Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between worry and anxiety. If you’ve ever felt worried sick and wondered if you have anxiety, that’s completely normal. Especially considering that worry really is an aspect of anxiety. That said, it’s important to understand that just because you worry, doesn’t automatically mean you have anxiety.
While many people these days use the two words interchangeably, worry and anxiety are actually quite different from one another. Part of that difference includes how each affects our mental and physical well-being.
One of the fundamental differences between them is that worry is usually fleeting and temporary, while anxiety, which affects an estimated 40 million people in the United States, can be persistent and affect your entire body.
Keep reading to learn more about the differences between anxiety and worry.
Anxiety is an uncontrollable feeling of unease or nervousness, often about an unfamiliar setting or an event with an unknown outcome.
Anxiety symptoms can include any or all of the following:
Several types of anxiety disorders exist, including:
While anxiety and worry share many similar attributes, they are different. Almost everyone worries, so what is worry vs anxiety?
Worry is commonly rooted in reason, whereas anxiety is not. For example, you might worry that you’ll be late to work because an accident is causing traffic. This worry is rational, objective, and based on a logical thought process. It’s also fleeting. You likely won’t have the same worry on tomorrow’s commute into the office, unless there’s another accident or traffic jam.
If you have anxiety, however, you might have a tendency to think the worst in every situation. You may panic about getting into a car accident since you just saw one, or you may fear losing your job because you’ll be late. Irrational thought processes that stem from anxiety often disrupt practical and reasonable thinking.
One thing to keep in mind when researching the differences between worry vs anxiety is how physical symptoms present in each. While someone who worries can experience mild physical symptoms (like a nervous stomach) usually, feelings related to worry quickly resolve and don’t cause major disruptions to the body.
Unfortunately, people with true anxiety often experience physical symptoms ranging from nausea and trembling, to weakness, to rapid heart rate, and more.
When you worry, it’s usually about an upcoming event you’re concerned about. For example, you might worry that you have a test soon, and you know you’ll need to study in order to do well. Worry can even be helpful in cases like this because it can motivate you to learn or prepare.
The same is not true when it comes to anxiety. You can’t plan when anxiety will come on. Some people may have test anxiety the day of the test, no matter how much they’ve studied. Or they may feel anxious about having to fly on a plane in a few weeks. Anxiety can seem to come from nowhere, and it can lead to intrusive thoughts and fear of impending doom.
You can problem-solve with worry, but anxiety is harder to fix. You may worry about getting to an early morning appointment on time, so you set your alarm early. Your need to worry is likely over.
If you have anxiety, though, you might not be able to fall asleep the night before your appointment because you fear your alarm may not go off. Then, even if you wake up on time, your anxiety might make you feel panicky over the possibility that construction, an accident, or getting lost (or all 3 of those things) might make you late.
Even things that are unrealistic or unlikely to happen can cause anxiety. It can get so bad that it might begin to affect your ability to function. Unlike worry, anxiety is a chronic condition that can have a significant impact on your daily life and functioning.
If you have anxiety, you know how debilitating it can be. For example, people with anxiety may have such a severe fear of germs that they’re afraid to work in an office building.
Many people worry about getting sick, but they don’t let their fear prevent them from participating in daily activities. Someone who worries might take precautions, like washing their hands, wearing a mask, or using hand sanitizer, but they won’t let any apprehension stop them from working.
“Worry can be understood as a symptom of anxiety. We cannot control how automatically our worry thoughts appear in our minds, but if you’re noticing they’re causing you distress, or they are impacting your sleep or your focus at work, we definitely encourage you to reach out to a therapist. Know that there is lots of support out there for you, you deserve help.”
Talkspace therapist Kate Rosenblatt, MA, LPC, LMHC
There’s never a wrong time to seek professional help if you’re concerned that your excessive worrying might actually be anxiety. You don’t need a mental health diagnosis to look for help. Worry, anxiety, or stress — it doesn’t matter. If it’s affecting your life negatively, you can always get help.
