Anxiety and anxious

Anxiety vs. Anxious: What's the Difference?

Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on August 9, 2021

Anxiety is a normal response to stress, and isn’t always a bad thing. But when it gets to be uncontrollable or excessive to the point where it affects quality of life, this may be indicative of an anxiety disorder.

Knowing the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder can help you talk with your doctor about your symptoms and any concerns you might be having.

Read on to find out more about the difference between “regular” anxiety and anxiety disorders.

You might wonder what the difference is between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder, especially if you find yourself feeling anxious a lot.

There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including:

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
panic disorder
specific phobias
social anxiety disorder
separation anxiety disorder
agoraphobia

Generalized anxiety disorder can look a lot like “regular” anxiety at first. But it’s characterized by unrealistic or excessive worry about everything — even things you might not even be able to name. It also lasts at least 6 months and can get in the way of daily functioning.

GAD has symptoms like:

trouble concentrating
difficulty sleeping
irritability
fatigue
muscle tension
repeated abdominal pain or diarrhea
sweaty palms
rapid heartbeat

Typical anxiety is a response to stress, and this is normal. When the stressor is over, the anxiety usually goes away. In anxiety disorders, removing the stressor or trigger doesn’t always reduce the anxiety.

Anxiety caused by stress doesn’t generally significantly impair one’s life or cause distress. If your anxiety is disrupting your quality of life, it might be time to re-evaluate whether it may be an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety or being anxious isn’t always a bad thing. You can think of it almost as a spectrum or continuum of sorts. Sometimes it can help us prepare for things or help keep us alert in dangerous situations. It’s also a normal reaction to stress. But anxiety disorders aren’t a typical reaction to stress.

In general, two things need to be present that define an anxiety disorder, as opposed to simply being anxious:

the anxiety is out of proportion to the situation or isn’t age appropriate
it impairs the ability to function normally

Another common finding across anxiety disorders is out-of-the-ordinary and excessive anticipatory responding in the face of uncertainty.

We all face uncertainty in our lives. But someone with an anxiety disorder may anticipate the uncertainty and potential outcomes in a way that isn’t proportionate to the actual event.

An anxiety disorder is different from “normal” anxiety.

“Abnormal” anxiety is defined by excessive and persistent worries that don’t go away, even when there’s nothing to be stressed or nervous about. With an anxiety disorder, people usually try to avoid triggering situations or things that worsen their symptoms.

If you wake up one morning and you know you have a math test later that day, it’s normal to be nervous or anxious about the test.

Your heart might pound and your stomach might churn, and you might be thinking a lot about the test and your possible result. Once the test is over, you’re likely more relaxed, and physically back to normal.

If you wake up one morning and, for no reason, are convinced that something bad will happen to a loved one, think about it all day, and then continue to have intrusive thoughts about it the next day, that may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

An anxiety disorder is often characterized by excessive and hard-to-control worry that occurs for most of the day, more days than not.

It might also consist of significant physical signs of anxiety like:

headaches
fatigue
muscle pain
trouble sleeping
digestive problems

If you’re living with an anxiety disorder, know that it’s treatable and manageable. With appropriate treatment, you can feel better, so it’s worth it to get a correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

Treatment for an anxiety disorder can include:

psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
medication, like anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants or beta-blockers
support groups
stress management techniques

Other complementary treatments that may be used in conjunction with medication or therapy include:

regular exercise like tai chi or yoga
meditation or relaxation techniques
improving diet
massage or acupuncture

If your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life, or if it’s affecting your health or quality of life, talk with your doctor or a healthcare professional. There are ways to help manage anxiety, and you don’t have to deal with this alone.

Here are some resources that might be helpful:

Anxiety & Depression Association of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness

Although there are some similarities between feeling “normally” anxious and having an anxiety disorder, they’re not the same. Normal anxiety is usually short-term and related to a stressor. It doesn’t cause significant distress, and is resolved in a short time.

But an anxiety disorder isn’t something that simply goes away and it persists over time. Treatment is necessary in order to manage it and minimize its impact on your life.

