With finals around the corner, students are starting to feel the effect of stress -- not only on their grades, but on their health as well.

Mary Anne Knapp, a clinical social worker and therapist for the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) said she thinks certain groups in society push for a more stressful way of life.

"I don't think that's true for everyone, but I do think there's a pull to be in the excess stress mode," Knapp said. "But I don't think it's healthy."

CAPS and University Health Services (UHS) work together to help students deal with stress and often make referrals back and forth.

They make referrals "because some people think that maybe there's something else going on, like maybe they have cancer or an ulcer," Knapp said. "Or there could be something else going on, like they have migraines but need to look at stress management"

Stress, one of the most common reasons students go to CAPS, can cause a number of physical and emotional maladies including muscle tension, headaches, irritability, feeling overwhelmed or worn out and being less able to function and focus, said Knapp.

"Their immune system is compromised so they're more likely to get what's going around," she added.

During times of heavy stress, such as finals week, CAPS will see an increase in the number of patients.

"Obviously when there are periods of external demands, more people will feel stressed," Knapp said. "Sometimes it may be because they were in denial earlier, and sometimes it's the reality of how much they have to do."

Paul J. Rosch, president of the American Institute of Stress (AIS) and a clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College, advises that students plan ahead for finals week and avoid procrastination.

The American Institute of Stress, which calls stress "America's No. 1 Health Problem," lists 50 symptoms of stress ranging from headaches to insomnia on its Web site, www.stress.org.

"Stress is different for each of us, so there is little you can say that applies to everyone, except that the feeling of having little control is always distressful," said Rosch in an e-mail message. He wrote he believes that stress is often used as a euphemism to explain problems such as alcoholism and substance abuse or to justify unacceptable behaviors.

A continuing debate among researchers is whether stress in any amount is good for you.

"A certain amount of stress is normal and healthy. If we don't have enough stress we might feel bored and under-stimulated," Knapp wrote in an e-mail message. "The trick is to feel that you have the right amount of stress and learn to manage the overload."

"Stress is not always bad and increased stress increases productivity -- up to a point, after which things rapidly go downhill," Rosch wrote. "That point differs for each of us so you have to find the level of stress that is optimal for you."

Stress can also affect your memory, according to research done by Amy Arnsten, a professor of neurobiology and psychology at Yale University.

"You haven't kept up with a course that is essential for graduation, and now you are studying for the final exam and find that you cannot concentrate on your notes," Arnsten wrote in an e-mail message. "Our research suggests that much of this is due to stress-induced chemical changes in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that allows us to organize, to inhibit distractions, and to use memory to guide our behavior."

The CAPS Personal Issues Series has a program on Coping with Stress for Exams tomorrow at 7 p.m. in 208 HUB.