Is it anxiety or something else?
how to tell when your anxiety is more than an emotion
Hello all! Today’s topic is an important differentiator - anxiety & anxiety disorders. It might sound clinical, but I will make sure it’s not.
Do you know the difference between anxiety as an emotion and any other anxiety disorder?
Take a minute to think about this.
We usually say we are stressed. But stress is the most over used word to describe a great family of feelings & emotions.
Anxiety is first of all an emotion. It’s an emotion from the larger family of worry and fear. Although we refer to anxiety as any worry-style feeling that we have, they are not quite equal:
Anxiety usually signals that something important to you is outside your control.
Pressure usually signals that something important to you is depending on how good or bad you perform.
Panic is the feeling of imminent danger to your life or health.
Fear usually signals that something in your environment is threatening you.
Stress is having so much on your plate that you feel overwhelmed.
Notice that every one of these emotions is signaling something that you need to pay attention to and that they depend a lot on the context in which you are.
The takeaway from this is that labeling your emotions as accurately as possible will surely help you react better to situations.
For example: if you start feeling something in the worry department - make sure you take a look at your context - is your performance on the line? Are there so many things that you need to take care of? Is there an imminent threat?
The answer to these questions might determine how you react.
Anxiety disorders on the other hand are clinically diagnosable, with a clear framework of criteria.
What happens when my anxiety doesn’t go away?
It can start to impact me negatively and lead to more permanent negative consequences in my life. Below are some examples of these consequences:
– It might find it difficult to rest or sleep
– I might experience changes in my eating habits and appetite
– It might be challenging to focus on my activities
– I might avoid or procrastinate quite a lot
– I might have a more permanent state of tension, agitation, restlessness
– I might realize that I am not able to function as well as I used to
An important differentiator between anxiety as an emotion and anxiety disorder is the time and context where you start feeling the above.
Usually, anything lasting over one month with significant changes in your functioning and day-to-day operations might needs a closer look.
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