excessive
and unreasonable, they often feel
powerless against their anxiety.
Chronic Stress: This is stress resulting from
repeated exposure to situations that lead
to the release of stress hormones. This type
of stress can cause wear and tear on
your mind and body. Many scientists think
that our stress response system was not
designed to be constantly activated. This
overuse may contribute to the breakdown
of many bodily systems. Chronic stress
may cause symptoms of headaches, high
can resolve issues as serious as agoraphobia (fear of leaving
the house to go to social events) and as common as sleeping
problems.
School psychologist Dr. Peter D’Elena has been in practice for
25 years, 19 of which have been at SWR. Dr. D’Elena said therapy
is a scientific-based strategy by clinical origin to help people
return to functioning optimally. He said going to therapy has two
main benefits: to treat a disorder that interferes with daily function
and for personal growth. Therapy can also help elaborate on
a person’s strengths and weaknesses to make them feel more
comfortable talking about them.
Dr. D’Elena said it’s unfortunate that the stigma of therapy
keeps students away from getting help.
However, he said the best way to
overcome stigma is just to talk
about it. Talking about problems
can help people get their
feelings out to someone who
may understand.
Dr. D’Elena said that females
face higher anxiety than
males, but males are more
stigmatized than women for
going to any sort of therapy
for treatment.
Going to therapy
won’t likely be a
one-time thing. According
to a goodtherapy.org article, therapy can last
for many years. It will last as long as the person needs it.
Someone who goes to therapy has to work hard to follow
what the therapist suggests, and over time, the hard work
should pay off to give that person hope and happiness.
Definitions of anxiety-related conditions
Page 2/March 2020/Wildcat Pause
blood pressure, and chest pain as well as
heart palpitations, skin rashes, and loss of
sleep.
Stress: Generally, stress is a response to an
external cause, such as a tight deadline at
work or having an argument with a friend,
and it subsides once the situation has been
resolved.
Anxiety: Anxiety is a person’s specific
reaction to stress; its origin is internal.
Anxiety is typically characterized by a
“persistent feeling of apprehension or
dread” in situations that are not actually
threatening. Unlike stress, anxiety persists
even after a concern has passed
Avoid and escape: People sometimes
try to reduce anxiety by avoiding
the feared situation altogether. This
avoidance instantly decreases the anxiety
because they have not put themselves
in a distressing situation. However, while
avoidance makes anxiety better in the
short term, they have made it worse
in the long term. An illustration of this is
when teenagers avoid joining a club
or attending a party because that’s
where they experience fear. As a result,
they successfully avoid the distress they
associate with social events. In the short
term, they do not feel anxious. However,
in the long term they become even more
unwilling to confront anxiety. They continue
to believe that emotion is dangerous and
should be avoided at all costs. Escaping
a situation that causes anxiety is also a
coping mechanism, like leaving a social
event because of too much anxiety. In
reality, this causes more worry, loss of
confidence about coping, and increased
use of safety behaviors.

Screens & anxiety: Is there a connection?
Screens = No Connection
Brendan M. Donnelly
Staff Writer
The first iPhone was introduced by Apple
in 2007. Without it, our lives would be
completely different today. Technology
has developed in a way that no one saw
coming, not even our parents, making
our high school experience completely
different compared to past generations
in almost every way. Technology is seen
as having a negative impact by older
generations who blame it for the source
of our issues, but there are other factors
that cause anxiety and depression. There is
evidence in the research community that
there is no link between the use of phones
and mental health, but because anxiety
and depression rates have increased
“Appropriate use [of cell phones]
can definitely help stress.”
-Dr. D’Elena
at the same time that cell phones have
gained in popularity, they are often
paired. But according to the Journal of
Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, studies
shows that there is no
connection between
the two.
“Phones are the
most common form
of technology for
high school students,
with 95 percent of
adolescents in the
United States having
at least one mobile
device,” according
to the Journal of
Child Psychology
and Psychiatry. Cell
phones can be a source of information for
a teen if it is used correctly, and they can
even be a useful tool to combat anxiety.