“You don’t have to wait for a crisis in your life to reach out to a therapist or psychiatrist. If you or someone you care about is experiencing symptoms of anxiety, reach out for support — early intervention is ideal so you can get the help you need.”
Talkspace therapist Kate Rosenblatt, MA, LPC, LMHC
Acknowledging when excessive worry and anxiety are taking over is essential if you want to live a rewarding, healthy, and happy life.
Anytime you feel that anxiety and worry are beginning to spiral out of control, it’s time to take the next step. If any of the following pertain to you or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to get help:
Online therapy platforms like Talkspace allow you to connect with a licensed mental health professional who can teach you how to stop worrying and improve your mental health. Start exploring online treatments for anxiety today.
Sources:
1. Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Adaa.org. https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics. Published 2021. Accessed June 9, 2022.
2. (DCD), Digital Communications Division. “What Are the Five Major Types of Anxiety Disorders?” HHS.gov, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.hhs.gov/answers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse/what-are-the-five-major-types-of-anxiety-disorders/index.html.
Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.
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Sometimes it feels as if your bereavement will never end. You feel as if youd give anything to have the pain go away; to have the long lonely hours between nightfall and dawn pass without heartache. You are not the only grieving person who has longed for some measure of relief.In the novel, My Sisters Keeper, author Jodi Picoult wrote, There should be a statute of limitations on grief. A rule book that says it is all right to wake up crying, but only for a month. That after 42 days you will no longer turn with your heart racing, certain you have heard her call out your name.No such rule book exists. Grief counselors and therapists tell us that the length of time it takes anyone to grieve the loss of someone they held dear to them is dependent on the situation, how attached you were to the deceased, how they died, your age and gender. So many variables exist and theres absolutely no way to predict how long it will take for you to adapt to your loss.The Difference Between Normal and Complicated GriefResearch findings have led experts to come up with many differing categories of grief experience ranging from normal to complicated. Normal (or uncomplicated) grief has no timeline and encompasses a range of feelings and behaviors common after loss such as bodily distress, guilt, hostility, preoccupation with the image of the deceased, and the inability to function as one had before the loss. All are normal and present us with profound, and seemingly endless, challenges. Yet, Katherine Walsh says, Over the course of time, with average social supportmost individuals will gradually experience a diminishment of these feelings, behaviors, and sensations. So, how can you know if your bereavement is no longer within the range of normal? Ms. Walsh goes on to say, While there is no definitive time period by which this happens, if an individual or members of a family continue to experience distress intensely or for a prolonged periodor even unexpectedly years after a lossthey may benefit from treatment for complicated grief.A Useful Model for Assessment: Wordens Four Tasks of MourningThere are certain tasks that, when achieved during your bereavement, can successfully allow you to emerge on the other side of loss as a better, stronger, and more resilient individual. James Worden proposed these four tasks: To accept the reality of the loss To process the pain of grief To adjust to a world without the deceased To find an enduring connection with the deceased in the midst of embarking on a new life Instead of focusing on your bodily discomforts, feelings, and common behaviors, this model allows you to better see where you may be stuck or stalled in the adaptive process. Fortunately, Worden also gives us a list of indicators advising that "any one of these clues in and of itself may not be sufficient" for a diagnosis of complicated grief. "However," he continues, "any of theseshould be taken seriously, and the diagnosis of complicated grief should be considered when they appear."12 Clues... 