Stress and anxiety are a regular part of life for many people. It can be hard to distinguish the difference between the two as they can present the same way. Stress and anxiety are evolutionary responses that motivate us to stay alert, focused, and ready to deal with a potential threat.
However, they can also become harmful over a period of time. Stress can become chronic leading to a multitude of physical and mental health issues; anxiety can become persistent and overactive even without a stressor. Understanding the subtle differences between stress and anxiety is crucial for effective management. Take our quiz to help you identify whether you might be experiencing either stress or anxiety disorders.
Note: This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool or a screening tool. A proper diagnostic assessment can only be performed by a qualified mental health professional.
Stress is a normal response that the body has to some type of change, demand, or threat that can cause overwhelming feelings. Stress can trigger the fight or flight response, which can lead to a variety of physical responses such as dizziness, nausea and a fast heart rate in addition to mood changes and anxiety.
Everyone experiences stress to some degree in their lives; however, each person reacts differently to stress and more extreme stressors can lead to worsened responses. Some people are genetically more resilient than others and can continue to function while managing symptoms. Others with less resilience struggle with a functional response, which can lead to even more stressors. Stress can be both good and bad, as some degree of stress can help motivate you to focus on completing necessary activities. However, negative stressors can be extreme and even traumatizing, which can lead to chronic uncontrolled stress responses, as seen in PTSD. Additionally, long-term stress can make changes in your brain and body that increase your risk for mental health disorders, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, obesity, high choslesterol and arthritis.
Anxiety disorders can share many similar symptoms to stress as it is usually the emotional response that occurs when a stressor comes up. It is often characterized by worry and dread in addition to physical symptoms such as restlessness, muscle tension, and sweating. Both anxiety and stress can upset your stomach, increase heart rate and affect breathing, however anxiety can become persistent even when there are no stressors are present.
When anxiety lasts for months and starts affecting quality of life, it can become an anxiety disorder as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 31% of Americans will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lifetime. Anxiety disorders are essentially a secondary stress response that occurs when the stress, fear, or uncertainty one experiences lingers and outlasts the situation causing stress. It can also be caused by the thought of a potential stressor or the fear of a past stressor repeating itself. Anxiety can be severe enough that it impairs focus, which can lead to work or school issues. It can increase irritability and lead to self-isolation. Some can’t even work or maintain personal relationships because their anxiety can be so difficult to manage.
Anxiety can show up in different ways for different people. While everyone’s experience is unique, mental health professionals typically recognize several main types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is what many people think of as constant worry. If you have generalized anxiety disorder, you might find yourself worrying excessively about everyday situations, from work and family to health and finances. Even when things are going well.
Social Anxiety Disorder goes beyond just being shy. It involves an intense fear of social situations and being judged by others. This can make everyday activities like going to work, school, or social gatherings feel overwhelming.
Panic Disorder involves experiencing unexpected panic attacks that can feel incredibly frightening. These attacks often come with intense physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, and feeling like you can’t breathe. People with panic disorder often worry about when the next attack might happen.
Specific Phobias are intense fears of particular things or situations, like heights, flying, or certain animals. While many people have things they’re afraid of, phobias are much more severe and can significantly impact daily life.
So, how exactly will you know if the symptoms you are experiencing are from stress or anxiety? There are a few ways to differentiate between the two. Stress is usually caused by an external situation, while anxiety tends to be an internal experience that can be unrelated to a stressful experience. Additionally, once the external situation has been managed or at least is no longer of great concern, symptoms of stress should resolve. However, symptoms of anxiety can persist.
Since anxiety and stress are closely related, we will outline specific symptoms and triggers that can help differentiate between the two.
Stress is a common experience many people deal with on after a concerning situation arises. Common symptoms people experience when they are stressed include:
Anxiety can cause a range of long-lasting symptoms that vary from person to person. They can occur when a stressful experience develops, or can come up even without a recognizable trigger. Some common symptoms include the following:
Everyone experiences stress differently and has different triggers. Some of the most common stress triggers include:
Similar to how there is an overlap in the symptoms stress and anxiety cause, they can also have similar triggers. In fact, anxiety disorders can often develop as a result of exposure to repeated stressors. While many of the stress triggers above can result in anxiety, additional anxiety triggers include:
Yes, sometimes stress can develop into anxiety, and it can also worsen existing anxiety. This is because anxiety can be thought of as the body’s reaction to stress, and it is often the result of a chronic stress response that is easier to activate than deactivate. However, this does not mean that everyone who experiences high levels of stress will develop anxiety. Many people experience chronic stress without ever developing an anxiety disorder. There are risks which can increase the likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder including severity of the stressors, history of trauma, genetic risks, physical health issues, other mental health struggles, medication side effects and caffeine/alcohol/substance use.