There are specific apps that can help with
reminders, breathing tips, and the easy
accessibility to mental health professionals.
“Appropriate use [of cell phones] can
definitely help stress,” Dr. Peter D’Elena,
SWR school psychologist, said. Social
media is another form of technology
believed to be a culprit in teen anxiety, but
according to a study using the Ecological
Momentary Assessment (EMA), which
involves repeated sampling of subjects’
current behaviors and experiences in real
time, in subjects’ natural environments,”
according to the US National Library of
Medicine, “no significant associations
emerged between daily social networking
site use and depression,” the Journal of
Child Psychology and Psychiatry reported.
Playing video games, another type of
technology blamed for anxiety, can be a
source of temporary stress relief to distract
teens and allow them to forget about the
things they worry about.
Any type of screen time is seen as
the cause of anxiety, but it can also be
a coping mechanism for teenagers.
Technology can be an amazing tool
if used correctly. Unfairly making it the
scapegoat for anxiety is a simple solution
to a complex problem.
This graph shows the connection between stressors that college students
have had in recent years. Anxiety spiked from 2012 to 2013.
Screens
=
Connection
Noell Spuhler
Senior Staff Writer
Technology makes our lives
easier . . . or so we believe.
Sure, swiping mindlessly on your
phone or binge watching an
entire series is a stressless way
to pass time, but various studies
show that excessive screen
time can ruin your sense of wellbeing.
“Anxiety disorders are a
pretty big deal,” Dr. Peter
D’Elena, SWR’s psychologist,
said. They are the most
commonly diagnosed
conditions in the U.S.
“There’s some evidence that
people are more anxious today
than, say, 20 years ago,” Dr.
D’Elena said.
And in the past 20 years,
technology has become more
advanced and accessible.
Numerous studies have
linked excessive screen time
and anxiety disorders together,
such as one 2019 study by
BioMed Central (BMC) public
health. Not only does this study
show more kids have access to
technology-- stating children
ages 5-15 in 2017 spend 90
more minutes staring at screens
on average than children in
2007 -- but it also proves that
these extra minutes might
cause anxiety issues later on.
However, all screens are
different. The same study
by BMC stated smartphone
use has a negative effect on
well-being-- less so than TV,
computers, or video games.
Nonetheless, excess screen
time is detrimental to your wellbeing,
no matter what screen
This graph shows a correlation between age and daily use of screen time.
you’re staring at.
Scientist Jean Twenge, a
professor of psychology at
San Diego State University
who has published more
than 100 studies and written
several books, concluded in
“Preventive Medicine Reports,
Volume 12” that children with
high usage of screen time (5
plus hours a day), especially
adolescents aged 12-17, show
less curiosity, less self-control
and less emotional stability.
Adolescents with lower
screen use (less than one hour)
do not differ in well-being.
Twenge also suggests
adolescents spend more
time on their screens as they
age, with 15 and 16 year olds
spending more than four and
a half hours a day on their
screens on average compared
to younger children spending
two to three hours a day on
their screens.
Twenge’s study also
concluded adolescents who
spend more than an hour a
day on screens show more
hostility to their caretakers, are
less “calm,” and are overall
more difficult to care for.
But is there a correlation
between screen time and
anxiety levels?
Twenge’s study suggests that
heavy screen users are twice
as likely to have been (or be)
diagnosed with depression or
an anxiety disorder compared
to adolescents who spend little
time on their screens.
BMC’s study indicated that
Source: Preventive Medicine
Reports, Dec 2018
16 year olds who spend more
time on screens are more
likely to become depressed or
develop an anxiety disorder.
Teens who are depressed
tend to spend more time alone,
leading to an even worse
state of mind. And why would
anyone want to be alone all
the time?
