Are worry and anxiety the same thing?

Anxiety and worry are normal emotional responses to situations that everyone experiences from time to time. Anxiety is the body’s response to threats. The body possesses a complex and intricate system designed specifically to help you address threats that you may encounter. When the brain interprets danger in a situation, a series of events kicks off in the body, which causes the fight or flight response to come online.

Worry is a part of the anxiety response. There are emotional, physical, and cognitive (thinking) components to anxiety. If you’re preparing to give a public speech, you may begin to notice fear about your upcoming talk. You may also notice that your heart beats rapidly or that you feel a bit nauseated. You may think, “This is awful! I can’t do this! I’m going to trip on stage and fall!” These thoughts are part of the cognitive part of anxiety. The feeling of fear about the situation is part of the worry or emotional part of anxiety. The rapid pace of your heart is a part of the physical response.

Anxiety isn’t bad. It can be a normal and healthy response to a fear-triggering situation. Anxiety exists on a spectrum, though. Experiencing occasional anxiety that resolves itself when a specific trigger resolves itself is normal. When symptoms of anxiety interfere with functioning during daily tasks or routines like school or work, there may be problematic anxiety. If anxiety rises and doesn’t resolve or causes problems with work, school, or relationships, it may indicate a diagnosable or clinical anxiety condition.

If you’re experiencing troubling anxiety symptoms, don’t resolve themselves despite efforts you might make to ease them, or that interfere with your ability to work, attend school, engage in social activities or other important aspects of life, talk with your doctor, or licensed mental health professional. Anxiety is often treated with both psychotherapy (also called counseling or therapy) and medication. Your therapist may refer you to your doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions resulting in your anxiety symptoms or if you would like medication in addition to counseling.