By Jasmin Rivas |Columnist "Let's go around the room and share something about each other: we'll start here."You hear those words and you feel like you want to faint. Maybe you just get a shiver up your spine and your hands get clammy. Maybe you're like me, and you experience all of these things. You feel your heart begin to race as you close in on yourself and try to make yourself small in your seat. You thank God, or whatever Being that you weren't chosen first, but if you were.... well, may the divine justice have mercy on you.You imagine for a moment that maybe they'll skip you. Maybe if you shrink low enough into your seat, you can become a part of it. Maybe if you will yourself to disappear hard enough, it might actually happen. But what's the use of fighting the inevitable. Eventually, you're going to have to answer that question. Eventually, you're going to have to talk, because contrary to your prayers, you're still in that seat and it's almost your turn.So, as you open your mouth to speak, you find yourself shaking. Even your breathing is shaky as you try to force yourself to inhale and exhale. Somehow you are able to make it through and you can finally start to calm down.If you're like me, you experience this array of emotions often. And not just when speaking in front of the class, but speaking in general. Sometimes, you even get nervous when you are talking on the phone. I'd often experience this when calling for college information or for scheduling my doctor's appointments.This feeling is normal. Well, not normal, but common.I say common because if you've ever felt something like this, you aren't alone in any way, shape, or form. Do you remember that feeling from before? That feeling when you're called on to speak in front of the class? About twenty to fifty percent of people experience this feeling before they reach adulthood.These feelings stem from depression and anxiety, and they often go hand in hand. They attack you when you least expect it and eat at you from the inside out, making you think you're alone.This feeling can affect anyone, so I can suggest a few steps: Write it down. Writing down my emotions/symptoms in any form: whether it be bullet-points, poetry or even a short story can definitely help you understand why you feel the way you do. It can help you understand your bad habits, so you can break those habits and begin your journey to recovery. Research the symptoms, and after writing it down and going over the specific symptoms affecting you: seek help: whether it be from a family member, a school-counselor, a doctor, or even a friend. This could save your life. Contact Jasmin Rivas at jrivas@augusta.edu.