So spend less time swiping on
your phone. Less time looking
at memes. Less time refreshing
Snapchat. Instead, take a
walk outside. Spend some time
with your family. Ask a friend
to hang out. It beats being
anxious all the time.
Wildcat Pause/March 2020/Page 3

Treating Your Anxiety: An Informa
Q: What percentage of teens do you think struggle with
anxiety at SWR?
A: “The percentage probably mirrors whatever the
stats are for the nation. So we’re probably somewhere
around 30 percent.”
Q: What would you say is the most commonly used form
of treatment?
A: “Therapy is the most common . . . more common
than medicine in terms of official treatments.”
Q: What are the differences between the types of
treatments?
A: “Behavioral and cognitive are often combined
treatments, which is called cognitive-behavioral
therapy. And those really work on your thoughts,
which are your cognitions. It is looking at your irrational
thoughts and trying to either challenge them or replace
them with more rational thinking. On the behavioral
side it’s more about escape and avoidance, so therapy
involves changing your behavior. The classic example
is being afraid of a dog. The behavioral change is
being around a dog. Giving them cognitive strategies
on one side to deal with their thinking anxiety, but
also behaviorally making them be near a dog which
changes their normal behavior of running away from
a dog. The other thing with behavior would be, for
example, people who don’t want to leave the house.
. . they’re agoraphobic. Part of their therapy would be
to get them to go outside and take the garbage down
to the road. Then the next thing may be getting them
to take the trash out and then go for a walk to the end
of the block, and then come home. Then you slowly
increase it to making them go to the store, and maybe
not going into the store, but the next time go inside for a
minute.”
Q: How has the treatment developed as we continue to
learn more about anxiety disorder?
A: “Most cognitive-behavioral therapy was developed
in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and it hasn’t changed
significantly. For the last 40 to 50 years, therapy has
stuck to those main components -- the cognition and
behavior. What professionals have
done over the past 40 years is
research to make sure that these
techniques actually work. The
techniques themselves were
developed many years ago.
What’s happened over time is
specific research to ensure
they work. You can’t just
create a technique,
you need to surround it
with strong evidence
that shows it works.
You’d never want to
teach somebody
something if it
doesn’t actually help
them. That would be
counteractive.”
A relatively short-term
form of psychotherapy
based on the concept
that the way we think about
things affects how we
feel emotionally. Cognitive therapy
focuses on present thinking, behavior,
and communication rather than on past
experiences and is oriented toward problem
solving. Cognitive therapy has been applied
to a broad range of problems including
depression, anxiety, panic, fears,eating disorders,
substance abuse,
and personality problems. Cognitive therapy is
sometimes called cognitive behavioral therapy
because
it aims to help people in the ways they think (the
cognitive) and in the ways they act (the behavior).
Cognitive therapy has, for instance, been used to
help cocaine -dependent individuals become
abstinent from cocaine and other substances. The
underlying assumption is that learning processes play
an important role in the development and
continuation of cocaine abuse and
dependence. These same learning processes
can be used to help individuals reduce their
drug use.
Behavioral
This form of therapy seeks to id
potentially self-destructive or u
functions on the idea that all
that unhealthy behaviors can
of treatment is often on curren
change them.
Combined
It combines
therapy with
therapy. Trea
centered aro
someone’s th
and beliefs in
their actions
moods. It oft
on a person’
problems an
solve them. T
term goal is t
a person’s th
behavioral p
healthier one
can also be
along with th
treatment.
Cognitive Treatment
From Dr. Peter D’Elena, school psychologist
Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed
and prevalent disorders among all psychiatric
conditions. They represent a disabling range of
conditions that are fairly well understood but grossly
undertreated. Indeed, most people suffering from
an anxiety disorder do not seek treatment. While
traction has been made in getting people help
and destigmatizing the interventions that help these
disorders, much work is left to be done.
Q: Do you
believe medicinal treatment is a good way to
permanently get rid of an anxiety disorder?
