On Friday, Sept. 20, Vinny Guadagnino of MTV’s hit show “Jersey Shore” stepped onto stage in the lower level BCC to the applause of a large group of eager Fairfield students.
While it seemed he was there to discuss his crazy life on the “Jersey Shore,” this was far from the reality.
“I thought he was being really humble and down to earth which really surprised me,” said Jeannette Eckleman ‘16.
Beginning his talk he described himself as a normal 20-something family man with a political science degree from SUNY 
New Paltz who just so happened to be a hit reality star. But, the real topic of the night wasn’t about “Jersey Shore,” or partying, or reality TV but about his struggles with anxiety.
Introducing his new self-help book, “Control the Crazy,” he told the audience that since college he has struggled with anxiety and what he calls “addictive thinking.” Throughout the night Vinny opened up to Fairfield students and told his story.
“It literally felt like I was in a nightmare … and when I went to sleep it felt like that was the only peace I got … It was terrible,” said Vinny as he described his experience to the crowd.
In his life he has had two major downfalls with anxiety. The first caused him to drop out of college and the second caused him to leave the fifth season of the “Jersey Shore.”
“It felt like I was looking at myself from the outside … I felt like something was wrong.” Said Vinny.
Vinny went on to address how he resolved his battles with his mind. He talked to a therapist, practiced breathing exercises, began eating healthy, and living in the present. “I try to as much as I can access the present,” he said.
He even described how his battle with addictive thinking helped him help others, including his fellow cast members from “Jersey Shore.”
“Deena or Ronnie would come up to me … and the producers used to send them to me like I was the therapist.”
He described how this helped him stay present in the moment because he was so focused on others he didn’t have time to dwell on his own thoughts.
Reflecting on the night Freshmen Nicole Gardon said, “It was really relatable … it’s good to know other people out there go through similar experiences.”
Vinny’s talk not only entertained his fans of Jersey shore, but also shed light on a relatable issue for many college students.
“You can be addicted to a lot of different things … but the biggest addiction of all is being addicted to thinking,” said Vinny.
He finished the night saying that the most important things to help anxiety is living in the present and helping others live in the present.
“In a state of constantly being present … you just become the most amazing person … to be truly present in a meeting, while you’re taking a test, when you’re talking to a boy or a girl, when you’re showing you have a light inside of you it radiates out of you and other people can pick up on it, too.”
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