Anxiety disorders can be treated and managed. If you think you might have an anxiety disorder, talk with your doctor. They can help guide you to your next steps and help with potential treatments.

Last medically reviewed on August 9, 2021

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Anxiety at a glance. (2018).
nccih.nih.gov/health/anxiety-at-a-glance
Anxiety disorders. (2018).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/#part_145338
Grupe DW & Nitschke JB. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276319/
What are anxiety disorders? (2021).
psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
What’s the difference between stress and anxiety? (2020).
apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-difference

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Aug 9, 2021

Written By

Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA

Edited By

Allison Tsai

Medically Reviewed By

Bethany Juby, PsyD

Copy Edited By

Connor Rice

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on August 9, 2021

Anxiety vs.

Anxious: What's the Difference?Anxiety vs. Anxious: What's the Difference?

Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on August 9, 2021

Knowing the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder can help you talk with your doctor about your symptoms and any concerns you might be having.

Read on to find out more about the difference between “regular” anxiety and anxiety disorders.

You might wonder what the difference is between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder, especially if you find yourself feeling anxious a lot.

There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including:

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
panic disorder
specific phobias
social anxiety disorder
separation anxiety disorder
agoraphobia

GAD has symptoms like:

trouble concentrating
difficulty sleeping
irritability
fatigue
muscle tension
repeated abdominal pain or diarrhea
sweaty palms
rapid heartbeat

In general, two things need to be present that define an anxiety disorder, as opposed to simply being anxious:

the anxiety is out of proportion to the situation or isn’t age appropriate
it impairs the ability to function normally

Another common finding across anxiety disorders is out-of-the-ordinary and excessive anticipatory responding in the face of uncertainty.

We all face uncertainty in our lives. But someone with an anxiety disorder may anticipate the uncertainty and potential outcomes in a way that isn’t proportionate to the actual event.

An anxiety disorder is different from “normal” anxiety.

If you wake up one morning and you know you have a math test later that day, it’s normal to be nervous or anxious about the test.

An anxiety disorder is often characterized by excessive and hard-to-control worry that occurs for most of the day, more days than not.

It might also consist of significant physical signs of anxiety like:

headaches
fatigue
muscle pain
trouble sleeping
digestive problems

Treatment for an anxiety disorder can include:

psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
medication, like anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants or beta-blockers
support groups
stress management techniques

Other complementary treatments that may be used in conjunction with medication or therapy include:

regular exercise like tai chi or yoga
meditation or relaxation techniques
improving diet
massage or acupuncture

Here are some resources that might be helpful:

Anxiety & Depression Association of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness

But an anxiety disorder isn’t something that simply goes away and it persists over time. Treatment is necessary in order to manage it and minimize its impact on your life.

Anxiety disorders can be treated and managed. If you think you might have an anxiety disorder, talk with your doctor. They can help guide you to your next steps and help with potential treatments.

Last medically reviewed on August 9, 2021

How we reviewed this article:

Anxiety at a glance. (2018).
nccih.nih.gov/health/anxiety-at-a-glance
Anxiety disorders. (2018).
nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/#part_145338
Grupe DW & Nitschke JB. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276319/
What are anxiety disorders? (2021).
psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
What’s the difference between stress and anxiety? (2020).
apa.org/topics/stress/anxiety-difference

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Aug 9, 2021

Written By

Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA

Edited By

Allison Tsai

Medically Reviewed By

Bethany Juby, PsyD

Copy Edited By

Connor Rice

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Jaime Herndon, MS, MPH, MFA on August 9, 2021

Alarm - Peaasi.

What is alarm?

Anxiety is our body's reaction to the perception of danger and important events for us. It is like an internal alarm system that prepares us for danger and helps our body prepare for it. For example, alarm allows you to bounce off a speeding car. Anxiety helps us pull ourselves together and do our very best while preparing for exams. Anxiety is something that everyone experiences. There are no people who do not experience anxiety! nine0005

What happens to me when I feel anxious?