A: “So we will compare talk therapy (cognitivebehavioral)
to medicine. If two people have anxiety,
one gets talk therapy for 10 weeks and the other gets
medicine for 10 weeks. What they’ll find, almost always,
is that the people who were on the medicine, their
symptoms come back sooner. For people that have
been in talk therapy, their symptoms seem to stay away
for a longer amount of time. So it shows you that talk
Page 4/March 2020/Wildcat Pause

tional Interview with Dr. D’Elena
Treatment
entify and help change
nhealthy behaviors. It
behaviors are learned and
be changed. The focus
t problems and how to
Treatment
behavioral
cognitive
tment is
und how
oughts
fluence
and
en focuses
s current
d how to
he longo
change
inking and
atterns to
s. Medicine
used
is mixed
therapy seems to make some real
changes that people can sustain
for a lifetime. Medicine makes
temporary changes in the
brain and is ineffective when
stopped.”
Q: Is there any beneficial
aspect to using medicinal
treatment?
“Some people don’t
benefit from talk
therapy. For whatever
reason, it doesn’t
work for them. They
feel better on the
medicine, so they
feel like, ‘Why go
off of it?,’ which is
understandable. For
some people,
the stigma
is, ‘I don’t
want to
stay
on
the
Several types of medications
are used to help relieve
symptoms, depending
on the type of anxiety disorder
you have and whether you also have
other mental or physical health issues.
For example, certain antidepressants are
also used to treat anxiety disorders. An antianxiety
medication called buspirone may
be prescribed. In limited circumstances,
your doctor may prescribe other types of
medications, such as sedatives, also called
benzodiazepines, or beta blockers. These
medications are for short-term relief of
anxiety symptoms and are not intended
to be used long term.
major study that was done many years ago on severe
cases of depression. Although we are talking about
anxiety, they are very similar. It found that when patients
did therapy or medicine alone, they only got a little bit
better. However, when both methods were combined,
the results were significantly better. I think that’s the
issue with medicine. When it’s a really severe case, and
you don’t see any progress with talk therapy, medicine
will be tried to see if it can give them a boost (making
them less anxious) or more available to the talk therapy.
I think that it [medicine alone] does have its place, but
it varies from case to case. However, the major study
on depression did show that in severe cases, the better
effect came when it was combined.”
- According to the Journal of the American Medical
Association , “16.7 percent of 242 million U.S. adults
reported filling one or more prescriptions for psychiatric
drugs in 2013.”
- According to the Gallup Youth Survey, just 4% of teens
have been prescribed medication for anxiety.
Q: Why is it important for people to seek professional
help rather than self diagnosing?
“You should probably leave it to the people who
have training and are professionals in the diagnosis.
Some information you find on the internet, such as
symptom lists, are too simplistic. I think you want to have
somebody with training in psychology look at it. Also,
there is a piece to all of these mental health disorders
that sometimes the symptoms are rooted in physical
things, so there actually could be something else going
on. People who have low energy or feel unusually upset
may be depressed, but they may also be having a
thyroid issue. You may want to get physically checked
out. There may be something else going on. It’s not
common, but there can be physical things that mimic
mental health disorders. I think self diagnosis is good
at getting an initial hand on something, but the final
diagnosis should definitely come from a professional.”
Q: What are the differences in treatment between
anxiety and anxiety disorder?
Medicinal Treatment
medicine,
and I want to do without it,’ so they go off of it, and the
symptoms come back. It varies from person to person.
You have to figure out what you want to do and what
works best for you. With talk therapy, it’s more about
teaching you things you can use even after the therapy
stops.”
Q: Should medicine be used alone, or is it better when
paired with behavioral or cognitive therapy?
