Most people experience stress and anxiety from time to time. Stress is any demand placed on your brain or physical body. People can report feeling stressed when multiple competing demands are placed on them. The feeling of being stressed can be triggered by an event that makes you feel frustrated or nervous. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry, or unease. It can be a stress reaction or occur in people who cannot identify significant stressors in their lives.
Stress and anxiety are not always bad. In the short term, they can help you overcome a challenge or dangerous situation. Examples of everyday stress and anxiety include worrying about finding a job, feeling nervous before a big test, or being embarrassed in certain social situations. If we did not experience some anxiety, we might not be motivated to do things we need to do (for instance, studying for that big test!).
However, if stress and anxiety begin interfering with your daily life, it may indicate a more serious issue. If you avoid situations due to irrational fears, constantly worrying, or experiencing severe anxiety about a traumatic event weeks after it happened, it may be time to seek help.
What do stress and anxiety feel like?
Stress and anxiety can produce both physical and psychological symptoms. People experience stress and anxiety differently. Common physical symptoms include:
- stomachache
- muscle tension
- headache
- rapid breathing
- fast heartbeat
- sweating
- shaking
- dizziness
- frequent urination
- change in appetite
- trouble sleeping
- diarrhea
- fatigue
Stress and anxiety can cause mental or emotional symptoms in addition to physical ones. These can include:
- feelings of impending doom
- panic or nervousness, especially in social settings
- difficulty concentrating
- irrational anger
- restlessness
People who have stress and anxiety over long periods of time may experience negative related health outcomes. They are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and panic disorder.
What causes stress and anxiety?
For most people, stress, and anxiety come and go. They usually occur after particular life events but then go away.
Common causes
Common stressors include:
- moving
- starting a new school or job
- having an illness or injury
- having a friend or family member who is ill or injured
- death of a family member or friend
- getting married
- having a baby
Drugs and medications
Drugs that contain stimulants may make the symptoms of stress and anxiety worse. Regular use of caffeine, illicit drugs such as cocaine, and even alcohol can worsen symptoms.
Prescription medications that can make symptoms worse include:
- thyroid medications
- asthma inhalers
- diet pills
Stress- and anxiety-related disorders
Stress and anxiety that occur frequently or seem out of proportion to the stressor may be signs of an anxiety disorder. An estimated 40 million Americans live with some anxiety disorder.
People with these disorders may feel anxious and stressed daily and for prolonged periods of time. These disorders include the following:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable worrying. Sometimes people worry about bad things happening to them or their loved ones, and at other times they may not be able to identify any source of worry.
- Panic disorder is a condition that causes panic attacks, which are moments of extreme fear accompanied by a pounding heart, shortness of breath, and a fear of impending doom.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that causes flashbacks or anxiety as the result of a traumatic experience.
- Social phobia is a condition that causes intense feelings of anxiety in situations that involve interacting with others.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition that causes repetitive thoughts and the compulsion to complete certain ritual actions. Stress and anxiety can be unpleasant to deal with. They can also have negative effects on your physical health if untreated for long periods of time. While some amount of stress and anxiety in life is expected and shouldn’t be cause for concern, it’s important to recognize when the stress in your life is causing negative consequences. If you feel like your stress and anxiety are becoming unmanageable, seek professional help or ask others to help you find the support you need.
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