Anxiety affects our thoughts, body and behavior. When you face a real threat, your thoughts become restless. Your body is preparing to help you in case of danger. And this allows you to either avoid danger or prepare to fight it. So anxiety protects you. Anxiety is what has allowed us to survive as a species. Without it, we would have died out long ago.

What else happens to me when I worry? nine0008

Anxiety affects our thoughts, body and behavior. Imagine that you are walking down the street and suddenly a big dog starts barking from the other side of the garden. Thoughts like “What if she jumps over the fence and attacks me ?!” Your body reacts too: your pupils dilate, your heart beats faster, your muscles tighten. You may flinch, quicken your pace, or freeze in place.

The term "fight-flight-freeze", "fight or flight" is often used in anxiety. What is it? nine0008

This is an automatic response that helps you deal with danger. For example, if you feel that you are being attacked, you can react quite sharply and attack in response.

However, if, for example, it is a social event where strangers are present and therefore you feel uncomfortable, you may want to avoid these people (not go to the event at all).

Sometimes, in case of danger, you can freeze in the hope that you will not be noticed. nine0005

It may happen that when a teacher asks a question, the response is blank.

This "fight or flight" reaction is actually quite violent. This is an additional ability given by nature that you can use to protect yourself.

Why do we experience anxiety and fear?

How do anxiety and fear affect our body?

Feelings of anxiety can manifest themselves in many ways - for example, a restless feeling in the abdomen, tension in some parts of the body or head, nausea, palpitations, restlessness, fear of losing control, fear of death. nine0005

All people are capable of feeling anxious in response to stress. At some periods of life, in certain situations or places, it is felt more or less. For example, some anxiety before an exam, a sporting event, a trip, or a birthday is more or less familiar to everyone.

In the course of evolution, anxiety has played an important role in helping people to pull themselves together in order to prepare for flight. She helped to survive by focusing on finding a way out of the situation, stopping activities that were insignificant at that time and activating the body for running. nine0005

Both in real and imaginary dangerous situations, changes occur in the body that increase anxiety. Substances are secreted in the body, especially in certain neural circuits, that provide information about the situation and allow the body to respond to it.

A dangerous situation affects the functioning of different areas of the brain - in particular, the exchange of information in the amygdala (this area is central to the expression of emotions) and the functioning of the cerebral cortex (including thinking and decision making). With the involvement of the tonsils, a rapid reaction of the body to the threat begins. This means that the hypothalamus is activated, hormonal changes occur, heart rate and blood pressure increase, muscles tighten. As a result, a person is ready to cope with the external situation - he is ready to either run or fight. And these changes occur before the information reaches the cerebral cortex and the person can realize what is happening. nine0005

Serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine are the most commonly associated neurotransmitters (substances that mediate the exchange of information between nerve cells). Gamma-aminobutyric acid has an inhibitory effect on the exchange of information between nerve cells. Serotonin and norepinephrine act more slowly and act on the neural circuits that mediate mood, stress and anxiety responses.

The development of parts of the brain associated with anxiety and how they continue to function depend on various life experiences, childhood development and genetics. nine0005

When does anxiety become an anxiety disorder?

What do we know about anxiety and depression?

Evgeniy Gennadievich Ilchenko, psychotherapist of the Department for the Treatment of Borderline Mental Disorders and Psychotherapy of the National Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology named after N.N. V.M. Bekhterev.
Anxiety, depression are conditions that are characteristic of disturbances in the state of the emotional sphere. Today, about 110 million people in the world suffer from depression. According to the World Health Organization, one in five women and one in fifteen men suffer from depression in major cities around the world. It is believed that by 2020 depression will take one of the first places among all diseases. Approximately 70% of depressed patients show suicidal tendencies, and depressed patients older than 75 have the highest rate of suicide. nine0005

I am suffering, I am afraid…
What is depression? Depression is a disease that can throw a person out of emotional balance for a long time and significantly impair the quality of his life. It can be difficult for you to concentrate, nothing is interesting, nothing pleases, doubts and fears are constantly overcome. Depression usually comes after a psychological trauma or negative event. Often it develops as if for no apparent reason. It can be caused by constant stress, accumulating fatigue, fears. Depression is more than just low mood. In this case, the work of the whole organism changes, as a person suffers from insomnia or early awakenings, he loses his appetite or begins to seize his anxiety, which leads to obesity and the development of metabolic syndrome, there is a hormonal imbalance. A person changes his attitude towards others and himself. nine0005

Longing, apathy, anxiety…
How does depression manifest itself? The first symptoms include weakness, fatigue, unwillingness to do anything, strain once again, contact and communicate with people, go to work. Later, bodily symptoms may join these complaints - palpitations, sweating, trembling in the body, hot or cold flashes.
Three areas are involved in depression - emotional, mental and physical. At the emotional level, depression, melancholy, apathy, and anxiety are observed. On the mental level - thoughts about one's guilt, self-accusations, a negative vision of the future, a feeling of hopelessness, that "no one will help me." On the physical level - chronic pain, muscle tension, constipation, dizziness, heaviness in the head. And all these symptoms can constantly change: “Today my head hurts, and yesterday my joints hurt, the day before yesterday my heart hurt.” nine0005

Maybe it's psychosomatics?
It is worth noting that there are different types of depression. According to the classification, depressions are diverse: major, minor, neurotic, autumnal, endogenous, psychogenic, reactive, etc. There is depression associated with the reproductive function of a woman, this is prenatal and postnatal. There is age-related depression associated with the physiological restructuring of the body, there is an obvious one that occurs with a sharply reduced mood, melancholy, and depression. There is a masked depression that hides under the guise of another disease. For example, chronic pain syndrome - pain in different parts of the body. There is depression, which is masked by gastrointestinal symptoms - diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain. Patients go to doctors for a long time and unsuccessfully, are treated by different specialists. But there is no improvement. At this stage, it is important to recognize psychosomatic disorders. It is worth looking, but what gives a person a disease? How is she good for him? It is quite possible that in this way a person attracts attention to himself, seeks location, manipulates loved ones and relatives. nine0005

How can I help?
Sometimes people with depression try to alleviate their mental state through physical pain, injuring themselves and injuring themselves. This is definitely not an option. How can others help such patients? First of all, do not ignore or forbid complaining, do not try to cheer up the patient, do not appeal to conscience and faith, do not demand the adoption of any important decisions, but simply be there and listen patiently. As for direct treatment, there is no “magic” remedy for depression. Various methods are used here: psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, physiotherapy, aroma and color therapy, physical activity. If we talk about the prevention of depression, then this is a healthy lifestyle and a positive attitude, communication with nature. nine0005

Feelings about the future
Depression is a negative experience of past life events that we cannot change, while anxiety is an experience for the future, this is a vague, unpleasant emotional state characterized by the expectation of an unfavorable development of events, the presence of bad forebodings, tension and anxiety. It is directed to the future, it is the expectation of something indefinite. The state of anxiety is pointless, but anxiety is a personality trait of a person prone to experiencing anxiety, and constantly experiencing it. Most often, a person's anxiety is associated with the expectation of the social consequences of his success or failure. nine0042 Risk factors for the development of anxiety include childhood trauma, stress, personality traits, genetic predisposition, alcohol and psychoactive substances. Anxiety can be normal or excessive. In pathological cases, anxiety becomes constant and harmful, appearing not only in stressful situations, but also for no apparent reason, and then anxiety not only does not help a person, but begins to interfere with his daily activities.

Panic attacks
The largest category of anxiety disorders are phobias, with about a hundred variants. Anxiety disorders include post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, panic attacks, and separation anxiety.

Learn more

Anxiety and anxious

Anxiety vs. Anxious: What's the Difference?

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

Anxiety vs.

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

Alarm - Peaasi.

What is alarm?

What happens to me when I feel anxious?

What else happens to me when I worry? nine0008

The term "fight-flight-freeze", "fight or flight" is often used in anxiety. What is it? nine0008

Why do we experience anxiety and fear?

How do anxiety and fear affect our body?

When does anxiety become an anxiety disorder?

What do we know about anxiety and depression?