The 11 most common psychological problems in competitive examiners

These are the most common psychological problems suffered by those who take competitive examinations.

For many people, passing a competitive examination is a dream come true.. However, the road to obtaining a position is, in most cases, a real nightmare.

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

Why can oppositions affect the psychological level?

The student of competitive examinations has to dedicate many hours of study per day to a very extensive syllabus, for long periods of time, which can sometimes extend for years. In addition, the pace of study is usually set by an academy or by a demanding trainer, and, as a result, there is a great deal of competition among peers and, consequently, a great deal of pressure on them..

Sometimes, in addition to this, there is not even an exam date, which means that the organization and time management for studying is not clear, affecting the student's motivation. All this means that, at a psychological level, the person will be exposed to high levels of stress, the person will be exposed to high levels of stress for long periods of time..

On the other hand, the person who takes the competitive examination is subjected to a loss of what in psychology are called "reinforcers". Or, in other words, 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, that the reinforcers that an opponent will lose frequently will be: social contact, time and leisure activities, hobbies, sports, vacations, rest, etc. The loss of reinforcers has been related, at the psychological level, with decreased mood and the experience of negative emotions..

In addition, for those candidates who decide to dedicate themselves fully to the study, the competitive examinations will suppose an economic challenge of indefinite timeThis generates a constant feeling of pressure.

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

Common psychological problems of the candidates

Taking into account what has been commented in previous paragraphs, the preparation of competitive examinations 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 the spirit. Anxiety may involve an intense feeling of nervousness accompanied by palpitations, muscular tension, chest tightness, choking sensation, etc.etc. At a cognitive level, anxiety is characterized by the presence of worries, catastrophic thoughts or the anticipation of failure with ideas such as: "I am not capable", "I am going to fail", "I will never pass".

Anxiety in small doses can help us to increase motivation and improve performance; however, an excess of anxiety causes just the opposite, seriously interfering with the performance of the candidate.

2. Attention and concentration difficulties

The student of oppositions can observe that despite all the hours of study he/she invests, the results do not reflect that effort, due to problems when studying.due to problems when it comes to concentrating.

3. Low mood

The candidate, often, feels sad, without desire to win (apathy), without illusion, with the sensation that he/she does not want to win anymore.with the feeling that he/she no longer enjoys the things he/she used to enjoy (anhedonia).

4. Mental fatigue

Caused by the high mental activity and the problems to disconnect.

5. Somatizations

Physical symptoms of psychological origin may appear, such as: generalized tiredness, headaches or throbbing, tics, stomach problems, hair loss, dermatitis, etc.

6. Insomnia

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

7. Irritability and emotional lability

The person experiences constant changes in the state of mind, being sometimes very motivated.sometimes being very motivated and capable of everything, and at other times with the feeling that he/she is totally exhausted, without energy and doomed to failure.

8. Guilt

This feeling is especially characteristic for the student of oppositions. He feels guilt frequently, when he is not studying, even when he is in the programmed rest time.. This feeling of guilt prevents you 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 no longer enjoys them, which causes even more isolation.This leads to even more isolation.

10. Intolerance to uncertainty and high levels of self-demanding.

The candidate has the feeling that he/she never studies enougheven if he/she is meeting his/her schedule and goals on a daily basis.

11. Self-esteem problems

The loss of self-esteem, insecurity and the feeling of worthlessness 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 GómezThe expert in psychological therapy with opponents in the cabinet Psychologists Malaga PsicoAbreu, exposes the story of one of his patients:

"At the beginning everything goes well, you are motivated and you have the 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, nevertheless, you have difficulty sleeping. And then, you think about giving up.

Ana Romero stresses the importance of going to psychological therapy during the competitive examination process to manage the psychological factor and to be able to achieve the maximum possible performance, thus helping the candidate to obtain his or her place.