11 Jan What’s the Difference Between Anxiety And Stress | ISSA COUNSELING
People tend to use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably for feelings of fear, worry, and dread. But there are key differences in these two conditions that will help you tell them apart and effectively treat whichever one you’re dealing with. Many people cope with high levels of stress on a regular basis. They may have health problems, financial struggles, family issues, or any number of personal and systemic triggers that result in elevated levels of stress. But learning when normal stress turns over into anxiety is important. Stress and anxiety both manifest with intense mental and physical symptoms, including physical tension, fatigue, irritability, digestive problems, and insomnia. When you’re dealing with anxiety, these symptoms will be more present and often have an impact on your ability to function in your daily life. Figuring out whether you’re coping with stress or anxiety will help you find the strategies and help you need to feel and function better.
Symptoms Of Stress And Anxiety
Stress and anxiety share many symptoms, though anxiety symptoms will likely last longer or be more intense. Someone might experience any of the following:
Stress:
- Increased heartbeat
- Fast breathing
- Anxious thoughts
- Moodiness, I.E anger, irritability, or sadness
- A feeling of being overwhelmed
- Nausea or dizziness
- Digestive troubles like upset stomach or constipation
Anxiety:
- Racing heartbeat
- Faster breathing
- Sweating
- Diarrhea, constipation, or other gastro-intestinal troubles
- Physical tension like headaches or muscle soreness
- restlessness or persistent uneasiness
- Sleep disturbances
- Light-headedness, faintness, or dizziness
- Frequent illness
- Excessive worry or spiraling thoughts
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Poor concentration and forgetfulness
- Loss of sexual desire
It is important for you to pay attention to the type of symptoms you have, as well as how long they go on, so you can determine whether you’re dealing with stress or anxiety. Note the differences so you can get the appropriate help.
Difference 1: Triggers
One of the ways to tell if you are dealing with persistent stress or anxiety is to look at the cause. Normal stress is often triggered by an event, whether it’s work, finances, illness, or other external issues in your life. Anxiety can be triggered by an external event, but often it flares up without an obvious trigger, or the trigger is completely disconnected from any expected source of stress. So, if your stress levels rise during a fight with your significant other or after a bad leadership change at work, but then resolve once the issue has been settled, you are likely dealing with stress, not an anxiety disorder. But if you find that your agitation and worry appear without cause, you should consider talking to a mental health professional about the possibility of an anxiety disorder.
Difference 2: Point Of Origin
The sources of anxiety generally come from within, rather than from outside triggers. Your anxiety may be caused by negative beliefs about yourself, it may be an offshoot of another disorder like depression, or you might not be able to identify any sort of source. Continuous stress can induce a long-term anxiety disorder, but anxiety is still much more internally created. Often people dealing with anxiety will be afraid of events in the future for no identifiable reason, they may get fixated on the worst-case scenario for current and future events, or they might even start feeling anxious about feeling anxious. And because much of this is internal it is very difficult to just convince themselves that there is nothing to worry about.
Difference 3: Timeline
Acute stress, which is stress that comes on suddenly and departs suddenly, has a very short timeline. A very specific event will trigger a stress response, and when that event resolves itself, the stress response will stop. Chronic stress is more long-term. It can come from persistent health or financial troubles, or from a bad living situation.
Because anxiety is generally not triggered by any specific event, it has a more nebulous timeline. It can show up without cause or stay long after a triggering event has passed. When diagnosing an anxiety disorder, professionals generally look to see if you have been experiencing persistent symptoms of fear or worry for at least six months.
Difference 4: Proportionality
Stress is generally proportional to the event that causes it. Someone might be extremely stressed about losing their job because this is a life-changing circumstance. But a short-lived fight with a sibling might cause just a few days of upset.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is often disproportionate to a trigger, if there even is one. If someone has social anxiety, the idea of having to attend a cocktail party might induce a complete panic. Or someone might experience crippling dread about driving their car. People who deal with anxiety disorders like agoraphobia might feel intense fear just from being out in the middle of a large parking lot. The level of anxiety varies from person to person. But no matter what’s inducing your symptoms, if they impact your ability to function on a regular basis, you should reach out to someone.
Both stress and anxiety can do serious damage to your health. It is important to identify what might be causing your stress and to do whatever you can to reduce it. Getting enough sleep, taking time to relax and take care of yourself, and incorporating regular movement into your day will go a long way towards minimizing your stress.
If you think you might be experiencing more than normal stress, it’s important to reach out. If you find yourself feeling major worry or panic on a regular basis, often without reason, you should consider speaking to a professional. Anxiety disorders are incredibly common; the national institute of mental health estimates that 19% of adults in the United States have one. But the good news is that they are generally very manageable. Medications, combined with psychotherapy are an effective combination for combatting anxiety. It does not have to control your life.
If you are dealing with either stress or anxiety and want help, please reach out to us at Issa Counseling. We will connect you with one of our licensed therapists who will help you manage and treat your anxiety so you can live the fulfilled life you deserve.
No Comments