Distress and anxiety are two intense emotions that can significantly affect a person's life. They are often confused or used interchangeably, but they are actually two different emotional experiences that can manifest similarly in some ways. Understanding the difference between anguish and anxiety is essential to being able to properly address these emotions and find ways to manage them effectively.
Anxiety: a deep emotion and overwhelming
Anxiety is an intense emotion characterized by a deep feeling of discomfort, discomfort, and worry. It can arise in response to stressful, traumatic or threatening situations, and is usually related to feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and helplessness. Distress can be overwhelming and paralyzing, and can affect both emotionally and physically.
People experiencing distress may feel a feeling of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, tachycardia, excessive sweating, and tremors. . They may also experience obsessive thoughts, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and changes in appetite and sleep. Distress can interfere with a person's ability to carry out daily activities, relate to others, and enjoy life.
Origins and causes of distress
Distress It can have multiple causes and can manifest in different ways in each individual. Some of the most common causes of distress include:
- Traumatic events: Experiences of abuse, loss, violence, or extremely stressful situations can trigger distress in people.
- Mental health problems: Disorders such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental disorders may be associated with distress.
- Genetic factors: Some people may have a genetic predisposition to experience distress with greater frequency or intensity.
- Environmental factors: The social and family environment A person's work environment can influence their level of distress.
It is important to keep in mind that distress is not a negative emotion in itself, as it can serve as a warning signal. that something in the person's life needs to be attended to or resolved. However, when distress becomes persistent, overwhelming, or disproportionate, it can become a problem that requires professional attention.
Anxiety: an excessive state of alertness
Anxiety is a emotion characterized by a feeling of nervousness, restlessness, tension, and excessive worry. Unlike anguish, which is usually related to specific or traumatic situations, anxiety can manifest itself in a more generalized and chronic way in a person's life. Anxiety can be present in different contexts and situations, and can vary in intensity and duration.
People who experience anxiety may feel a constant feeling of alertness, irritability, difficulty relaxing, problems falling asleep and stay focused. They may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, gastrointestinal problems, and extreme tiredness. Anxiety can interfere with interpersonal relationships, academic and work performance, and overall quality of life.
Types of anxiety
There are several types of anxiety disorders that can affect to people in different ways. Some of the most common anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): It is characterized by constant and excessive worry about different aspects of life, without a specific reason.
- Panic disorder: It is characterized by the presence of sudden and recurrent panic attacks, accompanied by intense physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating and a feeling of suffocation.
- Social anxiety disorder: It is characterized by an intense and persistent fear of social or performance situations that may cause embarrassment or humiliation.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):It develops after traumatic experiences and manifests itself through intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, and difficulties regulating emotions.
Anxiety can be a normal and adaptive response to dangerous or stressful situations, as it helps mobilize the resources necessary to deal with the situation. However, when anxiety becomes chronic, disproportionate or disabling, it can interfere with the person's daily life and require specialized intervention to manage.
Emotions hidden behind anguish and anxiety
Both distress and anxiety can be associated with covert emotions that underlie conscious emotional experience. These covert emotions can be difficult to identify and understand, but their recognition is essential to effectively address distress and anxiety and find appropriate coping strategies.
Fear and vulnerability
Fear is a fundamental emotion that can be present behind distress and anxiety. Fear of the unknown, loss, failure or rejection can generate anguish and anxiety in people, as they represent perceived threats to security and emotional well-being.
Vulnerability is another covert emotion. which can be present in anguish and anxiety. The feeling of vulnerability in threatening or stressful situations can trigger anguish and anxiety responses as a defense mechanism to protect oneself from possible dangers or emotional harm.
Unresolved emotional trauma
Emotional trauma unresolved may be an underlying cause of distress and anxiety in some people. Past traumatic experiences can leave deep emotional scars that manifest in the form of anguish and anxiety in situations that remind or trigger the original trauma.
Therapy and emotional work are essential to address non-traumatic emotional trauma. resolved and allow the person to process and overcome traumatic experiences. Distress and anxiety can be signs that there are emotional wounds that need to be healed and resolved in order to find greater emotional and psychological well-being.
Automatic cognitive processes
Automatic cognitive processes , such as negative thoughts, cognitive distortions, and catastrophic interpretations, can fuel anguish and anxiety in people. These automatic mental processes can generate and maintain excessive alertness and constant worry that contribute to the intensification of distress and anxiety.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and other therapeutic approaches may be useful to identify and modify the patterns of thought and behavior that fuel anguish and anxiety, allowing the person to adopt a more realistic and balanced perspective in the face of stressful or threatening situations.
Conclusions
Anxiety and anxiety are two complex emotions that can be associated with covert emotions that underlie the conscious experience of discomfort, worry, and alertness. Identifying and understanding these covert emotions is essential to effectively address distress and anxiety and find appropriate coping strategies.
Psychological therapy, emotional support, self-awareness and the development of coping skills can be valuable tools to address distress and anxiety comprehensively and promote emotional and psychological well-being. Ultimately, recognizing and managing the emotions hidden behind distress and anxiety can open the way to greater emotional authenticity, resilience, and emotional balance in people's lives.