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What's the difference between anxiety and worrying?

30 Answers
Last Updated: 04/26/2022 at 3:55pm
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United States
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Lisa Groesz, PhD

Psychologist

With evidenced based therapies, we find the root of the problem together to implement solutions. We all face crises, transitions, or disorders at some time.

Top Rated Answers
LOABalance
November 9th, 2015 9:27pm
Anxiety is the fear of anticipating something negative to happen, even if there is no evidence to support it otherwise. And worrying is the attention on some aspect in life where you have a real reason to be concerned.
raissaabed
December 2nd, 2014 2:56pm
worrying is that feeling that push us to be careful in our decisions ..but anxiety is that feeling which make us afraid to take a decision and never be able to...
rayofhope11
December 2nd, 2014 7:46pm
The difference between anxiety and worrying is anxiety is something you notice effets your day to day like. Example: You find yourself calling into work sick to avoid the anxious feelings work brings on.
PowerofNow247
February 14th, 2017 5:34pm
This is hard to answer but there are many differences we tend to experience worry in our heads and anxiety in our bodies. Worry is verbally focused typically while anxiety includes verbal thoughts and mental imagery. There are many other differences.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2014 10:29am
Anxiety is driven by too much worrying. So anxiety is much wider term than worrying. Worrying is good if it derives force within us to do something which will ultimately result in less worrying, but when worry causes you to not to do and that force turns into pain is what i call anxiety which then makes us do things which never wanted to do
starryRiver83
December 24th, 2014 8:11pm
Worrying is a feeling that everyone goes through at some point in their life. Anxiety, however, is excessive worry, which could affect your work life, your social life, your sleep pattern. It can often be linked to something, such as, for example, social anxiety, which is linked to social contact and therefore can lead to someone suffering this anxiety to feel nervous when they are to talk in front of large groups of people, or to engage in conversation. Anxiety can also result in panic attacks, and will cause someone to almost obsess over the thing causing their anxiety. So if you are thinking about something a lot, if this worry is affecting your every day life, your social and work life, sleeping, etc. If it has led to panic attacks also. Then it is more likely to be anxiety rather than worry.
RalphBG
December 7th, 2014 9:56am
Worrying and anxiety are similar. The difference is that worrying is just your worrying for something the next day, or anytime, about anything. Anxiety is more serious. It can get you so worried that all you can think about is that event that you are worried about. It could be so bad that you can't stop fidgeting. A solution to this, if you are anxious or worried is to focus on the positive, and say to yourself that it will be over soon. :)
EmotionalBodyguard
September 15th, 2015 8:44pm
Worrying is considering the bad things that could happen and hoping they dont. anxiety is being actively scared of it
purplewidow345
May 1st, 2018 3:18pm
Worrying does not cripple you, anxiety does. So when you feel self stressing more than normal, try assessing what triggers those strong emotions.
Anonymous
August 16th, 2016 7:07am
Well, according to my understanding, worry is more like a short term, mild, realistic state that is prone to be solved or overcomed easily. While anxiety is a severe mental state which may be caused by nonspecific reasons and tends to affect you more profoundly in the long term and is less prone to being overcome.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2016 4:17pm
Worrying is a human emotion everyone experiences that occurs out of caring for others. There's usually a reason behind the worrying. Anxiety comes on sometimes for no reason and it's nearly impossible to control.
RainbowHelp777
October 25th, 2016 5:42am
Anxiety affects the body and worry affects the mind. Worry is commonly specific and anxiety is vague.
Anonymous
February 13th, 2017 12:40am
Worrying is situational. After a little while, it will stop, in contrary of anxiety, that will keep making you feel worrying and stressed for a long while
Rwtrek22
February 26th, 2018 12:33am
The definition of anxiety is: a feeling of nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. While Worrying is: give way to unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
ashmiblue
January 18th, 2016 9:16am
Anxiety is believing there's an issue with no solution. You feel tremendously stuck. Worrying is a peculiar feeling that you know would wash away but is geting over you momentarily.
gloriousMemory40
July 24th, 2018 3:19am
