Everyone gets anxious from time to time and we’ve all experienced stress, particularly during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but stress and anxiety are not the same things, even though they have significant similarities. Our bodies react similarly to both, with muscle tension, insomnia, headaches, and an elevated heart rate being common to both conditions. Both can be chronic or acute and vary in degrees of intensity.
If we look at where stress and anxiety come from, we can start defining the difference between the two. Stress comes to us from an external source. We might be involved in an accident, or overdue on the bills, or have a big test coming up, for example. Anything that puts pressure on us can become a stressor. Stress is the result of an external threat or challenge that goes away once the issue provoking it subsides. Stress causes the body to go on alert and our awareness of our surroundings goes up.
Anxiety is the feeling or group of feelings we experience when we’re stressed. Anxiety is an internal emotional reaction that may or may not be in the right proportion to what’s stressing us., anxiety lingers long after the challenge or threat has gone. That’s the insidious part of anxiety. The stress that provokes it may go away, leaving the anxiety intact. Chronic anxiety means living with persistent feelings of dread and worry that never stop, even though there’s no threat present.
Anxiety disorders arise when a person consistently endures fear and worry in the absence of a stressor or out of proportion to a stressor. They’re common. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorders in the USA and the world.[1]
The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:
- Persistent, hard to control worry
- Irritability, temper outbursts
- Headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, dizziness
- Feeling restless and on edge
- Easily fatigued
- Diminished ability to concentrate
- Exaggerated startle response
- Rapid heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath
We all endure anxiety from time to time, but ultimately the hallmarks of an anxiety disorder are the persistence of high levels of worry when there’s no imminent cause for it, to such a degree that a person’s ability to live a satisfying life is impaired.
The good news is that chronic anxiety and anxiety disorders respond well to treatment. There are some medications that can suppress anxiety, but psychotherapy with a trained professional can alleviate symptoms and treat the cause of the anxiety. Damaris Aragon, ARNP, BC provides a full spectrum of mental health care to people in Spokane, Washington, and surrounding areas. She focuses on providing personalized, compassionate care that adheres to current evidence-based standards. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.
[1] https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
