What is Test Anxiety?
Test anxiety does not fall into any DSM-IV category. However it would be characterized as an anxiety attack. Test anxiety is extremely specific. Individuals may suffer an anxiety attack during or even prior to an exam, even the night before, which would relate back to what we discussed, in terms of anticipatory anxiety.
The symptoms are very similar, if not identical to an anxiety attack. The outcome is a direct result of either a failing grade or perhaps failing an exam, which definitely impacts one’s self-esteem. This may begin to weigh heavily on the unfortunate individual’s mind, causing a spiral affect in terms of gross misperceptions around one’s cognitive abilities. Continuing the spiral, questioning one’s abilities may occur; “Am I smart enough,” “Will I fail,” “Will I ever be able to get through this course,” to name a few. One can easily see how this cycle is grossly self-defeating, and may actually lead to severe depression, culminating in the worst case scenario, dropping out of school.
What are the causes of Test Anxiety?
For the clinician and even for the individual suffering from test anxiety, a very thorough history needs to be taken, even extending back as far as grade school. Acquiring the records of all classes can be extremely helpful in the search for a pattern of declining grades, which could lead to the discovery of some incident that occurred which precipitated the decline. Personally, I have never seen an individual develop test anxiety prior to high school, although I am sure there are instances of that. It usually rears its ugly head toward the end of high school, and is most commonly seen in college. College students suffering from test anxiety have the added pressure of graduating from college and finding a job. Of course test anxiety may also be linked to a fear of success, a topic which will be discussed at a different time.
Parental pressure to succeed is not uncommon. The child begins to focus on earning the grades for the parent and not themselves. This is an atrocity, and unfortunately, unrecognized by many parents. Family sessions need to take place, as well as individual sessions with the student. The goal is to empower the student, so they are proud of themselves, NOT that their parents are proud of them.
What is the Treatment for Test Anxiety?
Through therapy, the individual is taught, prior to test taking, methods of calming down feelings of being overwhelmed. The importance of good study habits is stressed, as well as the value of a good night’s sleep prior to test taking. There are some excellent medications on the market for sleep inducement the night before a test. Sometimes breaking the test anxiety cycle is as simple as taking medication the night before, support, and getting a good night’s sleep. However, the majority of the time, it is not as simple as that, and for this reason, medication is EXTREMELY beneficial in the treatment of test anxiety. If an individual has one or two successes taking tests while on medication, he feels very confident he can successfully take a test and achieve a good grade. Combined with individual therapy, we can then slowly decrease the medication down to ground zero, with confidence restored.
Some may think that the medication is a crutch, fearful they will always need it. In this author’s experience, I have been successful in slowly tapering the medication down to ground zero, with continued success. There are many web sites available for correcting test anxiety related to bad study habits. I strongly advise you to check these sites out. Please go to Google and type in bad study habits, and you will find some quick remedies to alleviate bad study habits.