Am I Anxious Or Just Stressed?

Different situations and experiences in life can cause great amounts of stress for anyone, regardless of how resilient they are. While stress normally goes away once the source of the stress is gone, anxiety is a mental health condition that results in a more persistent feeling of fear and worry, as well as potential physical symptoms. Even when life isn’t throwing stressors your way, you may still experience overwhelming anxiety throughout the day and be unable to pinpoint why it is you’re feeling afraid. So, where does stress end and anxiety begin? The answer can depend on the person and the specific situation. Identifying whether you’re experiencing anxiety or stress can help you understand what your next steps in seeking help may look like.

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What is stress?

Stress is a natural reaction to an event, person, or thing that makes you feel threatened, uneasy, or out of control. The stressor could be something real or imagined. Your mind and body can be negatively impacted by instances of stress, but your mental and physical systems are also designed to handle it effectively. Small amounts of stress can even be beneficial because they can motivate you to reach a goal and keep pushing forward. Too much stress, however, such as stress resulting from a traumatic event, can lead to significant physical and mental health problems, including anxiety.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or fear about a situation or circumstance with an uncertain outcome. Most people feel anxiety sometimes, and it’s a normal part of life, just like stress. An anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is characterized by a constant state of uncertainty and unease that can be debilitating and differs from normal patterns of worrying. There are many kinds of anxiety disorders, including:

• Panic disorder, which could potentially include panic or anxiety attacks
• Illness anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorders can have many causes, including hereditary factors, chronic stress, or instances of trauma or abuse. 

Am I anxious or am I just stressed?

Knowing the difference between anxiety and stress is important so that you can seek the right help. In general, if you can’t identify the source of your uneasy feelings, you may be experiencing anxiety symptoms. While stress goes away once you handle the stressor, anxious feelings are persistent. Both stress and anxiety have similar symptomology, but the worries that are associated with anxiety are often excessive and can even be unrealistic. 

Anxiety disorders

All anxiety disorders manifest around distinct situations, and some have detailed general risk factors. Someone with a social anxiety disorder might feel constant unease or intense fear about social interactions. While most people might experience a small amount of social anxiety, people with social anxiety disorder experience anxious feelings associated with social situations on a consistent basis.

For people experiencing symptoms of a social anxiety disorder, every social interaction that they have may leave them feeling nervous or uneasy, and they might tend to avoid these situations to feel safer. This situation differs from those who simply don’t enjoy interacting with other people. You can find more information on this disorder and other anxiety disorders on the Anxiety and Depression Association site.

Anxiety disorders might not always pertain to something that the person does not enjoy doing. They can be debilitating and keep people from doing different things that they love out of the fear that something unlikely will happen. In extreme cases, people with anxiety disorders may even begin to not want to leave their homes out of fear of losing control, fear of something happening to them or their loved ones, or behavioral inhibition.

In the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common emotional disorder. The prevalence of these disorders means that there are numerous ways to treat them. Many medical and mental health professionals can answer questions about anxiety for their patients. 

If you have symptoms of anxiety and think that you may have one of the anxiety disorders listed above, it is important to reach out for mental health support. Keep in mind that this article is not a diagnostic tool or an anxiety test. However, if you are experiencing any of the signs of anxiety listed below, contact your medical provider to discuss your options. Parents can also make an appointment for their child with their general doctor who can refer them to a specialist for potential diagnosis and answers to their questions.

Symptoms of anxiety

The signs of anxiety often vary from person to person. As outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, some of the symptoms of anxiety can include:

Managing anxiety and stress

Stress and anxiety are not managed in the same ways, but many similar coping strategies can be used to assist with both. These methods can be especially helpful while you wait for an appointment with a specialist who may be able to diagnose you with anxiety. Remember, there is no proven way to cure anxiety disorders, but using some of these skills can at least help alleviate the excessive worry and extreme emotional response that comes with anxiety. 

Regular stress or mild anxiety might be manageable with these techniques, but making a plan with a therapist who knows you may help you manage your symptoms most effectively. Moreover, it is important to have anxiety disorders properly diagnosed, so you can receive the right treatment. Every person is different, so not every stress and anxiety management technique will work for you when you feel anxious. You can try different strategies until you find something that works for you. Consider these:

Take time for yourself: Take a moment to step away from the situation, even if you are at work or school, and take a few deep breaths. After calming down and separating yourself from the task at hand, you might feel more grounded. If it’s a social situation that is overwhelming you, wait for an appropriate moment or create an excuse to step into another room, like the bathroom.

Count to ten: Slowly close your eyes and begin to count to ten. If possible, try combining this technique with the technique above, and you may find even greater success. When you’re unable to physically remove yourself from the situation, counting to ten can give you time to reacclimate to your environment. If ten isn’t a long enough duration, try twenty, or whatever feels comfortable and sufficient. 

