Anxiety vs Stress: Get to Know How these Two Conditions are Different & Ways to Deal with Both (2020)

Most people experience stress and anxiety at one point or the other in their lives. Depending on the incident’s severity, either of these conditions can impact an individual’s life. In medical terms, stress is termed a physical, emotional, or mental state that leads to physical or psychological tension. Stress is influenced by either external or internal situations like medical procedures, environmental or psychological and social situations.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling brought about by nervousness, uneasiness arising out of something that may lead to uncertainty or a strong desire for something to happen. Stress and Anxiety can lead to major mental and physical breakdowns and are apparent responses to life situations. They may, at some point, become difficult to manage and require professional aid.

There’s a fine line between stress and anxiety. While stress is a common cause for anxiety and is a natural response to a threatening situation, anxiety is an individual’s specific response to stress, and it stems from within, leading to apprehensions and fear about what’s to come. The ‘fight-flight-freeze’ factor is a common thread between stress and anxiety, and both share more or less the same physical and emotional symptoms of headaches, high BP, tension, listlessness, and insomnia.

The causes behind stress and anxiety differ in the sense that stress focuses on external pressures that we find difficult to manage. It brings about a chemical change in the brain and initiates feelings of nervousness, anger, or frustration. It can also have a positive effect on excitement. Feeling stressed over an extended period can take an adverse toll on the mind and body. Stress is caused more by external triggers like a work deadline, fights with loved ones, or long term causes like chronic illness, debts, etc. Stress leads to symptoms like digestive troubles, anger, irritations, muscle pain, or fatigue.

On the other hand, anxiety is characterized by excessive worrying that doesn’t go away with or without the stress triggers. Anxiety is difficult to figure out at times, only because it focuses on fears of things that can be threatening or be nervousness related to the anxiety itself.

Stress is a normal emotion that’s categorized into acute and chronic stress. Acute stress is short-term, and you feel it when you have a conflict with a loved one or when you slam on the brakes while driving, or you’re skiing down a steep slope. This form of stress can help you manage dangerous situations, and it also occurs when you’re attempting something new and exciting. Chronic stress, on the other hand, lasts longer owing to money issues, unhappy relationships, or job challenges. This form of stress can go on for weeks or months and can also lead to health complications.

The impact of stress on your body leads to the release of hormones, which make your brain alert, lead to muscle tension, and increase your pulse rate. These reactions are good in a way that they can help you handle your situation effectively and protect your body at the same time. But when you’re dealing with chronic stress, even though there’s no immediate danger, your body stays alert and, over some time, puts you at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, depression, or skin problems. And if you already have a health condition, stress can make it worse.

Everybody goes through physical changes over a while, and you may not necessarily know the cause behind these changes. Some of these changes may be characterized by stress and include both physical and emotional symptoms like forgetfulness, lack of energy or focus, fatigue, constipation or diarrhea, frequent aches and pains, sexual problems, headaches, substance abuse, trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping, stiffness in the jaw or neck, and weight loss or weight gain.

Anxiety is typically an emotional reaction, which is your brain’s way of responding to stress. Occasionally, it is alright to have. However, anxiety disorders are different. They are a bunch of mental illnesses that cause overwhelming fear and unease relentlessly. There’s a generalized disorder that leads you to feel excessive and unrealistic worry with or without reason.

In contrast, a panic disorder induces a sudden and intense fear that leads to you breaking into a sweat, have chest pain or palpitations. It may even feel like a heart attack or choking. Some other anxiety disorders include social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, separation anxiety, or medically induced anxiety owing to withdrawal from certain drugs, the use of specific medications, etc.

While it is normal to feel anxious now and then, chronic anxiety can affect your quality of life and have severe implications for your physical health. In a short-term attack, anxiety can increase your breathing and heart rate, concentrating the flow of blood to your brain, to prepare you to face an intense situation. An intense situation can make you feel lightheaded or nauseous. Stressful life situations can increase the risk of an anxiety disorder, which may cause symptoms immediately or even years later.

Excessive worrying is one of the most common symptoms arising out of an anxiety disorder and is usually inconsistent with the events triggering it. When you feel anxious, a part of your sympathetic nervous system goes into an overdrive, which leads to a cascading effect throughout your body that includes shaky hands, sweaty palms, racing pulse, and a dry mouth. The body also pushes blood away from the digestive system to your muscles, increases your heart rate, and heightens your senses. Other symptoms include fatigue, restlessness, difficulty in focusing, irritation, tensed muscles, trouble sleeping or erratic sleep patterns, etc.

Stress and anxiety are everyday experiences for people in current times. When such conditions start affecting your life, health, and overall well-being, it is imperative that you deal with it at the earliest. Exercising, including supplements in your diet, reducing caffeine intake, increasing your social interactions, chewing gum, writing a journal, practicing yoga, meditation, and conscious breathwork are some of the ways you can manage your stress and anxiety episodes.

When stress overwhelms you, takes over your life, and prevents you from functioning normally, professional treatment and therapy can be quite useful. When you see anxiety or stress interfering in important parts of your life like relationships, career, or responsibilities, when your reactions and emotions become destructive to the extent that they cause you distress, when you find your physical and mental bodies lethargic and riddled with health problems owing to stress and anxiety, then it is time to seek help. Medical care can help you manage any underlying illnesses, while therapy can teach you useful ways of managing your stress and anxiety.