Racing heartbeats, sweating, anger, fatigue, and irritability are the common symptoms of stress and anxiety-related health issues. Our body’s natural fight-or-flight response is to survive in life-threatening or similar situations.
Mainly, people consider stress and anxiety to be similar, but this is not the case. When you compare Anxiety Vs. Stress, you will come across various visible differences to cope with them accordingly. Though both are emotional responses to situations, there is a fine line between stress and anxiety. When you can differentiate them, you will seek the proper treatment.
Let’s check out some of the latest stress and anxiety-related statistics:
31% of adults believe that stress is one of the main health issues they face.
83% of US workers believe that they experience work-related stress.
43% of Americans reported that they are more anxious than they were in the previous year.
As per a report, approximately 284 million people have an anxiety disorder.
This blog discusses anxiety and stress, their differences, and their treatments.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a natural emotional or physical response of the body and mind to external situations or demands an individual perceives as challenging, threatening, or overwhelming. It generally occurs in a short-term episode, and once the situation is over, the symptoms vanish.
Stress examples are:
- Office deadlines
- Job security
- Broken or conflicted relationships
- Major life changes
- Financial debt or unexpected expenses
- Academic issues
Sometimes, short-term, acute stress can be helpful and motivating to sort situations, such as deadlines. However, chronic stress is something to worry about. Work-related issues, continuous financial issues, and long-term emotional problems cause chronic stress issues that are harmful and can cause severe mental and physical issues.
What is Anxiety?
On the other hand, anxiety is a specific stress response, and it is a persistent feeling of not feeling well that is generated from particular fears or issues.
While stress is a short-term event, it is not the case with anxiety. Anxiety stays with you even when the event has passed. Hence, it is more dangerous and must be treated.
If left untreated, anxiety might lead to mental disorders, depression, phobias, panic attacks, and various other mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Some causes of anxiety are:
- Imbalances in brain chemicals and neurotransmitters
- Traumatic events, such as divorce, the death of loved ones, or job loss
- Health-related phobias, such as hypochondriac behaviors or cardiophobia
- Dealing with a chronic illness
- Sleep deprivation
Consulting a doctor is highly recommended to find out the real cause of anxiety disorders and treat them. Also, understanding anxiety Vs. Stress symptoms are crucial as, most of the time, they look similar. A professional mental health specialist can differentiate whether you suffer from stress or anxiety.
What Are The Main Differences Between Anxiety and Stress?
Let’s compare Anxiety Vs. Stress and understand the main differences:
- Duration and Trigger :
- Stress: Short-term duration and triggered by external events such as work deadlines. It subsides once the event has passed.
- Anxiety: Long-term duration and can continue even after the event has passed.
- Intensity :
- Stress: Stress can be disruptive but only for a short duration.
- Anxiety: Anxiety is very intense in nature and can lead to various disorders, such as panic attacks, phobias, and other issues.
- Physical Health:
- Stress: While acute stress can be motivating and healthy, chronic stress might harm your physical health, such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular issues
- Anxiety: Anxiety can lead to other mental issues, such as depression, phobias, and mental disorders.
- Mixed Episodes:
- Stress: Muscle tension, increased heartbeats, sweating, headaches
- Anxiety: Apart from stress symptoms, anxiety also can cause dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
- Emotional symptoms:
- Stress: Irritability, frustration, anger, feeling like staying alone
- Anxiety: Excessive fear, uneasiness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
Whether you suffer from stress or anxiety, you need to ensure that you consult a doctor to get rid of it. Untreated chronic stress and anxiety will adversely affect your overall Health.
What Are The Possible Treatments of Stress and Anxiety?
What is the best treatment for anxiety and stress? Do they get cured on their own? Well, it will not. It might worsen if you don’t work on it. Consulting a specialist is crucial to managing and overcoming these issues. Sometimes, people hesitate to consult for mental health issues due to social reasons. However, consulting a psychiatrist is as normal as consulting a cardiologist or an ENT specialist. Remember, health conditions, such as stress and anxiety, might disrupt the quality of life and must be treated to lead an everyday life.
Treatments for Stress:
To manage stress, you must examine your thought process, lifestyle, and how you deal with work or personal problems.
Some lifestyle changes are mentioned here:
- Indulge in regular exercise
- Stay positive and take up problems fearlessly
- Stay away from overcommitting at work
- Develop a hobby and spend some time pursuing it
- Don’t deprive yourself of sleep and relaxation
To reduce work-related stress, reevaluate your time management and schedule. Prioritize your tasks and create an easy-to-follow schedule.
Yoga, pranayama, and breathing techniques can also help manage stress by activating the body’s relaxation responses.
Treatment for Anxiety:
On the other hand, anxiety is difficult to manage as it is a chronic type and requires an expert’s supervision for better management. A combination of therapy, relaxation techniques, lifestyle changes, and medication can help overcome anxiety disorders.
Some possible anxiety treatments are:
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy, a form of psychotherapy, can reduce anxiety by changing your thinking and behavior patterns.
- Certain medications also help in anxiety symptom management, such as antidepressants, buspirone, etc.
- Making some lifestyle changes also helps treat anxiety, such as eating a balanced diet, getting proper sleep, following yoga and pranayama techniques, etc.
Mostly, consulting a doctor is vital to treat anxiety-related issues. They can evaluate your symptoms and conditions and suggest the best course of treatment for you.
When it comes to Anxiety Vs stress, both are different health conditions, though they look similar. However, one of the adverse effects of stress and anxiety is that they disrupt your quality of life. It is better to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to cope with anxiety or stress. You can visit Cast Treatment Centers in LA for your stress or anxiety issues. With their personalized wellness programs, they can help get rid of your mental health issues.
