The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

We’ve all felt the effects of stress. You have a tough workday, and you notice your shoulders creeping up toward your ears. You’ve got two weeks to finish moving into a new home, and you find yourself gritting your teeth. You have a bad meeting with your boss, and you can’t seem to fall asleep at night. Stress affects us all – but it’s not to be confused with anxiety. While stress is a universal experience, it’s typically related to one or more external triggers. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a chronic medical condition that may require a long-term approach. Read on to find out more about the difference between stress and anxiety.

The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

What Is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?

You may have heard the terms “stress” and “anxiety” used interchangeably. For example, you might hear a coworker mutter something like, “This presentation is giving me so much anxiety.” But while stress and anxiety may cause similar symptoms, they’re very different. The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that stress usually has an external trigger. These triggers can be short-term – a work presentation, for example, or a bad date – or long-term, like chronic pain or the discrimination or prejudice faced by underserved communities. On the other hand, anxiety, or anxiety disorder, involves an ongoing feeling of stress, fear, or worry that doesn’t go away – stressor or no stressor.

Diagnosing Anxiety

People experiencing stress and anxiety often exhibit nearly identical symptoms. Per the APA, these symptoms may include irritability, anger, fatigue, digestive issues, sleep issues, and even muscle pain. “But isn’t stress a short-term issue?” you might ask. Not quite. As we mentioned above, stress can also result from chronic issues over a number of months or years. With that in mind, longevity isn’t a reliable way to differentiate between stress and anxiety. Instead, to diagnose an anxiety disorder, your mental health provider may need to conduct a thorough psychological evaluation. This might involve discussing your symptoms and your feelings, but it also might include an assessment of related disorders. As the APA explains, mental health challenges like depression often accompany anxiety, making it harder to diagnose.

Ways to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

There is a stark difference between stress and anxiety. Thus, you’ll need to take a different approach to treatment for each condition.

Treating Stress

Feeling stressed and not sure what to do? The Mayo Clinic offers a number of ideas to reduce stress, including the following:

• Stay physically active most days of the week. Yes, exercise boosts your overall health, but it also helps boost your endorphins to help reduce stress in the short term.
• Bump up your rest. While stress can affect sleep, proper sleep is crucial to help your body and mind recover during stressful periods. If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, talk to your doctor about potential solutions. These could range from breathing exercises to herbal supplements and temporary sleep aid medications.

Treating Anxiety

While physical activity and sleep can both assist with anxiety symptoms, long-term anxiety disorders require a more specific treatment plan. Work with your doctor to determine what approach is right for you. First, consider working with a therapist to address your anxiety symptoms. Many therapists use something called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a short-term treatment that helps patients develop skills to cope with anxiety symptoms. Some doctors may also recommend certain types of medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which help treat major anxiety disorders. Finally, as you proceed with treatment, be careful about what you put in your body. Do your best to avoid alcohol, nicotine, excess caffeine, and recreational drugs, all of which can worsen anxiety.

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The difference between stress and anxiety can be a bit confusing. However, it’s crucial to know the difference so you can move forward with a treatment plan that works for you.

Are you struggling to manage your stress or anxiety? Reed Behavioral Health offers highly individualized solutions for individuals and families who have been impacted by behavioral health problems. Our approach is different. It starts with a comprehensive and individualized assessment process so we can determine how to best help you. This includes a firm understanding of your value system and what you want out of life. Ultimately, we offer individualized care using an integrative model, working with our clients to resolve the lingering issues beyond their disorders so they can have a full life. For more information, please call us at 763-577-2489, email us at info@reedhealthcare.org, or send us a message online. We look forward to working with you!