What's the difference between anxiety and just being nervous?
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Last Updated: 08/14/2018 at 1:36am
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Stacey Kiger, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
My belief is that therapy is not about giving advice, but joining you on your journey
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Nervous energy can be a natural and appropriate response to some situations. Adrenaline can give us the kick and the focus to deliver an ace presentation, for example, or to tell someone the truth about how we really feel. Anxiety, to me, is a more pervasive state of being that isn't always in response to stimuli. It can be a feeling that lingers over you regardless of where you are and what you are doing, although some situations may make it worse. If you feel anxious generally, with no clear cause, it may be a deeper issue that needs attention.
Anxiety is when instead of being nervous about something new or a change you worry about it. That worry will turn into paranoia and so on. Nervous is when you face something new or a change in your life you will feel it. But its just your nerves it settles once you get to it.
Anxiety is when there is a lot of worry at little things, and worry is usually a bit less extreme. Anxiety can affect the things you do by making you avoid certain situations
Anxiety is much deeper than just being nervous. It feels like everything can go wrong in a quick second , it is overthinking, as well as trouble breathing, speaking, and even thinking clearly.
I would always say that anxiety is a reoccurring thing that is physical as well as an emotion… nervous is sort of a feeling or emotion, but anxiety is when you can feel anxious for no apparent reason or if you start to have frequent anxious episodes… Although they can often cross over into one, at least in my case they did, but anxiety is usually a lot more physical
Anxiety you sometimes can't control. You live in constant fear of something. To be nervous is just you being a little excited or unsure about something new or something you care about and it doesn't last very long.
I do not know your situation so cannot give you a definite answer which applies to you, however you are the expert on you. Talking generally anxiety is a long term condition that is experienced to a high level and just being nervous is a short term thing about a specific upcoming event. I am here to listen and to offer support :)
Anxiety is the over-obsessive feeling of worry, anxiousness, or nervousness... it almost feels like feeling is going to weight on your body until you finally do the thing you've put off as long as you can
Nervousness is rooted in a specific issue or occurrence. Anxiety is constant with (often several) triggers which worsen symptoms.
Anonymous
October 30th, 2015 12:44pm
Anxiety is when fear and constant worry takes over and affects your day to day life or certain areas of your life for example social life (social anxiety) fear of socializing or just general worry about everything in your life. Its like never getting over that nervousness feeling. Although anxiety can be managed and treated with the correct care.
Anxiety is similar to nervousness but it is long lasting, meaning you feel like apprehensive ALL the time, sometimes psychosomatic symptoms accompany anxiety as well.
Anxiety is the nervousness that occurs frequently and on shorter intervals.Basically , the symptoms are same for both.But if you feel nervous too frequently ,It might be an indication that you are anxious.
Anxiety is more intense than being nervous. If your talking about it as a mental illness it is also more generalized.
Anxiety is like getting lost in a black hole.Even if when you know you are absolutely fine.S little nervousness is okay.But Anxiety kills your confidence ,makes you a different person
Anxiety is inner turmoil, nervousness is something setting you on edge at that moment. Either can be terrifying but anxiety can be long lasting and harmful.
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there isn't too much of a difference. Anxiety is more of an anxious feeling than nervous but they are both right there together you normally don't get one without the other.
Anxiety is some condition where someone in hurry and feel uncomfortable. Just being nervous is some condition where someone only feel uncomfortable.
anxiety is when you start to panic and don't know how to control your body reactions and nervous is a normal reaction to things like during tests
Anonymous
October 25th, 2015 12:32am
anxiety can rise your blood pressure, cause breathing problems and many more. Being nervous about something is small
Anxiety is characterized by state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning. Nervous is just temporary and goes away more easily.
Anyone can be nervous, most people feel nervousness a few times a day. However anxiety is like being nervous while also balancing on a tightrope. It makes your chest hurt and your breathing hard and your head swim. It makes you think that it's going to last forever and that you're gonna go crazy and die. And on top of those (already bad symptoms), the lingering side effects of anxiety are even worse. It's a scary feeling compared to just being nervous.
Anxiety turns out as a more severe condition than "plain nervousness". Anxiety expresses a generally more chronic nature, and defeinitely heavier symptoms, bringing impairments to one's skills and abilities to get things done. Anxiety prevents you from taking important decisions, or makes you hasten towards unsure ones, and consumes you all along the way, while being simply nervous tends to be a shorter and lighter condition. Anxiety will affect your sleep, your hunger, your social interactions, your productivity and your health as a whole as it persists, while nervousness will pass quicker and leave less (or lighter) remnants.
Being nervous about something is definitely natural, Though with anxiety there is just a little more to it. Many symptoms of anxiety follow as excessive worry, sleep problems, irrational fears, muscle tension, chronic indigestion, and many more symptoms. If you feel you are experiencing these anxiety problems I encourage you to consult a doctor.
Anxiety is something you feel very often, this can be having panic attacks and feeling anxious a lot of the time, whereas nervous may just be for a day or maybe an hour, its a shorter length of time.
Being nervous tends to be over a specific immediate act, such as being scared of heights. However being anxious tends to last longer. Also anxiety, may often be over something 'proxy' such as the fear of family dying, when the anxiety is in fact about starting college for example. Furthermore anxiety tends to be more intense, and can cause feelings of restlessness.
Anonymous
September 12th, 2015 8:04am
Nervousness is a variety of anxiety, but generally is about a specific event and vanishes after a period of time. Anxiety is all consuming - your mind has space for nothing else.
Theres no specific one fits all answer. However, if you are having anxious feelings that are interfering with your normal activities or everyday life, then perhaps seeking advice through a counselor or therapist could help with your feelings.
Anxiety has a stress element in a greater amount and also being nervous is not bad as it is required in one's life but anxiety has not a good impact on mind.
I think the difference between anxiety and just being nervous is, anxiety has a much bigger impact on your life. Being nervous is just a symptom of anxiety. Anxiety comes with physical symptoms (insomnia, trembling, forgetfulness, headaches, feeling dizzy, and more), too.
There is state anxiety, related to the moment or events in that moment, and there is trait anxiety, related to specific events that trigger the anxiety. Sometimes nervous behavior is a prelude to anxiety in general but this is really mild anxiety because the event in the current time frame is causing the nervousness. Keep in mind anxiety is a perception that is formed based on past experiences which form our beliefs about the issue related to anxiety.
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