Key Difference: Anxiety is a response to a stressor. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, unease, and worry. It can be rooted in any event that makes one feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Worry is when you are concerned regarding a certain situation. Worry comes in various shapes, sizes and forms in almost every day regarding a person or a situation or anything for that matter.

Anxiety and worry are two common negative emotions that seem to taint our minds. These emotions cause fear and nervousness and disrupt our daily life. These can be found in mild forms or in extreme forms. Mild forms are good for the body, while extreme forms require more professional help.

Anxiety is a response to a stressor. You feel anxious when you are stressed, for example when you have to take a test or give an interview, etc. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, unease, and worry. It can be rooted in any event that makes one feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. The word ‘anxiety’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘anxietātem’, meaning “distressed or troubled.”

In small doses, it is healthy and useful, as it makes one alert and able to deal with the stressor. Usually when the stressor is removed or it is dealt with, the anxiety ends, sometimes it doesn’t, which can lead to anxiety disorders. There are various different types of anxiety including existential anxiety, test and performance anxiety, stranger and social anxiety, generalized anxiety, trait anxiety, choice or decision anxiety and paradoxical anxiety.

The most common symptoms of anxiety include a faster heart rate, skipped heartbeats, rapid breathing, cold sweat, nausea, trembling and dizziness. If the anxiety worsens, the symptoms may also include loose stools, frequent urination, dry mouth and problems swallowing. Feelings of anxiety are common in people who feel depressed and sad. Also, major life changes may bring on anxiety. These can include starting a new job or school, moving away, an upcoming marriage, having children, break-ups or divorce.

Worry is when you are concerned regarding a certain situation. Worry comes in various shapes, sizes and forms in almost every day regarding a person or a situation or anything for that matter. For example, you worry about your grades in school, your job situation, financial situation, etc. Worry is a daily routine of life and is almost always easily dealt with. Worry is most commonly found in mild forms and can be easily coped with. A more extensive form of worry can cause anxiety, where a person is a constant state of worry with abnormal fears.

Worries arise from the various decisions that person has to make in life; it is also due to the various different choices that is available to us. These choices allow for a chance of being successful or a failure and this chance is what causes a person to worry. Excessive worrying can be bad for a person as it may disrupt their daily lives, such as constantly worrying about getting sick or germs. These types of fears or worries can be easy to maintain or find solutions for.

The main difference between anxiety and worry is that a person with an anxiety disorder spends much of their time worrying, while sidelining everything else. This interferes with their daily routines. A person who worries only does so for a limited amount of time, he/she do not spend their entire day worrying or obsessing over one problem. Worry does not require professional help, while a person with an anxiety disorder may require professional help in order to cope with their circumstances.

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