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
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Anxiety feels very prevalent throughout the day. I suffer from anxiety, and I feel anxious about almost everything I do, whether it's a simple task for work, going to a social event, or spending time with my boyfriend. Anxiety is pervasive and occurs on a regular basis. Nervousness, on the other hand, is a fleeting emotion that sometimes occurs before a test, interview, etc. Nervousness does not impair your functioning. Anxiety, on the other hand, can be crippling.
Anonymous
December 31st, 2015 11:39pm
Nerves make a task difficult to accomplish, but anxiety makes it near or completely impossible to function normally.
For me, anxiety is something that lingers with me over time. Anxiety for me is the daily life grind. Such as will I run into traffic today? Will my neighbor take my parking spot again? What will I have to deal with at work/school today? These are things I think about ahead of time that give me anxiety.whereas nervousness is in more in the moment. Nervousness to me is more stronger, such as waiting for the winning decision for a match. Speaking in public
anxiety, you don't know what's next and it usually turns into a panic attack. Nervousness, you know what's going on you just are nervous about the outcome or what's gonna happen next, or you're scared of getting caught there completely different.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 5:35am
Anxiety is overwhelming feelings of this seemingly never-ending train of fear. Being nervous happens to us all but it is the degrees that separate the two. If these feelings of nervousness begin to upset your former lifestyle, seeking help may be a good idea in case anxiety is occurring.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 5:35am
Being nervous is always related to an immediate event, such as giving a speech. Nerves will pass once the event causing them is over. Anxiety, however, is often more general and persistent -- though there may be things that increase your anxiety, chances are that the anxiety was already there. Completing things that add to anxiety tends not to actually get rid of the anxiety. In addition, being nervous is a short and mildly unpleasant state, while anxiety is far longer-lasting and can have far greater effects, such as decreased attention and stress.
Anxiety is definite problems with somebody's psyche or chemical imblance and being nervous is more of a trait for somebody thats shy
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 9:17pm
With anxiety, you feel like you can't function. You feel scared and you can even have panic attacks. You will know if you are just having a normal case of nervousness or if you are having a case of anxiety. Anxiety can be really extreme and nerve racking.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 10:11pm
I am not an expert but anxiety is a troubling disorder, while nervousness, is a (temporary) feeling.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 2:25am
Nervousness is a natural human response but anxiety could result in panic attacks or avoidance. Nervousness is a very mild form of anxiety.
Being nervous happens to everyone in common situations like public speaking, and usually happens before the event occurs, and the person will usually feel better once it's over.Anxiety makes someone feel intense and irrational fear, and usually involves symptoms including and increased heart beat, sweating, trembling and nausea.
Anxiety is a disorder in which you can't control how nervous you get, I have anxiety and when I am supposed to do speeches in front of my class, I get sweaty palms, light-headed, and sometimes I feel like I'm going to pass out or I feel super nauseous. just being nervous is when you are thinking too hard about something and are worried about the outcome.
Anxiety is something that happens often. Being nervous, not so much. Anxiety is far far more severe.
"I hear anxious as connoting someone who worries a lot, where as nervous connotes a person who is easily disturbed or distressed. I think you can generally use them interchangeably, but if you did want to make a fine distinction, the anxious person is more reacting to internal fears, the nervous person is reacting more to the outside world."
Anonymous
January 6th, 2016 7:50am
I think that nervousness is a type of anxiety. Everyone gets some type of fight or flight feeling in onces life.
Anonymous
January 6th, 2016 3:18pm
Anxiety usually comes back repetitively and being nervous is usually only one time. Anxiety also have make you have a mental breakdown while being nervous does not.
Nervousness is less impacting, overall, than anxiety is. If you were to say nervousness is a slight fluttering of the heart before or during a situation, for example, than anxiety is your heart hammering in your chest simply at the thought of the situation (even if the situation isn't present.) Anxiety is in effect a more serious kind of nervousness that can have very physical effects including the way breathe and how your heart beats. It also typically fogs the mind and creates a "flight or fight" response throughout the body, which impacts rational thinking.
Anonymous
January 6th, 2016 9:02pm
The difference between anxiety and just being nervous is that when you are having anxiety, it is not alway about something logical. You can know that you have reason to be scared of a spider, but your body literally think it's dying so you're in high alert mode, even though you know you are not. When you're nervous you usually have a thing like a test you're afraid to fail, but you know you won't die from failing it.
I think they both come hand in hand really, anxiety can make you nervous, and being nervous can raise your anxiety so you just have to tackle them both.
The anxiety is an unwanted fear, that is fear without a stimulus or fear that is found to be irrational by the majority. Now nervous is being tensed of something that has a gr8 possibility of happenig
Nervousness and anxiety can be very much the same, but anxiety can also lead to panic attacks, and hyperventilation.
With anxiety you're nervous all the time about everything. With nervousness it's just before speeches or homework projects.
Imo being nervous is typically about a certain situation, person, etc. Anxiety is being nervous and upset about everything.
Being nervous is just feeling those butterflies in the stomach in the moment. Anxiety is worrying about everything that happened in the past, present, and future. Your heart starts to beat rapidly, you start to feel chest pains, it is like that.
Anxiety is a constant fear, nervousness. It's a disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness. Followed by compulsive behavior or panic attacks.
Being nervous is being edgy, anxious excitable (at times). Being nervous because of an up-coming event that's held by you or related to you. Can also refer the 'Being nervous' to a sensitive person, who is also a nervous person, who is easily agitated, and also highly strung.
Nervousness is a natural reaction to stressful situations, anxiety is this reaction to situations that should not induce nervousness.
Anxiety is when it feels like the world is about to end because of something. Nervousness is just the feeling of well dreading something or excitement.
Just being nervous can happen when you are about to take an exam or test but anxiety is being anxiety about every little thing possible
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2016 6:13pm
Anxiety is basically an illness but not a physical illness at all it is phsychological (having to do with the head) it is chronic which is long lasting
Being nervous is being scared but is NOT long lasting.
Just like sad and depressed. Nervousness only happens for a short period of time and anxiety happens for a longer period of time.
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