What is the Difference Between Anxiety and Having an Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety is a normal and common human experience. We need anxiety for survival, and in our everyday activities like driving, taking tests, or completing work projects on time. People can experience anxiety during stressful life situations or transitions, such as starting a new school grade, finding a new job, getting married, or moving to a new home. Normal levels of anxiety do not interfere with everyday functioning, such as one’s sleep, diet, social life, and activities at work or school. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most commonly occurring disorders in the United States. The condition is characterized by excessive anxiety or worry, and/or difficulties controlling one’s worry for the past 6 months. The anxiety causes a disruption in functioning, such as difficulties in school, work, trouble falling or staying asleep, and impaired social functioning. GAD can contain the thought of “what if,” and the anxious thoughts are generally focused on the future instead of the present. A core component is a fear of a loss of control (i.e., oneself, the world, work, school, etc.). Those with GAD may have difficulties recognising the limits of their control, and not know how to cope with that limit. They may attempt to control things that are beyond their control in an effort to reduce their anxiety. Excessive worry can include a number of varying topics, such as finances, health, safety, and minor matters (DSM 5; APA, 2013). Those with GAD may engage in multiple thought distortions with the most common being catastrophizing and maximization. Physical sensations of GAD include pounding heart, sweating, eye twitching, fatigue, headaches/migraines, clenched jaw, shallow breathing, and muscle tension (usually in the shoulders and neck).

What makes GAD different from a Panic Attack?

A panic attack feels like it sounds, an attack. The symptoms differ from anxiety in their intensity and quick onset. Anxiety has a slower escalation of the symptoms, and they do not feel like an attack on the body. Those who experience anxiety and GAD can have symptoms of panic since these symptoms are all part of the same ‘fight or flight’ neurological system. Panic symptoms are actually part of your body’s adaptive survival response. For example, if a bear burst into the room with you, panic symptoms would help protect you and get you to safety. This is why we can never get rid of panic, since it is an adaptive survival mechanism in your body. You need it. This system kicks in when you make snap decisions in your car to avoid an accident. However, this system can go awry and set itself off when there is no bear in the room or car accident to avoid. This is what makes panic attacks feel even more scary, since you cannot attribute the intense panic reaction to anything specific. Thus, we can get more scared that we are having a panic attack, and even more afraid of the symptoms themselves. We may try to avoid places, events, or people to not cause a panic attack. However, this actually makes the panic attacks more frequent and intense. The more we avoid what we fear the more intense the fear becomes. Thus, panic becomes what we are afraid of. If you want to learn more about Panic Disorder, click the link here.

Symptoms of a Panic Attack:

• 4 or more of the following reach their maximum intensity within 10 minutes:
  • Palpitations, pounding heart
  • Sweating
  • Trembling, shaking
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feeling of choking
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea, abdominal distress
  • Dizziness, lightheaded, faint
  • Derealization (feelings of unreality), Depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
  • Fear of losing control or going crazy
  • Fear of dying
  • Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
  • Chills or hot flashes

What are the Risk Factors for GAD?

• GAD tends to be more common in women than men, with some estimates indicating that women are almost twice as likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for GAD at some time in their life (McLean, Asnaani, Litz, & Hoffman, 2011).
• Family History of GAD, Panic Disorder, Panic Attacks, or another Mood Disorder.
• Men with GAD have a higher rate of turning to alcohol or substances, while women have higher rates of thought suppression and negative problem orientation (Robichaud, Dugas & Conway, 2003).

What are the treatments for GAD?

• Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Relaxation Techniques
• Assertiveness Training

If you would like to learn more about GAD, Panic Disorder, Panic Attacks, and it’s treatment, give us a call at 847-461-8414.

Alexander A. Sotirov M.A. LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

References:

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

McLean, C. P., Asnaani, A., Litz, B. T., & Hofmann, S. G. (2011). Gender differences in anxiety disorders: Prevalence, course of illness, comorbidity and burden of illness. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(8), 1027-1035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.03.006