What is the difference between Stress and Anxiety? Stress refers to the experience of demand that can come from either our external environment or from inside of us. Stress in and of itself is not a good or bad thing. It can be either and both at the same time. Regardless, stress places demands on us which outstrip our current resources to respond to the stressor. Here’s an example: For most families, having a baby is regarded as a joyful event that is celebrated in countless ways. At the same time, this life changing event is associated with enormous physical and environmental demands in addition to emotional, psychological and intellectual demands. We are more likely to perceive having a baby as a challenge than a stressor. But what about another life changing event, like divorce. The failure of a marriage and ensuing legal complications are widely recognized to be one of the most stressful experiences one may have in life. Few would describe divorce as a “challenge”. Anxiety applies to our own response to the stress, challenge, demands we experience. It is especially important to recognize that anxiety has both emotional and physiological components.
Anxiety and stress are often the silent culprits impacting our emotional, social and physical health. Sometimes we have lived with anxiety so long, we don’t even realize the debilitating effect on our life. In other cases, our anxiety may seem to come out of nowhere to pull the rug from under our emotional stability, leaving us fearful and in panic. And many people do not realize that anxiety can lead to serious depression, complicating the symptom and recovery picture.
Without treatment, anxiety keeps us stuck and miserable.
Doesn’t treatment of anxiety involve addictive medications? There is actually a range of treatments available for anxiety. For moderately severe symptoms of anxiety, the most effective treatment for long-term resolution is a combination of counseling and medication. In counseling, clients learn to understand their specific symptoms of anxiety and to develop strategies to manage them right away. When these strategies include medication, a referral is made for a consultation with an experienced physician to determine if this is indicated and to supervise the medication component of treatment. If medications that can be habit-forming are chosen, the goal is to use the necessary amount to control symptoms until stability is attained, at which point a plan for discontinuing medication is developed. Because these medications are used to treat a medical condition, someone who is in therapy and being medically supervised is not considered an addict or abuser.
How long does counseling last? Accurate assessment of symptoms and relief from feelings of being overwhelmed and fearful are the primary goal of the first few sessions. When symptoms are more manageable, the focus of therapy often broadens to look at the causes of anxiety, identifying and modifying sources of stress, and understanding how anxiety impacts our important relationships. Everyone has different strengths, resources and needs, and therapy is designed to attend to all these which means that the frequency and length of treatment differs for each person.
Check out my blog post on the topic of the effectiveness of therapy.
