Even though worry and anxiety may seem like two sides of the same coin there are distinct characteristics for both. Simply put we can say that worry is a symptom of anxiety. When worry regarding something becomes uncontrollable, persistent, and is accompanied by bodily symptoms like heart palpitations, profuse sweating, stomach cramps, labored breathing, trembling, and sleep problems then it becomes anxiety. Another stark distinction between the two is that while negative thoughts caused by worry usually secede after the stressful situation is over, negative thoughts caused by anxiety are hard to stop. They continue throughout the day and even at night causing insomnia. These negative thoughts are also hard to counter using concrete logic.
While the worry may remain contained to the stressful situation, anxiety disrupts every facet of an individual’s life. It causes social, occupational, and emotional impairment and makes the individual feel like they have no control over their life.
The common factor however remains that both are caused by stressful situations which we interpret as threats or challenges that might cause us some harm. When such a situation is faced then we use some coping abilities to solve the problem and return to a state of normalcy or homeostasis. But when the stressful situation exceeds our coping abilities and persists for a long time the worry turns into anxiety that causes wear and tear of the mental and physical health.
Even though understanding the differences between worry and anxiety might keep us from labeling ourselves as having anxiety disorders, the strategies to cope with worry and anxiety are quite overlapping. When technique that helps is using logic and past experiences to contradict the anxiety-inducing thoughts that make us question our strengths, other strategies like mindfulness-based meditation and grounding techniques go a long way in reducing physical symptoms of anxiety and lead to a better quality of sleep.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Sakshi Kaushal is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.