Many people turn to alcohol or other substances when dealing with chronic stress and anxiety, hoping to find relief from overwhelming feelings. While substances might provide temporary comfort, they often create a problematic pattern that can be hard to break. When the effects wear off, anxiety typically returns. Sometimes even stronger than before, leading to a cycle of continued use.
This cycle can be particularly dangerous because substance use tends to worsen anxiety symptoms over time. What starts as an attempt to cope with stress or anxiety can develop into both an anxiety disorder and a substance use disorder. Some people might also find themselves using prescription medications in ways they weren’t prescribed, trying to manage their symptoms.
If you’re using substances to cope with stress or anxiety, it’s important to talk with a healthcare professional. They can help you develop healthier coping strategies and address both your anxiety and substance use. Remember, getting help early can prevent both conditions from becoming more severe and harder to treat.
Since stress and anxiety are similar in their triggers and symptoms, the same coping skills and strategies are often helpful for managing both, although anxiety may require extra assistance if it persists. Knowing the right strategies can then go a long way in helping you manage your symptoms.
Of course, everyone experiences stress and anxiety differently, so you may have to try a few different coping strategies to find one that works best for you. Here is a look at a few tips to help you manage your stress and anxiety symptoms.
There is a strong connection between physical and mental health. Taking care to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating balanced meals, exercising regularly, and getting an appropriate amount of sleep for your age can go a long way in helping improve your mental health.
While it can be difficult to push yourself to exercise, it is one of the best ways to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety and exercising thirty minutes 3-5 days a week can vastly improve your well-being.
Try to eat healthy foods or notice what foods make you feel worse; for some with unexplained persistent anxiety, keeping a food diary can help identify possible triggering foods. Try to avoid alcohol and using substances, which may seem to reduce anxiety and stress in the moment but often worsen it in the long run. Additionally, limiting caffeine can reduce anxiety symptoms and the risk for insomnia, which can be an stress/anxiety-inducing experience for many.
The best way to improve sleep is to use CBT-i, or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, which you can complete with a trained therapist or even via app. Additionally, improving sleep habits or sleep hygiene, can improve your sleep. Examples of these lifestyle changes include consistent bedtimes with bedtime routines, avoiding stimulating activities like watching tv, looking at your phone, or exercising right before bed, and avoiding daytime naps.
Mindfulness is a form of awareness of yourself, your thoughts and your surroundings that can help you gain control over your worry and stay in the present. Meditation is an evidence-based way to practice mindfulness and reduce symptoms of anxiety. Meditation can come in many forms, including practicing breathwork and grounding skills, and it may take time to find the right one that helps you relax. Guided meditations are available online and via apps which make meditation and mindfulness easy to access and try out. Studies show meditation is predicted to reduce the severity of stress and anxiety symptoms by 20%, which is pretty substantial.
A big cause of stress and anxiety for many people is feeling overwhelmed by their daily schedule. One way to help manage your symptoms would be to go through your to-do list and set manageable goals for what you can realistically achieve each day. Setting manageable goals can go a long way in helping reducing overall stress and anxiety levels because it helps tackle stressors in small increments, which are easier to manage and complete.
If you have been struggling with severe stress and anxiety that has been getting in the way of your personal/professional life, you should consider seeking professional treatment. A mental health provider can help assess your condition and provide you with treatment options to help you better manage your symptoms. A combination of lifestyle changes, talk therapy, and medications can help you prevent your stress and anxiety from controlling your life. Feel free to contact us to learn more about your mental health treatment options and the importance of getting professional help.
Is obsessive-compulsive disorder a type of anxiety disorder?
No, OCD isn’t technically considered an anxiety disorder anymore, even though it definitely involves feeling anxious! Back in 2013, mental health professionals made a change in how they classify OCD. They moved it into its own separate category called “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders” in the DSM-5 (that’s the manual doctors use to diagnose mental health conditions). While people with OCD often experience intense anxiety, the condition has some unique features that set it apart from typical anxiety disorders.
Can you have more than one type of anxiety disorder?
Yes, it’s possible to experience multiple anxiety disorders simultaneously. For example, someone with generalized anxiety disorder might also have specific phobias or social anxiety disorder. This is why a proper clinical diagnosis from a mental health professional is crucial for effective treatment.
How is anxiety disorder diagnosed?
Getting diagnosed with an anxiety disorder isn’t as simple as taking a quick test or having a blood draw. Instead, a mental health professional will spend time talking with you about your symptoms, how long you’ve been experiencing them, and how they’re affecting your daily life. They’ll use specific guidelines from the DSM-5 to determine if what you’re experiencing fits the criteria for an anxiety disorder.
For example, if they’re checking for generalized anxiety disorder, they’ll look at things like:
They’ll also want to make sure your symptoms aren’t being caused by something else, like a medical condition or medication side effects. This is why it’s so important to have a proper diagnostic assessment with a qualified professional. They know exactly what to look for and can help determine the best treatment approach for your specific situation.
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