The answer is No; stress and anxiety are two different concepts. Words like "I'm very stressed" or "I'm dying of anxiety" tend to confuse both states of mind due to the everyday misuse of these terms.

Thus, this article will discuss what stress and anxiety are and fit out their differences. Finally, we will point you to a mental health counselor in Michigan to meet if you suffer from depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal thoughts, or low self-esteem.

What is the state of stress?

Stress is a physiological response triggered in the body when the brain interprets "something" as dangerous or threatening. Sensing that safety or well-being is in danger, the body devotes all its energies to combating it. For example, if a person is walking through a forest and suddenly a wolf appears and stares at him with threatening eyes, the brain interprets the situation as dangerous, and the call is triggered:

Alarm function

At this moment, perceived as dangerous, an alteration in the balance of our organism originates, and a massive sympathetic discharge is produced that increases the body's capacity to carry out very intense physical activity.

At this time, the body adopts a state of defense. It prepares to react, fight, flee, etc., and demands all its strength to face the circumstance with the necessary courage. In an emergency that causes stress, it is triggered and increases: blood pressure cellular metabolism throughout the body blood glucose concentrations muscle glycolysis muscle strength mental activity the ability to concentrate and pay attention blood coagulation muscle blood supply and blood flow decreases in organs that do not require rapid activity. That is to say, all the energy of the organism is prepared for an intense physical reaction, and when this bad moment ends, the body is forced to adapt and starts up a series of mechanisms to recover its balance. The physiological reaction of stress, little by little, disappears.

But in terms of mental health, the psychological problem begins when something that is not interpreted as dangerous triggers the same reaction as if the danger were real. This entire physiological response facilitates the fight or flight response is triggered, but the reality is that we are in a safe environment, like an office.

We cannot physically discharge all the energy triggered by the stress response, so it accumulates and can become dangerous since it can cause physical problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack. Environmental factors or our thoughts can cause a stress reaction.

And then, what is anxiety?

Anxiety is a physiological response derived from the continuous activation of the sympathetic branch of our body's autonomic nervous system (ANS). Anxiety is not an emotional state, nor a feeling, but a simple physiological activation, which has specific symptoms but can manifest differently in each person.

For example, one situation in which anxiety is normal is before an exam. In this situation, the brain interprets that it has to increase performance and sends a signal that activates the sympathetic branch, one of whose symptoms is to increase the level of brain activation.

In these circumstances, it is usually normal to feel anxious, and these nerves often have a useful function. While adaptive, this anxiety helps us perform better in a situation outside our comfort zone and is advantageous to our development and learning.

This state is not something pathological and does not pose a danger to physical health. It simply gives us an uncomfortable feeling that can cause unpleasant symptoms such as: dizziness, vertigo, lightheadedness, a sense of loss of control, tremors, headaches, oppression, dyspnea, sweating, palpitations, depersonalization, anguish, dry throat, upset stomach, etc. Only when this reaction mechanism is overwhelmed are we frequently blocked by our nerves, and we cannot stop it. We can have an anxiety disorder. So anxiety is not adaptive; if it happens often and with high intensity, we can say it is pathological.

Conclusion

Hence, the right thing to do when you have an anxiety disorder is to meet a counselor for anxiety and depression before it goes out of hand. Also, if you need psychological care in all of Michigan, you can reach out to Mental Health Therapists in Jackson and all other regions of, Mi.