What Am I Feeling: Stress or Anxiety

Contrary to popular belief, there is a difference between stress and anxiety. Stress comes from the pressures we feel in life, as we are pushed by work or any other task that puts undue pressure on our minds and body, adrenaline is released, extended stay of the hormone causes depression, a rise in the blood pressure and other negative changes and effects.

One of these negative effects is anxiety. With anxiety, fear overcomes all emotions accompanied by worry and apprehension, making a person a recluse and a bagful of jitters. Other symptoms may include a pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and dizzyness.

Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor. Anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone. A situation that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous can bring about stress. What causes stress in one person may not necessarily effect another person.

Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear and is almost always accompanied by feelings of impending doom. The cause of the feeling of uneasiness is not always recognized, which can to your sense of distress.

Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life; an example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened. Stress affects people differently, for some even the simplest decisions seem like an uphill battle. Deciding what to have for dinner or what to buy at the store, is a seemingly, monumental dilemma for them. On the other hand, there are those people, who seem to thrive under stress by becoming highly productive being driven by the force of pressure.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of unease. Everyone has experienced it when in a stressful situation, Taking a test and having a job interview are examples. It is normal to feel anxious when facing something difficult or dangerous and mild anxiety can be a positive and useful experience. However, for many people, anxiety interferes with normal life. Excessive anxiety can lead to other pyschiatric conditions, one of which is depression. Anxiety is considered abnormal when it is very prolonged or severe, it happens in the absence of a stressful event, or it is interfering with everyday activities such as going to work.