Worrying is a temporary discomfort in your chest, one that vanishes after the situation is resolved. Worrying never needs to be diagnosed. Anxiety is a constant thought in the back of your mind, and it comes in so many different forms. While, of course, worrying can come in different forms as well, worry is an instinct that humanity has evolved with and coexisted with for centuries. Anxiety is the primal instinct which we call “worry” taken too far.
Anonymous
November 2nd, 2020 5:05pm
Anxiety is constant, it can even have physical side effects. Anxiety includes worrying but there are more symptoms involved such as feeling agitated, restlessness, fatigue, finding it hard to focus, tense muscles, sweating, trouble sleeping, irrational fears and more. Worrying can be linked to anxiety, however, anxiety can be considered something bigger, since it involves more symptoms. Excessive worrying can lead to anxiety, but for an official diagnosis seeking professional help is needed.
ricepuff
June 15th, 2021 4:37pm
Worry is an emotion that comes and goes just like the rest - but coping with anxiety is something that sticks, something that lurks in the back of your mind - and it can feel like a constant battle. Anxiety is not something conventionally rational, so of course it's a lot more difficult for people dealing with it to be able to describe these fears or put them into the usual boxes of emotions of just sad or angry or confused or agitated; but believe me when I tell you - this does not make whatever it is you're feeling any less valid 💛💛
ElegantElf1225
April 26th, 2022 3:55pm
Anxiety is a persistent feeling that can be with you always. You can be anxious over driving or upcoming travel plans ie (flying, train rides). Worrying is short term and it's about a direct situation usually happening now. You can be worrying about the outcome of test but once you get the results the worry stops. Although worry and anxiousness can be present at the same time in some situations they are different feelings. Worrying typically presents itself as self thoughts while anxiety can cause your body to react in different ways like heart palpitations, sweating or shaky hands to name a few.
Rajnin
July 11th, 2016 7:39pm
anxiety is a physical response to stimuli, worrying is the mind constantly working over the problems.
WiselyBlue
March 1st, 2016 4:05pm
I think it's a question of time, when your worrying gets a git too long it might leed to anxiety. At that moment it's not just your mind that become tired but even your body has repercussion, cause anxiety become something that doesn't leave you anymore.
TheListeningLad
February 16th, 2016 9:46pm
From my experience, I'd say the difference is anxiety is also a phsyical sensation as well as a mental one.
Anonymous
December 28th, 2015 12:15pm
Worrying means to be nervous about something for a short period of time but anxiety means to be anxious everyday for simple reasons
bettereverdaay
November 3rd, 2015 8:42pm
anxiety doesnt go away and the feeling is very intense. Worrying passes quickly and doesnt occupy your mind
Anonymous
August 17th, 2015 2:59pm
Anxiety is an fear of something unknown that you dream may ruin things around you. Worrying is known and can be avoided if proper support it provided.
Anonymous
December 30th, 2014 5:22pm
Well, anxiety is usually worse, and limits you a lot in your (daily) life. People with anxiety experience heavy reactions on stressful things, like being physically sick and not being able to sleep.
Amy10
December 21st, 2014 9:54am
When you are worried you feel like you have control over your worries and it does not affect you usual activities, also it lasts for a certain period of time and you worry only about really relevant things. When you have anxiety, you feel like it is an uncontrollable feeling and you worry about important and not so important things. The worry affects you directly: you feel tired, you cant do your usual activities and you feel worried all the time. Well, this kinda of summarizes everything. Hope it helps you to understand a little more about it.
Erynn
December 17th, 2014 3:38am
Anxiety and worrying are pretty synonymous. However anxiety disorders and worrying are quite different. An anxiety disorder is a prolonged struggle with anxieties/worries that adversely affects your day-to-day life. There are several symptoms and signs that a professional will look for before diagnosing someone with anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder may (often) need therapy and/or medications to be managed and allow the person struggling with it to live a more fulfilling and less painful life.
pumpkinspicelatte
December 2nd, 2014 8:12pm
Anxiety is a build up of emotion that creates unease because of the outcome, whereas worrying can be a cause of anxiety about potential problems.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2014 1:52pm
Worrying is normally over one or two things and goes away after a while. Anxiety is a consent worry over everything, or many things big or small.