Do You Know What Are The Differences Between Anxiety And Stress?

Although anxiety and stress are two similar conditions, they still have some differences. It is customary to use these two terms as synonyms, when they are not. Knowing how to identify one or the other is not a simple theoretical exercise. In practice, they help us to define more precisely the intensity or the gravity of this type of discomfort.

In addition to the difficulty in establishing the differences between the two, we must add the fact that there are several types of stress and anxiety. Sometimes classification is made on the basis of the intensity of the symptoms. For example, we talk about chronic stress or generalized anxiety. Other times, the categories are established on the basis of the source or the factor that causes them. For example, work stress or abandonment anxiety.

“The scientific truth can be summed up: eat moderately, eat a variety of foods, and don’t worry.”

-Robert Hutchison-

However,  there are elements common to all forms of stress, just as there are all forms of anxiety. To shed some light on all of this, let’s take a step-by-step look at the main differences between stress and anxiety.

The origin of stress and anxiety is different

In the case of stress, the cause is easily identifiable. This arises when a situation has to be faced and when the person does not have, or does not think they have, the resources to do so. The same thing happens with a task that you have to do or any other activity that you have to do.

Anxiety, on the other hand, has a more diffuse origin. The threat or danger is sometimes not identifiable. In fact, in many cases there is no objective reason for the state of worry to trigger, but it does. On the other hand, anxiety is very sensitive to conditioning and anticipation and can be a consequence of stress (pressure).

The predominant emotions

Another element that differentiates stress and anxiety is that of the predominant emotions or sensations. In stress, there is above all concern. This can be defined as a state where nervousness and frustration mix. It can also include irritability and sometimes sadness.

In anxiety, on the other hand, it is fear that predominates. It is a feeling of imminent danger  that tends to grow like a snowball. This invasive emotion spreads and is maintained, generating great discomfort in the state of mind. Fear leads to bewilderment and, in the most serious cases, blockage or paralysis.

The factors that trigger them

Usually, stress arises from external factors, while anxiety arises from internal factors. It is not always easy to tell them apart. The difference is made, in each case, thanks to the presence of a stimulus external or not to the individual.

Stress arises when faced with specific facts or situations that are happening in our environment. It can be work, or a particular task, or moving to another territory, etc. On the other hand, when it comes to anxiety, it is often the individual himself who releases it. It creates and nourishes catastrophic thoughts or distressing sensations, without being influenced by the environment.

The perception of time

It is said that stress is an excess of the present, while anxiety is an excess of the future. For a stressed person, the present is infinite. She doesn’t think she can get out of a situation she feels trapped in. She doesn’t see a way to change what worries her. She feels condemned for eternity to suffer the impact of a determined stimulus.

When it comes to anxiety, the person is afraid of something that might happen to them, but that hasn’t happened. Very often she does not even know what that “something” is. It only anticipates all the negative or catastrophic things that might happen. The anxious person does not succeed in evaluating his present in an objective way because he lives according to something “terrible” which is going on or which has already happened and imagines its possible consequences without being able to intervene.

The disappearance of symptoms

If the cause of a person’s stress is having to go to the dentist, then that worry will go away once they go. This is a distinctive feature of stress: it disappears when the stimulus is eliminated,  when the conflict situation is overcome or when the difficulty is resolved.

On the other hand, anxiety tends to last. If we go back to the previous example, if an anxious person goes to the dentist, his worry does not disappear when he leaves the consultation. She may imagine that she is going to lose all of her teeth, or that the symptom diagnosed is just a sign of a more serious illness that is only beginning to manifest itself. Anxiety feeds on a heightened and negative imagination.

Why is it important to know all these similarities and differences? Because they allow you to better identify what you are really suffering from. When stress persists over time, it is better to ask for help because it means that you are failing to resolve a conflict situation that is causing you pain. It is also recommended that you consult a professional if you think you are suffering from anxiety, this vague fear that has no beginning or end.