Too Much Worrying Is Not Anxiety: There Is a Huge Difference

Published by
Sherrie Hurd, A.A.

Anxiety is not about too much worrying, it’s about constant rumination. There are ways to differentiate between the two.

I guess there’s one in every family, maybe two. There are those who just think about things in whole other ways, unlike the norm. Some call these people worriers, but in fact, they just have anxiety.

In the case of this disorder, it’s a form of caring too much, being overly concerned about simple situations and over-analyzing things to death – rumination… rumination… rumination.

Are you that person that stresses over missed text messages, or the one who gets upset when a loved one is running late? Well, then you could suffer from anxiety, just maybe.

There are ways to tell the difference between too much worrying and full blown anxiety. Check this out.

Anxiety has no solution

When you worry, you still try to find a solution to the problem. When anxious, it’s almost impossible to think straight enough to formulate a solution, hence your body also suffers. It almost seems like anxiety was programmed as fail – proof, climbing gradually as thoughts progressed. Having anxiety means problematic thoughts don’t always lead to quick fixes.

Anxiety lingers

Unlike worry, which comes and goes as situations arise, anxiety can persist even after the problem is solved. The effects of this illness, trigger responses in the body which weaken defenses. Illnesses, such as colds and stomach problems, strike. Even if you tell yourself to calm down, anxiety can continue to rage for hours, even days after it started.

This is one of the reasons why worry is considered a normal state, while anxiety is not. With anxiety, medications are often administered, while worry is seen as a phase and will pass. Yes, it does pass, and yes, worry comes back. Unfortunately, those with anxiety constant suffer from these feelings.

Worry has no method

Worry is a response and usually, doesn’t have an intention. When we worry, we are concerned about a certain incident or person which has disrupted our routine. We can worry about the welfare of our loved ones and we can worry about the future, but it’s not usually a chronic type of feeling.

On the other hand, anxiety has a method to its mechanics. With this illness, we try and control things which seem to be out of our control. The temptation to do this is stronger than most other things in our life.

When we start to have panic attacks, which are products of anxiety, our heart races, leaving our minds a mess, All this because we are trying desperately to maintain normalcy. Our anxiety doesn’t end and it always tries to repair constant chaos.

The anxious need perfection

It’s not wrong to desire success, but it’s unhealthy to constantly pursue perfection. This is reflected in the actions of those who have anxiety. Too much worrying is not the same in this aspect. While many people worry about whether or not they are doing a good job, they can still sleep well at night if they don’t.

People with anxiety can suffer from insomnia when they feel like a failure. The objective is to have it all together, well some of them, and this can cause depression if things don’t work out.

Anxiety cares too much

Having anxiety means you may have the tendency to love and care too much. It’s easy to grow anxious if you’re not sure where you stand in a relationship, and those with anxiety can literally drive themselves crazy over this. People with this illness generally love too hard and place importance on every aspect of the relationship.

When things aren’t taken as seriously as they should be, the anxious get devastated. This is because those who suffer from anxiety place more importance on dates, times and priorities. The anxious are also clingy and smothering – at least that’s what they always tell us.

Anxiety is not about worrying, it’s something much different than that. Before you judge someone who is experiencing horrific mental trauma due to a concern, pay attention to these characteristics. Telling them to stop worrying, will not help at all. Instead, try to understand the situation and offer help.

Anxiety is real, and so is worrying too much. The first step to improving these situations is to understand their differences. It’s simpler than you might think.

Published by
Sherrie Hurd, A.A.