Anxiety vs. stress: Understanding The Difference And When to Get Help

Stress and anxiety are normal reactions and emotions that everyone experiences at some point in their life. However, if stress and anxiety become unmanageable, both can result in severe mental and physical health issues. The good news is that anxiety disorders and chronic stress are both 100% treatable. Our Anxiety Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati specializes in providing therapeutic support for those struggling with stress and/or anxiety. Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety and knowing when to request professional support are the first steps towards finding relief and developing effective emotional management.

What is stress?

Stress is our body’s normal response to any situation that is not pleasant or normal. The stress response can be physical, mental, or emotional, and everyone responds differently to different stressors. Heavy workload, demanding home responsibilities, traumatic experiences, or major life changes such as a death, job loss, or divorce are all common triggers that can activate a stress response. Although stressful situations are challenging they are typically manageable, and a small dose of stress can motivate us in positive and productive ways to accomplish a task. However, if stress becomes overwhelming or persists then side effects such as depression, physical pain, digestive issues, heart disease, weight loss/gain, and insomnia can put your mental and physical health at extreme risk.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is another normal reaction that most people experience. Important events, life moments, tests, high-stake assignments, social interactions, pandemics, or traveling can all elicit nervous sensations of fear and worry. The symptoms of anxiety can be the same as the side effects of stress, but anxiety has a unique type of paralyzing symptom. Anxiety can leave people physically unable to respond to a text or phone call, go to work, or even breath. People who struggle with anxiety might miss out on events, avoid social interactions, and be absent from work more often than normal. Anxiety can render someone completely powerless to perform even mundane tasks. Chronic anxiety, or anxiety that consistently reoccurs over an extended period even in the absence of stressful situations, may indicate an anxiety disorder.

The difference between the two

More often than not stress tends to be an external issue, for example a critical and high-profile work project with a tight deadline. If you are not coping with externally stressful situations yet you still feel emotionally distressed, you are likely dealing with anxiety. Additionally, stress triggers tend to have a universally shared stress response meaning that most people will experience a stress reaction in response to a stress trigger. Anxiety tends to be experienced at a more personal level, and someone coping with anxiety might have trouble explaining why they are worried or fearful. In this way, someone struggling with anxiety might have a reaction that seems unusually excessive and outsized for the reality of the situation.

When to get help

Fortunately, anxiety and stress are completely treatable. If you are reading this wondering if you might need help, then chances are you would benefit from anxiety and stress therapy. However, if you are still unsure if you need professional support, then the checklist below should help you. If you answer yes to even one of the questions below, then Therapy Cincinnati wants to help you find relief. Our Anxiety Therapists offer effective anxiety therapy and can provide helpful stress management support. Have you had a significant life change recently such as a death in the family, a trauma, a divorce, car accident, or other major event?

1.      Has your stressful situation negatively influenced one or more of your relationships?

2.      Are you experiencing chronic headaches, insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts, digestive issues, physical pain, or changes in your weight?

3.      Is your day-to-day life typically high stress?

4.      Do you miss more than one day of work each month on account of stress or anxiety?

5.      Do you fear or dread things that haven’t happened or are nonexistent even when you are not stressed?

6.      Have you missed out on an event or social interaction recently on account of high levels of anxiety?

7.      Have you recently had a panic attack?

8.      Do you avoid social interactions on a regular basis due to feelings of worry or fear?

9.      Do you experience emotional distress even when there is no stressful situation going on?

If you are ready to take the next step towards relief from your anxiety and developing strong stress management techniques, our Anxiety Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati will create a support plan uniquely curated to your specific needs. Therapy Cincinnati is ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

Ways to Overcome Anxiety: Therapy, Medication, and More

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to feeling under threat. It can cause you to feel worried, afraid, stressed, or apprehensive about what is yet to come. Giving a speech, going to a job interview, or the first day of school may cause you to feel anxious.

Anxiety is a completely valid and normal part of the human experience. Yet, for some of us it can seriously interfere with our daily lives, cause to us to avoid certain situations, and feel depressed.

When Anxiety Becomes a Problem

It’s natural to think about the outcomes of experiences we deem important. However, if you find yourself constantly worrying about the potential of negative outcomes, overtime, your anticipation of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance.

If you start avoiding places, situations, or people due to being constantly worried and fearful of what could go wrong, you may develop an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Some symptoms you might be experiencing can include:

·       Fatigue

·       Tense muscles

·       Trouble with sleeping

·       Irrational fears

·       Panic attacks

·       Irritability

·       Difficulty concentrating

·       Feelings of isolation

·       Shame

·       Nausea

·       Intrusive thoughts

Through plenty of research and experience, I’ve come up with several ways to help you overcome anxiety, ranging from traditional methods of medication and therapy to other lifestyle changes.

How to Overcome Anxiety

Despite being such a commonly shared experienced amongst Americans, overcoming anxiety is a deeply personal journey. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa.

The good thing is, anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, other remedies, or a combination of the three.

Here are a few ways to overcome anxiety that might work for you.

1.    Therapy

There are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety. Each approaches’ goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Whichever treatment you seek should be tailored to your unique needs and diagnosis. Some of the different types of therapy include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, and EMDR.

2.     Medication

There are various types of medication that may be prescribed by your mental health professional. Some forms of medication offer immediate relief from anxiety attacks while others are more long-term. Here are three forms of medication suited for anxiety treatment:

·       Benzodiazepines: Typically used to treat panic attacks, benzodiazepines affect the central nervous system by slowing down the body’s functions by increasing the effects of the brain chemical gamma amino butyric acid.