A: “It seems to be dependent on severity. There was a
“The difference in the diagnosis is that somebody
with anxiety disorder can’t function while somebody
with anxiety can. The difference in treatment is in the
length and intensity of the therapy. People with anxiety
disorder get “treatment heavy,” and people with
anxiety get “treatment light.” Somebody with anxiety
disorder may need five or six strategies to get them
better, where somebody with anxiety could make
one or two quick adjustments and be good. I’ve had
people come in and I’ve taught them a few things
that instantly made them a lot better. Those people
often didn’t have a serious disorder, they just had some
basic anxiety, like we all have. They just needed a few
strategies, and they were good to go. I’d see them
for 10 sessions at most, while somebody with anxiety
disorder may take more than six months. I might have to
try a lot of different techniques because some of them
may not work, and certain people may need more. The
big difference is length and number of strategies used.”
Wildcat Pause/March 2020/ Page 5

Under distress or eustress?
Kayla Tezcan
Staff Writer
Stress surrounds us on a daily basis, and chances are
everyone will experience different levels of stress at various
points during their life. At the most basic level, stress is our
body’s expected response to pressures from a situation or life
event. Rational worries about societal influences, parental
expectations, family dynamics, school and activities, or
even just simply the demands of everyday life induce both
negative and positive stress.
When people say they are stressed, most likely they are
talking about having distress, or negative, unhealthy stress.
Distress has these characteristics: causes anxiety or concern,
can be short term or long term, and can make someone feel
unmotivated and unpleasant. Long term distress can lead to
both mental and physical problems.
However, not all stress
is negative. Eustress is
described as moderate
psychological stress that
is an overall beneficial
experience. Customarily,
people don’t assume
that positive life-altering
events like weddings, job
promotions, purchasing a
home, and even having
a child promote eustress,
but it has been proven
that these experiences
do indeed produce this
form of stress.
According to the National
Institute of Mental Health,
in non-life-threatening
situations, stress can
motivate people, such as
when they need to take
a test. In a dangerous
situation, stress signals the
body for flight or fight.
Eustress
-The type of stress having
a beneficial effect on wellbeing,
emotions, motivation,
and performance
-Getting engaged/married
-Having a child
-Buying a new home/selling
old house
-Going on a vacation
-Retiring
-Starting a new relationship
-Planning a party
-Receiving a promotion or
raise at a current job
-Learning something new
-Moving somewhere
unfamiliar
-Sports or performances
The feeling of motivation can allow us to set goals, grow
interests, boost engagement, and even aid in a change
of behavior. Research shows that seeing your stressor as a
growth opportunity helps you perform better in stressful tasks.
Some people who report never or rarely having had stress
may be too averse to risks, which could make it more unlikely
for them to reach their goals in their life or relationships, and
they may become bored and depressed.
Some researchers have suggested that having to handle
a moderate level of stress can make us mentally stronger
and better able to manage future stress. Richard Dienstbier,
the Director of the Social-Personality Program and the Series
Editor of the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, theory
(1989) of mental toughness suggests that experiencing
some manageable stressors, with recovery in between, can
make us mentally and physically tougher and better able
to manage future stressors. Individuals must have the right
balance of acute stress in their life.
In a study of lab rats at the University of California,
Berkeley, a short duration of stressful encounters led their
brains’ stem cells to rapidly increase into new nerve cells.
Types of Stress
This resulted in an inflation of mental performance after two
weeks. Although Bruce McEwen, head of the Harold and
Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology
at The Rockefeller University, was not involved in the study,
he noted that the findings, “in general, reinforce the
notion that stress hormones help an animal adapt – after
all, remembering the place where something stressful
happened is beneficial to deal with future situations in the
same place.”
There can also be a risk that too much stress can affect
a child’s brain development, and this could prove to be
worrisome. There is currently a growth of science attempting
to study how experiencing traumatic events during
adolescence can alter brain development and cause other
systemic disorders throughout the course of life.