Try to maintain a positive attitude: If you go into a situation thinking that your anxiety is going to make it a miserable experience, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Try to go into every new scenario with an open mind. 

Figure out what specifically causes your worry: If you’re unable to put a name to what is inducing these intrusive negative thoughts, then it can feel even more overwhelming and out of your control. Take a deep breath and try to calm down and analyze the situation. If you’re able to identify what you’re unsettled by, it can make coping with your symptoms easier. 

Take care of your physical health: Taking care of your physical health is important when it comes to improving your mental health or ameliorating the symptoms of mental disorders like anxiety. Maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising are some of the many ways you can improve your mental health.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present at the moment and not allowing other worries to cloud your mind and judgment. Try to focus on the here and now.

Meditate: People who meditate often report that their anxiety and stress have considerably decreased. Meditation is all about slowing down your thought processes and recentering yourself in reality. People who meditate practice placing themselves in the present instead of getting carried away by spiraling thoughts.

Talk with someone: It might seem simple, but speaking with friends, family, or loved ones about what you’re feeling can make things easier to handle. If you are having an especially difficult time, consider setting up a therapy appointment.

A licensed therapist can provide a more detailed treatment plan for anxiety once you receive a diagnosis, but these tips can work for those who do not receive a diagnosis or who may experience stress rather than an anxiety disorder. You can also look at the Anxiety and Depression Association or the National Institute of Mental Health website for more information on anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, and how to alleviate anxiety.

What to do if you have an anxiety disorder

If you’ve been referred to a specialist and received an anxiety diagnosis, then you’re on your way to receiving the treatment that you need. There are a variety of treatment plans for anxiety, but there is no cure for an anxiety disorder. Instead, there are multiple ways to manage them.

Therapy

An effective way that many people learn to handle their symptoms is by following the care instructions given by their psychiatrist or doctor. One of the most common methods of treating anxiety is attending regular psychological counseling sessions with a therapist, who may be qualified to treat many different types of anxiety disorders.

There are numerous treatment options available for anxiety disorders, including talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and more. People with anxiety disorders may benefit from one of these treatments, depending on the type and severity of their symptoms. 

Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is a type of treatment that can be used to help you talk about your anxiety and fears with a therapist who won’t judge you. The therapist may also be able to offer you more information about anxiety and stress management techniques.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, can help you learn how to think and act differently in situations where you feel excessive fear and other troublesome feelings. CBT is not just used for anxiety but also for other mental health disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, which often occur comorbidly.

Exposure therapy attempts to help you control your fear by exposing you to it on an incremental basis. During this type of therapy, an individual is placed in a situation where they experience intense fear. The therapist then guides them through relaxation techniques, so they can overcome their fear and anxiety. This type of therapy is also well-suited for treating specific phobias.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications may be helpful for treating anxiety, and many typically have a tolerable side effect profile. They discuss how support groups may also be an effective tool, so consider looking into one. You can check out the National Institute webpage for more information on mental health disorders.

In 2019, it was reported that 40.2 million adults in the U.S. attended a therapy session or meeting with a mental health professional at some point during that year. You are not alone in attending therapy sessions, and there is nothing shameful or wrong about speaking with a professional about your concerns and problems, especially if you are experiencing unmanageable symptoms of anxiety.

The first step to beginning therapy is often the hardest step: finding a therapist that you’re able to trust and connect with. Not every therapist is right for every person, so it might take some trial and error to find one who you relate to and who makes you feel comfortable. Therapists want you to receive proper treatment, and they understand that you must find someone right for you. Never let disappointing or upsetting them be a reason why you stay.

Your specialist will likely be able to refer you to a therapist or practice with multiple therapists whom they trust with their patients. While you shouldn’t feel obligated to attend sessions with these specific therapists or practices, they may be helpful starting points for establishing a baseline of what you want out of therapy.

Online therapy with BetterHelp

It can be difficult to distinguish between anxiety and stress on your own. Receiving advice from a qualified professional can help you identify which condition you may be struggling with. You can connect with a therapist through BetterHelp, an online therapy platform. 

Anxiety can make people want to withdraw from their loved ones. If you have withdrawn from your social circles and have no one to turn to, online therapy can be an effective tool to start interacting with someone again. Managing anxiety is often easier with someone you trust by your side, even if your symptoms do not stem from an anxiety disorder. An online therapist can give you a safe space to discuss what it is you’re facing and equip you with tools to cope with your symptoms.

The effectiveness of online therapy

Web-based interventions can be valuable resources for managing a myriad of mental health concerns. One study found that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders.