Feeling of restlessness, uneasiness and insecurity. Sensation of oppression, suffocation and fear. Unpleasant sensations that can be difficult to define. Do you know how to name what you feel? Are we talking about anxiety or anguish?
In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to understand the difference between them and we will see what the symptoms and causes of each one are. Keep reading to know the 4 differences between anxiety and anguish.
What is anxiety
Anxiety is experiencing a feeling of fear and uneasiness. An individual becomes anxious when he fears something, when he experiences a difficult situation and feels insecure, it is a normal reaction to stress. Anxiety is a emotional reaction that arises in response to alarming situations, situations of uncertain outcome and prepares the individual to act in response to them. It is a reaction generally experienced as an unpleasant experience that puts the individual on alert, leaves him active and makes him think faster.
Anxiety, above all, is an emotion that serves as a defense mechanism to survive. It is a state of alert that prepares the individual at a cognitive, physiological and motor level to face, avoid or flee from real or imaginary dangerous situations.
It is important to say that these are diseases in which anxiety does not disappear and worsens over time. Its symptoms interfere with the individual’s daily activities, affecting their performance at work, school, and in interpersonal relationships.
Causes of anxiety
Anxiety does not have a specific cause, the individual may suffer from anxiety due to genetic factorsby the biology and chemistry of your brain, by the stress accumulated over a prolonged period, by living situations with a high emotional chargefor being a person who feels frequent fears, for leading a disorganized life, or even for having some addiction. There are many factors that can lead a person to feel anxious.
Symptoms of anxiety
When anxiety occurs, the individual may experience some symptoms, such as:
- Tachycardia
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Urgency to urinate
- Muscle tension
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Concern
- Strain
- Insomnia
- Excessive worry
- Negative thoughts
- Behavior changes
To diagnose an anxiety disorder, the health professional will ask the individual about their symptoms, if the professional is a doctor, they may order tests to exclude the possibility of other health problems, and, when confirmed the absence of any health problem , the individual may undergo a psychological evaluation, which may eventually be performed by a psychologist. In this way, the individual will be able to start treatment.
What is anguish
To begin with, when we look for the origin of the word anguish, we see that it comes from the Latin angustus which means narrow. If we think about it, narrow means tight, tight, compressed, narrow. When the individual feels his heart narrow, it is because he is experiencing anguish.
Anguish is a very intense state of restlessness or restlessness caused by something unpleasant. It’s a feeling of affliction and sensation of oppression and suffocation. It is usually accompanied by intense psychological discomfort and some alterations in the body.
Causes of distress
The causes of anxiety can be diverse and will depend on the particularity of each individual. In fact, there is no exact cause for distress. However, it is linked to a series of factors.
If a first-degree relative has panic disorder, then the individual is also likely to suffer due to the genetic load. It can also be caused by a stressful event such as a separation or death of a loved one.
It is important that the individual be attentive to identify what causes certain symptoms so that they can seek appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of distress
The individual with anxiety usually presents some of these symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
- Feeling of suffocation
- Pain in the chest
- Fear
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorders
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Impotence
- Hopelessness
- Affraid to die
- Shaking chills
- Tremors
- Feeling of being in an environment of unreality
In order for a diagnosis of panic disorder to be given, it is necessary that the individual presents symptoms unexpectedly, recurrently and for no apparent reason for a period of at least one month.
Differences between anxiety and anguish
It is common for people to think they are suffering from anguish when in reality it is anxiety or vice versa. Therefore, let’s see what the differences are between anxiety and anguish and how we can identify each of them:
1. The definition
- Anxiety: emotional response to a survival mechanism in the face of a possible threat.
- Distress: reaction of intense fear disproportionate to the stimulus that causes it.
2. The main physical symptoms
- Anxiety: breathing difficulties and shortness of breath.
- Distress: oppression in the heart area, tachycardia, gastric discomfort and burning.
3. Psychological state
- Anxiety: negative thoughts about the future, fear and feelings of bad omens.
- Distress: intense emotional pain, state of accumulated tension and manifestation of restlessness.
4. Perception
- Anxiety: the individual perceives anxiety with complete clarity.
- Anguish: the individual has a diffuse perception, it is as if everything was happening slowly internally.
In the following articles, you will find more information about what .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Etiimology of anxiety. (2021). Distress. Recovered from: http://etimologias.dechile.net/?angustia
- Medline Plus. (2021). Anxiety. Retrieved from: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/anxiety.html
- Ministry of Health. Good to be emotional. (2020). What is anxiety? Retrieved from: https://bemocion.sanidad.gob.es/emocionEstres/ansiedad/aspectosEsenciales/queEs/home.htm
- Barnhill, J. (2020). Panic crisis and panic disorder. Recovered from: https://www.msdmanuals.com/es/hogar/trastornos-de-la-salud-mental/ansiedad-y-trastornos-relacionados-con-el-estr%C3%A9s/crisis-de-angustia -and-distress-disorder