Stress and anxiety are often grouped together, and for good reason, but they’re not exactly the same thing.
What they do share in common is that both are in abundant supply these days. Stress, for example, is at all-time highs in the United States with a recent survey citing societal differences as the biggest factor. Anxiety, too, touches many American lives and affects more than 19% of adults in the United States.
To help you correctly differentiate between stress and anxiety, we turn to Dr. Diana Ghelber and the team at Institute for Advanced Psychiatry. In the following, we dive into these two common conditions and explore their connections and their differences.
(Please note that, for the purposes of this discussion, we’re referring to generalized anxiety and not more specific anxiety disorders, such as PTSD or OCD.)
Since very few humans get through life without a little stress, let’s start there and begin with the fact that stress is an emotional response that’s tied to an external trigger.
With early humans, that external trigger was often a threat and the stress response was designed as a lifesaving tool that helped them to fight or flee the danger. This response was kicked off by the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, which initiated some physical reactions, such as muscle tension and a slower heart rate, that readied you for either fight or flight.
Today, the sources of stress no longer lie in saber-toothed tigers, but more modern things, such as a long to-do list you need to get through, an appointment you’re late for, or a project you need to finish.
Just like the danger of old, once you resolve the external trigger, your stress should dissipate.
The biggest difference between stress and anxiety is that stress comes from an external trigger, which we just discussed, as opposed to anxiety that comes from an internal trigger.
People with anxiety often don’t know why they’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious — there’s often no specific precipitating factor. In fact, many people with generalized anxiety report waking up with anxiety already in place before the day even gets started.
One of the ways to think about anxiety is like a stress response that gets stuck. As a result, you’re left with persistent and excessive worry that can cloud everything that you do.
Both stress and anxiety can take their toll, but an anxiety disorder can have more of an impact since it’s with you day and night, without respite. And this habit loop of anxiety goes round and round, wearing you down physically and mentally.
While we may identify anxiety as being the bigger problem, it’s a fine line. People can feel overwhelmingly stressed and this stress can persist.
Whatever the case, if you have stress or anxiety that's interfering with your life and your ability to find happiness and peace, it’s time to come see us.
Through different therapies, we can show you how to break these stress and anxiety loops so that you can enjoy life again.
For expert help with your stress or anxiety issues, we invite you to contact our office today in Fort Worth, Texas, to schedule a consultation.