The National Scientific
Council on the Developing
Distress
-The type of stress with
negative implications
-The death of a loved one or
family member
-Hospitalization
-Conflict in interpersonal
relationships
-Unemployment
-School demands and
frustrations
-Problems with friends
-Legal Problems
-Bankruptcy/money
problems
-Being neglected or abused
-Emotional issues
(depression, anxiety, anger,
grief, and low self-esteem)
SWR’s Mental Health Team
Child, established in
2003, integrates scientific
knowledge to educate
policymakers, civic
leaders, and the general
public about the rapid
advancement of science
explaining early childhood
development and its
underlying neurobiology. In
one of their working papers,
the organization stated,
“Significant maternal stress
during pregnancy and
poor maternal care during
infancy both affect the
developing stress system
in young animals and alter
genes that are involved in
brain development.” The
study the Council produced
revealed that experiencing
exceptionally high levels of
stress-cultivated impaired
memory and learning abilities, as well as cognitive defects,
in adulthood.
Students have to simultaneously handle the daily stress
of worrying about grades, exams, homework, dysfunctional
families, relationships with friends or acquaintances, sports
and other extracurricular activities. Some even have to
worry about squeezing in a job.
Too much stress, or chronic stress, where a normal lifesaving
reaction causes a disturbance in the immune,
reproductive, digestive, sleep, and cardiovascular
systems. Over time, excessive amounts of stress can lead
to continued strain on your body that contribute to dire
health problems, namely high blood pressure, diabetes,
heart disease, and many other illnesses, including but not
limited to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Considering this, the same stressor may be manageable
for one person but extremely overwhelming for another, it
all depends on their perception of the situation they are
experiencing. An article from healthline.com said, “As long
as it’s not chronic, stress can be a positive addition to your
life.”
Dr. Peter D’Elena
Psychologist
An additional mental
health counselor
is available in the
guidance office two
afternoons a week
from 1 to 4 p.m.
Mrs. Jackie Anci
Social Worker
Page 6/March 2020/ Wildcat Pause

Find the mindfulness in you
Brooke Powers
Staff Writer
Whenever you bring awareness to
what you’re directly experiencing via
your senses, or to your state of mind
via your thoughts and emotions, you’re
being mindful. Mindfulness is a mental
state achieved by focusing awareness
on the present moment while calmly
accepting your feelings, thoughts, and
bodily senses.
Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates
the best in people. According to general
mindfulness research, it has many
benefits, such as decreasing stress and
sadness as well as increasing happiness.
Jon Katbat Zinn, a meditation teacher
and an author who writes books about
mindfulness, said, “Mindfulness is
awareness that arises through paying
attention, on purpose, in the present
moment, non-judgmentally” on his Mind
Science Foundation website. Mindfulness
is all about acceptance of yourself and
others.
Ms. Brittany Davis, the life activities
physical education teacher and yoga
club instructor, said her lifetime activities
class allows students to relax and not be
as anxious.
“Students finally have the opportunity
to relax about things that make them
anxious,” Ms. Davis said.
Students learn different techniques
to unwind and can use them as lifetime
tools. This class, as well as her yoga club,
allows students to deal with stress in a
healthy way. Ms. Davis shows her students
calming videos and teaches them different
ways to balance and decompress.
Mrs. Mary Mitchell offers a half-year
mindfulness elective class, Foundations
of a Mindful and Healthy Life, period 8.
Mrs. Mitchell analyzes the basic concepts
“It’s been enlightening to
teach [the mindfulness class] and
to hear people say that they are
using the skills is phenomenal.”
-Mrs. Mitchell
of mindfulness and the class practices
mindfulness through activities such as
meditation.
Mrs. Mitchell created the mindfulness
class because she had someone in her life
who introduced it to her and it impacted
her greatly. In her research, she discovered
that mindfulness is a word in the New York
State mental health mandated curriculum.
“We do anything that can teach a
concept. There are all different concepts
like rumination, loving kindness, mantras,
and self-awareness. All the concepts
come with a learning activity, so you not
only learn about mindfulness but practice
real-life, hands-on mindfulness techniques
and meditating mindfully. They will learn
how to be more present,” Mrs. Mitchell
said. Students can take the things
I’m teaching and use them in their
own lives.” Mindfulness involves stress
reduction and helps people deal with
anything that life throws in their way.