·       Beta blockers: used to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as sweating, fast heartbeat, and trembling.

·       Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Typically used for chronic anxiety problems that require ongoing treatment, SSRIs block the action of the serotonin transporter in the brain which increases level of serotonin, improving generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, and social anxiety.

It’s important to remember that certain types of medication might not be best suited for you and to talk to your mental health professional about your unique needs. Make sure you take the medication exactly as your mental health professional prescribes it and be aware of potential side effects.

3.    Other options for anxiety relief

There are many lifestyle changes you can make to help you overcome your anxiety, such as:

·       Exercising often. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly experience significantly fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms. Exercising can also increase your self-esteem and make you feel strong mentally and physically.

·       Develop a well-balanced diet. Since a large percentage of serotonin receptors are found in the lining of the gut, some research suggests the importance of eating a balanced diet with omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics to help keep your blood sugar stable, and lessen feelings of anxiety.

·       Mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is a skill that is developed through a consistent practice of meditation. Being mindful involves learning to keep our attention focused on the present moment, and refrain from being reactive. It can teach you how to regulate your thoughts and emotions.

·       Decreasing consumption of alcohol, caffein and smoking. Certain substances like alcohol can have serious consequences if you’re being treated for anxiety and can negatively impact any medications you may be on. Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, ultimately worsening anxiety.

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable through therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of the three. If you are experiencing anxiety, you’re not alone. You deserve to feel happy, relaxed, and healthy, and the therapists at Therapy Cincinnati can help you get there.

Anxiety: What’s Normal, and When You Should Consider Therapy

Anxiety—as unpleasant as it can be—is a very real and completely normal part of the human experience. It’s our natural defense to potential threats or dangerous situations. And while most of us view anxiety as an unpleasant emotion, it’s also one of the biggest reasons why people seek therapy.

Ultimately, anxiety serves a valuable purpose in our lives.  So, how can you tell the difference between normal anxiety and when you could benefit from therapy?

What's Normal for All

Anxiety can be a sign that something is important to you. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming exam, it’s likely because you care about your studies and want to do well. If you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be as worried or stressed about it.

Think of anxiety as your body's alarm system. Biologically speaking, it's helped the human race survive for a long time. And because it's been around for so long, it's released very quickly with little to no effort, making it, in many ways, automatic.

When we're in danger or at risk of potential harm, we don't have to think, "I should probably protect myself," thanks to this response.  The alarm system goes off, activating our fight-flight mode. The increased heart rate, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing are all designed to help us respond to that danger if we need to flee, freeze, or fight the potential "threat."

If the body perceives something as potentially threatening, this response gets activated whether we want it to or not. The main difference between ordinary and problematic anxiety is between the source and the intensity of the experience.

When Does Anxiety Become a Diagnosis?

Despite its beneficial purpose, it doesn't mean anxiety doesn't have its downside. As humans, we also have vivid imaginations. Our ability to think and use our imagination can ultimately lead to an excess of "what if" or worst-case scenarios if we let it.

Think about it this way: if you have a first date, or you're preparing for a big speech at work, you're probably going to think about the way those experiences are going to turn out. One thought like "I'm going to blow it" or "this is going to go wrong" can quickly turn into "I have to cancel" or "I'm going to quit my job."

This is the downside to our creativity and imagination. Going down that negative spiral of thoughts tells the body that "this is happening"-even though an adverse outcome hasn't occurred. Thus, the body's natural alarm system becomes activated even though there's no real threat present.

Over time, our anticipation and expectations of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance. For example, if we expect the first date to go badly, we may avoid going out or meeting new people altogether. On the other hand, the same worry or expectation takes us out of the present moment. If you're worried about every word you say on the date or overthink your outfit choice, your anxiety ultimately prevents you from connecting and engaging with that person. These decisions interfere with our ability to build meaning and joyous lives.

When To Consider Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety can potentially interfere with our daily lives. If we start avoiding certain people, places, or situations because of our consistent worry, anxiety becomes problematic and may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety plays a role in the following conditions:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: People with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may predict disaster and be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues.

Panic Disorder: Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include shaking, sweating, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep.

Phobia: extreme or unreasonable fear of a specific thing, circumstance, or activity.

Social Anxiety Disorder: intense and excessive fear of being judged by others in social situations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD involves recurrent thoughts and behaviors that can be both challenging and tiring for those affected by it.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event.

Therapy For Anxiety

Although there are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety, these approaches' ultimate goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Your treatment is tailored to meet your specific needs and diagnosis.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that influence behavior and emotions.

Exposure Therapy: ET is one the most common ways of treating anxiety and phobias. Your therapist will work with you to overcome specific situations that cause anxiety or panic by gradually exposing you to them.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: EMDR is usually used to help people recover from trauma. By utilizing sensory input such as eye movements, you can essentially reprogram your brain and heal from the emotional distress you've experienced in the past.

Somatic Experiencing works to improve the mind-body connection. SE is a mindful approach to increasing body awareness, regulate emotional and physical reactions, and gain insight into your anxiety or traumatic experiences.

Bottom Line

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. For those who experience mild symptoms, treatment may not be necessary.

Working with a therapist can help you learn tools and strategies to cope with symptoms and ultimately live a happy, healthy life.