Humans experience stress on a daily basis. According to the New York Times Health Guide, stress generates from situations or thoughts that make you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. Anxiety, according to the New York Times Health guide, centers on feeling apprehension or fear. People can experience anxiety without always knowing where the uneasiness comes from, making the experience more disconcerting.
Significance
According to the New York Times Health Guide,"stress in low, episodic doses remains normal, and even beneficial as it motivates you, and makes you more productive. Long lasting stress, though, can lead to both physical and emotional health problems.
Anxiety also has benefits to you according to family practitioner of more than 25 years, J. Paul Caldwell, "Anxiety Disorders Everything You Need to Know." The ability to worry and foresee negative consequences allows people to prepare for such eventualities.
Recognizing your stress or anxiety, and then managing it, remains important for feeling balanced.
Features
Anxiety and stress have very similar symptoms, and often, the terms are used interchangeably because of the similarity of symptoms that they produce.
According to Allen Elkin, founder of Stress Management and Counseling Center, and author of "Stress Management for Dummies", despite efforts over the last 50 years, defining "stress" has yet to be accomplished satisfactorily. Elkin defines "stress" as what is experienced when you believe you cannot cope effectively with a threatening situation.
While the feeling of stress can come from feeling frustration, anger or anxiety, and anxiety involves feeling fear or worry, they both have the potential to create physical symptoms such as muscle tension, shakiness, sweating, and sleep difficulties, according to Elkin. Psychologically, the symptoms produced include irritability, worry, panic, moodiness, racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating and feeling overwhelmed.
Warning
According to Caldwell, some medical conditions can cause symptoms of anxiety. Irregularities in hormones, cardiac problems, respiratory problems, certain drugs/chemicals, seizures, migraines, and inner ear disorders can all produce symptoms that look like anxiety. Elkin recommends seeking the advice of your physician in determining whether your symptoms underlie a medical condition.
Types
Persistent stress can lead to anxiety. Anxiety that becomes abnormal feels intense, occurs more days than not, and disrupts usual activities of life, according to Caldwell. Once anxiety has become abnormal, it fits into the category of anxiety disorders. According to Caldwell, anxiety disorders includes generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Self Help
Whether experiencing stress or anxiety, the same types of tools can help you cope. The New York Times Health Guide suggests basic self-care such as eating healthy, sleeping enough, exercising, and limiting caffeine and other chemicals. Monitor your thoughts and feelings and note if something in particular causes you to feel stressed or anxious and deal with the issue directly, if possible. In addition, practicing relaxation techniques, creating balance in your life by spending time with friends and family, and avoid overworking. Finally, check out self-help books at the library or bookstore.
When to Contact Medical Professional
According to the New York Times Health Guide, your doctor can help you decide if your level of anxiety needs treatment by a mental health professional. Call your health care provider if you experience difficulty functioning in your daily life, self-care strategies don't work after a few weeks, you have feelings of panic, or uncertainty about where the anxiety comes from.
References
- The New York Times Health Guide: Stress and Anxiety - Symptoms, Causes, Tests
- "Anxiety Disorders Everything You Need to Know;" J. Paul Caldwell, MD,CCFP; 2005
- "Stress Management for Dummies"; Allen Elkin, Ph.D.; 1999