Mrs. Mitchell also said that according
to research, expressing gratitude can
help increase authentic happiness,
and students learn how to do gratitude
activities.
According to the school website,
sophomores can take Foundations of
a Mindful and Healthy Life their health
class, and juniors and seniors can take
it as an elective. Students also discuss
current and relevant health topics such
as stress, learn about life-time disease
prevention, and create lifetime wellness
plans including how to create healthy
relationships, eating plans, and stress
management.
Mrs. Mitchell said many her mindful
class students from last semester, the
first time it was offered, created a strong
bond.
“It’s been enlightening to teach it, and
to hear people say that they are using
the skills is phenomenal,” Mrs. Mitchell
said.
In the future, Mrs. Mitchell said she
would love to take her students to the
salt cave in Port Jefferson to meditate.
For now, she takes her students on
mindful walks to help clear the mind
and move the body.
“In the mindfulness
class, I learned about
being in the present
moment and having
gratitude. It is so easy
to focus on the past
or future, but being in
the present moment
and appreciating
being where I am is
an important aspect
of mindfulness that I
will use throughout my
life. Instead of waiting
for something exciting
like a vacation or a
holiday, it is important
to live in the moment
and to appreciate the
moment you are in
right now because you
only get one life and you
never get time back. For
gratitude, I learned from
the class to focus on the
good in life instead of the
bad. Having gratitude is
about being grateful for
people or things that are
important to you, even
the little things. Gratitude
helps people look at the
world in a better way
and changes outlook. It
is about appreciating the
good in your life.”
-Tara Mirabell
“My biggest takeaway from Mrs. Mitchell’s class
is knowing how to stay calm in stressful situations,
and, when staying calm isn’t possible, how to calm
myself down. The class taught me how to deal
with any emotion I could feel, positive or negative,
and how to handle those emotions in a healthy
way. I use mindful breathing every day as a way
to stay level headed and clear my mind. I will
definitely use those techniques throughout my life.”
-Kelsey Donnelly
What aspect of the
mindfulness class will
you use throughout
your life?
Brianna Cohen
Staff Writer
“The thing I will use the most from
mindfulness is to live in the moment, to
get rid of any distractions, and to fully
experience things; to take time to realize
what’s in front of you.”
-Olivia Daleo
“The importance of stopping
and breathing when you are
overwhelmed because it can
make a significant difference in
the way you view the situation.”
-Elle Schepis
“Analyzing and choosing
healthier relationships
with people.”
-Gabriel Kent
“The aspect I will use
throughout my life
is showing gratitude
toward everything,
but especially when
I’m not in a great
mood. Showing
gratitude is a great
way of being thankful
for what you have
and expressing your
emotions in a positive
way. Also, I think
using meditation
has really benefited
me because it helps
control my breathing,
and practicing it
every day really made
me a better person.
I have a better
understanding of how
I feel. I also used it
before sports and it
really helps. You can’t
start meditating when
you’re already having
a bad day and
expect it to work. You
have to use it every
day so when that
bad day does come,
it will be easier.”
-Thomas Bell
Wildcat Pause/March 2020/Page 7

Self-Help Strategies
Sarah Cain and Heather Tepper
Staff Writer and Editor-in-Chief
Self-help is people’s attempts to use their own resources and efforts to try and improve
themselves. In regards to anxiety, this is easier said than done. However, sometimes selfhelp
can greatly decrease a person’s level of stress or anxiety, even if it is momentarily.
