The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

October 20th, 2008 Posted in Anxiety and Depression

Many people don’t understand the difference between stress and anxiety. Stress comes from the pressures we feel in life, as we are pushed by work or any other task that puts undue pressure on our minds and body, adrenaline is released, extended stay of the hormone causes depression, a rise in the blood pressure and other negative changes and effects.

One of these negative effects is anxiety. With anxiety, fear overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension, making a person a recluse and a bagful of jitters. Other symptoms may include a pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and dizzyness.

Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor. Anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone. A situation that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous can bring about stress. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another.

Anxiety is an intense feeling of fear and can lead to a feeling of impending doom. What causes this sense of uneasiness is not always recognizable, which adds to your feeling of distress.

Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life; an example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened. Some people are more susceptible than others to stress; for some, even ordinary daily decisions seem insurmountable. Deciding what to have for dinner or what to buy at the store, is a seemingly, monumental dilemma for them. On the other hand, there are those people, who seem to thrive under stress by becoming highly productive being driven by the force of pressure.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of unease. Everybody experiences it when faced with a stressful situation, for example before an exam or an interview, or during a worrying time such as illness. It is normal to feel anxious when facing something difficult or dangerous and mild anxiety can be a positive and useful experience. However for many people, anxiety can interfere with normal living. Excessive anxiety is often associated with other psychiatric conditions, such as depression. Anxiety is considered abnormal when it is very prolonged or severe, it happens in the absence of a stressful event, or it is interfering with everyday activities such as going to work.