12 InsightsWhile grief educators and theorists tell us that a diagnosis of complicated grief should not even be attempted until after the first anniversary of the death, if any one of the following symptomatic clues exists for longer than six months, you may want to consider grief counseling or grief therapy: You cannot speak of the deceased without experiencing intense and fresh grief long after the loss. A relatively minor event triggers an intense grief reaction. Your conversations with others are littered with references to loss. In other words, loss is an ever-present motif in your world view. You have issues related to your loved one's possessions. Keeping everything the same as before their death could indicate trouble just as tossing out everything right away can also be a clue to disordered mourning. (You also need to factor in your cultural and religious background) You have developed physical symptoms similar to those of the deceased before their death. Sometimes these symptoms recur annually, on the anniversary of the death, or on holidays. An increased susceptibility to illness or the development of a chronic physical complaint can also be an indicator. If you have made radical changes to your lifestyle, or excluded friends, family members, or even activities associated with the deceased, it may indicate unresolved grief. A long history of depression, often marked by guilt or low self-esteem, can reveal disordered mourning. The opposite is also true: a person experiencing a false sense of happiness or elation could be experiencing unresolved grief. A compulsion to imitate the deceased, in personality or behavior, can be a sign of complicated mourning. Having self-destructive impulses or exhibiting self-destructive behaviors can be significant. These can range from substance abuse, engaging in self-harm, developing eating disorders and suicidal tendencies. A sense of unexplained sadness occurring at a certain time each year (holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays) can also be a clue to unresolved grief. Developing a strong fear about dying, especially when it relates to the illness that took the life of your loved one, is an important clue. If you have avoided visiting your loved one's grave or if you are still unwilling to discuss the circumstances of their death, this could indicate complications in your bereavement. There are many types of complicated grief; it can be delayed, masked, exaggerated, or chronic. Self-diagnosis is without purpose. A year after the death, if you feel your grief symptoms worsening, we advise that you seek a referral from your family physician for professional grief counseling or therapy.Sources: Walsh, Katherine, Grief and Loss: Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions, 2nd Edition, 2012 Worden, James, Grief Counseling & Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, 4th Edition, 2009
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Online Mental Health TherapyMental health support from anywhere, available fast Talkspace provides mental health support privately and conveniently online. Receive live video therapy appointments from a highly qualified licensed therapist covered by your Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan with little wait. Individual therapy, psychiatry, or couples counseling covered by your private insurance plan is also readily available.Talkspace provides:A private space to discuss relationships, retirement, grief, health conditions, financial concerns, life changes, and anything thats on your mindLive one-on-one therapy sessions from your computer or phoneTreatment for over 150 mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, grief, depression, OCD, BPD, and moreMessaging therapy allows you to share with your therapist 24/7 and receive feedback and advice, and is proven to be as effective as traditional therapy..Connect with a therapist within daysTalkspace will match you with a therapist who is licensed in your state and should be a good fit for your needs. Start communicating with your therapist in 1-2 days.Receive care on your scheduleTalkspace removes all the scheduling hassles so you can get mental health support anytime, anywhere. Send your therapist text, voice, or video messages through the secure Talkspace platform and hear back daily, 5 days / weekStart your care journey with Talkspace today, visit www.talkspace.com
Online Mental Health TherapyMental health support from anywhere, available fast Talkspace provides mental health support privately and conveniently online. Receive live video therapy appointments from a highly qualified licensed therapist covered by your Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan with little wait. Individual therapy, psychiatry, or couples counseling covered by your private insurance plan is also readily available.Talkspace provides:A private space to discuss relationships, retirement, grief, health conditions, financial concerns, life changes, and anything thats on your mindLive one-on-one therapy sessions from your computer or phoneTreatment for over 150 mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, grief, depression, OCD, BPD, and moreMessaging therapy allows you to share with your therapist 24/7 and receive feedback and advice, and is proven to be as effective as traditional therapy..Connect with a therapist within daysTalkspace will match you with a therapist who is licensed in your state and should be a good fit for your needs. Start communicating with your therapist in 1-2 days.Receive care on your scheduleTalkspace removes all the scheduling hassles so you can get mental health support anytime, anywhere. Send your therapist text, voice, or video messages through the secure Talkspace platform and hear back daily, 5 days / weekStart your care journey with Talkspace today, visit www.talkspace.com