Warm Bath
Burning Essential Oils
Calming Music
Alone Time
Meditation
Yoga
Spend Time Outdoors
Yoga
Walks
Exercise
Clean Eating
Sleep
Hydration
Support Systems
Positive Social Media
Asking for Help
Spending Time with Friends and Family
Positive Work Environment
Safe Living Space
Places to go for Help
Yoga and Meditation
Sunshine Barre Studio (Rocky Point)
Solntse Hot Yoga and Barre (The Shoppes at East Wind)
Peaceful Warrior Yoga Center (Sound Beach)
Nature Trails
Wildwood State Park (Wading River)
Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest Loop
Wading River Road Loop (Brookhaven State Park)
Wading River Marsh Reserve Loop
Gyms
Defined Health and Fitness (Wading River)
Personal Fitness (Rocky Point)
Planet Fitness (Rocky Point)
Wading River Health Club (Wading River)
Talk to Someone
Guidance Counselor
School Social Worker
School Psychologist
Teacher
Friend
Family Member
Hotlines:
RESPONSE of Suffolk County Crisis 631-751-7500 (24/7 Availbility)
RESPONSE Conexion 631-751-7423 (Spanish Speaking)
National Suicide Prevention Lifelife 1-800-273-TALK
Crisis Text Line Text CONNECT to 741741
The Trevor Project LGBTQ Crisis Center 888-488-7386
National Runaway Safeline 800-Runaway
Journaling
Hobbies
Positive Self-Talk
Clean Living Space
Money Management
Time Management
Distorted Thinking
Catastrophizing- this is when a person
assumes the absolute worst occuring.
For example, people who catastrophize
entertain the what if questions, such as
“What if I die today?” or “What if I amount to
nothing in life?”
Overgeneralization- this is when a person
comes to a general conclusion based on
one incident. For example, if a person gets a
bad grade on one test, they overgeneralize
themselves to be a horrible student.
Black and White Thinking- this is also
known as polarized thinking. This is when
things are either “all or nothing.” It is the idea
that there is no middle ground between
perfection and failure. For example, a person
who thinks like this views everything at an
extreme level.
Personalization- this is when a person
wrongly believes that everything other
people do somehow is directed at them.
They take everything personally, even when it
has nothing to do with them or was meant to
be taken a different way. For example, when
a person’s friend doesn’t wave to them in the
hallway, they immediately assume their friend
is mad at them.
Control Fallacies- this includes external
and internal control. If a person feels
externally controlled, they feel like a helpless
victim of fate. For example, a person would
feel that they couldn’t help that their work
was late because the teacher gave too
much. If they feel internally controlled,
they feel responsible for the happiness and
sadness of others. For example, a person
would believe that their friend is unhappy
because of something they did.
Going for a Run
Building Legos
Coloring
Playing Games
Identifying Common Errors in Our Thinking
Irrational Thought Patterns, known as Cognitive Distortions, are simply
ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn’t really true.
These inaccurate thoughts are usually used to reinforce negative
thinking or emotions.
Shoulds- these are statements that people
make for themselves and others about how
everyone should behave. People who break
these “rules” make the person following these
should statements frustrated. The emotional
consequence is guilt. For example, a person
thinking that they really should eat healthier
and are frustrated by people who don’t.
What to Try
To counteract these what
ifs, remind yourself that there
are many other potential
outcomes and try to maintain
a positive perspective.
Take into account that an
incident may only apply to
one specific situation, rather
than all other areas of life. The
student might have just failed
that one test, and that doesn’t
mean they are a poor student
or are failing out of school.
Recognize that there are
shades of gray in life, meaning
not everything is all good or all
bad.
Try to acknowledge that there
are other possible factors
that could be influencing the
situation or circumstance that
may be out of your control and
have nothing to do with you.
The person should consider
that their friend simply did not
see them in the hallway.
Understand and remind
yourself that sometimes things
are out of your control and
you can’t control how other
people feel. Try to do your best
and accept that that is all you
can do.
Realize that you cannot
project your own rules
onto other people, and
acknowledge that it is okay to
not follow these rules all of the
time.
Illustrations by A. Tonetti
Wildcat Pause/March 2020/Page 8