Posted by & filed under Personality, Psychological Disorders and Therapy, Stress and Health Psychology.

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What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?

 

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Our lives are filled with anxiety and stress:  daily living through the pandemic has exacerbated both.  What is the difference between the two?   “There’s a fine line between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses, but stress is typically caused by an external trigger. The trigger can be short-term, such as a work deadline or a fight with a loved one or long-term, such as being unable to work, discrimination, or chronic illness. People under stress experience mental and physical symptoms, such as irritability, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, digestive troubles, and difficulty sleeping….Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don’t go away even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety leads to a nearly identical set of symptoms as stress: insomnia, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, muscle tension, and irritability.”  This American Psychological Association article is very important to the understanding of what causes our emotions and how we should learn ways to cope.

The article can be used in conjunction with the text chapters related to health Psychology, Stress and Emotion, and Psychological Disorders and Therapy.

 

SOURCE

American Psychological Association, September 2020

(Mary Alvord, PhD, and Raquel Halfond, PhD)

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-difference

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is stress?  What are the causes of stress?  What are some ways to handle and cope with stress?

•What is anxiety?  What are the causes of anxiety?  What are the various types of anxiety disorders?

•What is the difference between stress and anxiety?

•According to the article, what are the recommendations to deal with anxiety and the different types of anxiety disorders?

TAGS

Stress, Anxiety Disorders, Coping, Need for Therapy

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