The 11 Most Frequent Psychological Problems In Opponents

For many people, passing exams means achieving a dream However, the path to getting a place is, in most cases, a real nightmare.

Taking the exam represents a tough long-distance race in which it will not only be enough to dedicate study time and effort, the biggest obstacle will be the psychological factor. In addition to this, during the process it will be necessary to take into account all a series of variables that will contribute to the appearance of psychological problems (social isolation, decreased activities and leisure time or lack of sleep, among others).

Why can oppositions affect you on a psychological level?

The competitive exam student has to dedicate many hours of study a day to a very extensive syllabus, for long periods of time, which can sometimes last for years. Furthermore, the pace of study is usually set by an academy or by a demanding trainer, facing great competition among colleagues and, therefore, great pressure

Sometimes, this is added to the fact that there is not even an exam date, which means that the organization and management of time to study are not clear, having an impact on the student’s motivation. All this means that, on a psychological level, the person will be exposed to high levels of stress for long periods of time

On the other hand, the person who opposes is subjected to a loss of what in psychology are called “reinforcers.” Or, put another way, we could say that the person is exposed to a significant loss of incentives. Reinforcers are all those things that generate pleasant emotions, make us feel good and motivate us to continue with what we do.

Each person has different reinforcers depending on their preferences and tastes. Even so, we could say, in general terms, that the reinforcers that an opponent will frequently lose will be: social contact, time and leisure activities, hobbies, sports, vacations, rest, etc. The loss of reinforcers has been related, at a psychological level, to decreased mood and experiencing negative emotions

Furthermore, for those candidates who decide to dedicate themselves fully to study, the exams will represent an economic challenge for an indefinite period of time thus generating a constant feeling of pressure.

Finally, the dynamics of the competitive exam, in which the student puts all his months of study and all his effort into a single exam, comes to represent a real threat.

The frequent psychological problems of opponents

Taking into account what was discussed in previous paragraphs, The preparation of oppositions has been related to the appearance of some psychological problems and disorders among which are the following.

1. Anxiety

According to the RAE, anxiety is a state of agitation, restlessness or anxiety of mood. Anxiety can involve an intense feeling of nervousness accompanied by palpitations, muscle tension, tightness in the chest, feeling of suffocation, etc. At a cognitive level, anxiety is characterized by the presence of worries, catastrophic thoughts or the anticipation of failures with ideas such as: “I am not capable”, “I am going to fail”, “I will never pass”.

Anxiety in small doses can help us increase motivation and improve performance; However, excess anxiety causes just the opposite, seriously interfering with the opponent’s performance.

2. Difficulties with attention and concentration

The opposition student can observe that Despite all the hours of study invested, the results do not reflect that effort due to problems when concentrating.

3. Low mood

The opponent often feels sad, without desire (apathy), without enthusiasm with the feeling that you no longer enjoy the things you used to enjoy (anhedonia).

4. Mental fatigue

Caused by high mental activity and problems disconnecting.

5. Somatizations

Physical symptoms of psychological origin may appear, such as: general fatigue, pain or throbbing in the head, tics, stomach problems, hair loss, dermatitis, etc.

6. Insomnia

The opponent has problems falling asleep or frequent awakenings appear during the night, preventing adequate rest, thus feeding back into problems with performance in the study.

7. Irritability and emotional lability

Person experience constant mood swings sometimes finding yourself very motivated and capable of anything, and on other occasions with the feeling that you are totally exhausted, without energy and doomed to failure.

8. Guilt

This feeling is especially characteristic for the competitive exam student. Feels guilty frequently when not studying, even when on scheduled break time This feeling of guilt prevents her from being able to disconnect and rest.

9. Social isolation

Due to the intense study routine, social contact is considerably reduced. In addition to this, The person loses interest in social relationships and stops enjoying them which causes even more isolation.

10. Intolerance of uncertainty and high levels of self-demand

The opponent has the feeling that you never study enough even meeting your schedule and goals on a daily basis.

11. Self-esteem problems

The loss of self-esteem, insecurity and the feeling of little worth appear as the candidate becomes involved in the process, favoring catastrophic thoughts about the exam.

Psychological therapy for those preparing for these tests

The Malaga psychologist Ana Romero Gómez an expert in psychological therapy with opponents at the Málaga PsicoAbreu Psychologists office, explains the story of one of her patients:

“At first everything goes well, you are motivated and have a clear objective, as well as the physical and mental strength necessary to do it. However, after a few weeks you start to think that it is too difficult, that you forget everything you study and you feel that you are not capable. You feel guilty every time you are not studying, you experience anxiety, you often feel sad and tired, but yet you have difficulty sleeping. And then, you think about quitting.”

Ana Romero emphasizes the importance of going to psychological therapy during the opposition process to manage the psychological factor and be able to achieve the maximum possible performance, thus helping the opponent get their place.