Stress and anxiety are phenomena that are sometimes used synonymously. And it is not surprising, because they are closely related; Both give rise to symptoms of the same type, and can even appear together.
But if we stop to think about it, there are different types of stress (chronic stress, work stress, acute stress, etc.) and different anxiety disorders (OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic attack, etc.). Furthermore, it is important to know how to distinguish them to manage them well emotionally. Therefore, in this article we will give a review of the differences between stress and anxiety seeing the distinctive characteristics of each element.
So, What differentiates stress from anxiety? In this article you can find a list of differences between stress and anxiety, which, although they may seem abstract and their importance is relative unless you are dedicated to the field of health, will help you understand this type of emotional phenomena.
1. The origin
Stress and anxiety are often related and both can be adaptive at times. Nevertheless, the origin of these phenomena may be different.
Anxiety can appear after an alert reaction, and can be associated with fear and worry. For example, when faced with the threat of an animal or the anticipatory idea that something bad is going to happen. On the other hand, stress is a phenomenon that occurs because the person does not have (or thinks that they do not have) the skills, abilities or time necessary to face a specific situation. That is, there is a mismatch between the specific demand and the resources to meet this demand.
Stress can also occur when a person is at work and has to carry out certain functions, but does not receive enough information about his or her role from the company, or the information he or she receives from the company is ambiguous. Then what is known as role conflict and role ambiguity occurs, which are psychosocial variables that are related to stress in the work environment.
2. Anxiety is a symptom of stress
Much of the confusion that exists between both phenomena and what makes them similar is that they often appear together. In fact, A stressful situation causes anxiety as one of its symptoms, although it can also produce other symptoms for example, depression or headaches.
Prolonged stress can also cause other consequences such as demotivation or depersonalization. Prolonged stress burns the person out and causes emotional fatigue.
3. Regarding objective intensity
Although stress can cause many problems for the person who finds themselves in a stressful situation, It is possible to reduce stress by eliminating the stimulus that causes this situation. For example, when someone feels stressed because they have not managed their time well and work piles up before an exam. Once the test passes, the person can return to normal.
Although an individual with an anxiety disorder may feel great anxiety about a stimulus, for example, in the case of a phobia, even if the stimulus disappears, the person will continue to suffer from the phobia even by simply imagining the presence of the stimulus. It could be said that stress is, at least in most cases, a real cause (although it is mediated by the person’s expectations). However, Pathological anxiety is an irrational interpretation of danger or exaggerated worry. The intensity of anxiety is not in accordance with the objective situation.
When stress is associated with a triggering stimulus, it usually manifests itself in the present moment. For example, when a person has to hand in an assignment at the university and does not have time to do it. Now, stress can be prolonged, for example, when someone can’t make ends meet and has to pay the mortgage on their house (the stressor is still there month after month, and the mortgage gets bigger and bigger) so stress becomes chronic. If the person is lucky enough to pay the mortgage, he will stop feeling stressed and will feel relieved.
But anxiety can appear again and again, due to worries about other temporary moments. For example, by anticipating consequences that may not have occurred (as in generalized anxiety disorder). Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear and the source of this concern is not always known or recognized, which can increase the distress a person feels.
5. The relationship between stress and stressors
As you see, Possibly what most characterizes stress is the presence of stressors , and there are many causes of stress. These stressors can be personal (for example, due to the beliefs that an individual has or their level of education and training), although they can also be organizational (due to the leadership styles of superiors or the company’s communication) or social ( due to the economic crisis or political destabilization). Stress has to do with the demands of the environment.
6. Anxiety and emotional impact
Therefore, situations that cause stress are the result of external factors. But In the case of anxiety, it has more to do with psychological factors and emotions. That is, it usually has its origin in interpretations that may or may not be real. A person suffers stress in the most varied of life situations, which he perceives as excessive or in which a person does not have the necessary resources to be able to deal with them effectively.
In the case of anxiety, this is an emotional, physical and cognitive reaction of alertness to a threat, whether real or not, but it is also an emotional response to stress that continues after a stressor has disappeared and that responds and grows through thoughts.
For example, when an exam is approaching in which someone has a lot at stake. On the one hand there is the stress of the situation and the overload of work, but on the other there is the worry of risking the entire course on an exam. This anxiety can make the person have difficulty sleeping during that time, thinking about whether or not they will be able to pass the exam. If you do not pass the exam, anxiety will surely take over the person, but the workload will have decreased and therefore the individual will not be stressed.
What to do about problems of this type?
Fortunately, the psychological alterations associated with anxiety and stress They can be addressed through psychotherapy, through effective forms of intervention. In the psychologist’s consultation, personalized therapeutic intervention strategies are applied according to the characteristics of each patient and which involve training in the management of emotions; People are helped not to completely suppress anxiety or stress (that is impossible), but to properly manage these natural phenomena, without allowing them to give rise to additional problems. This process usually lasts a few months, and is done through weekly sessions.
Therefore, if you are suffering from any form of discomfort of this type, contact professionals and seek the help of psychologists.
