I often hear people utilize the word anxiety in place of the word nervous, and in some respects, it feels as if the term ‘nervous’ is disappearing from our vocabulary. The are specific situations in which feeling nervous is common, which do not necessitate the diagnosis of anxiety. With the rise of mental health talk on social media, anxiety is seeming more common than ever.
Feeling Nervous
Nervousness is a natural emotion that people feel in anticipation of situation that they may feel uncertain about, such as speaking in front of a crowd, taking a big test, or going on a first date. When you feel nervous, it often lasts for a short period of time, such as the time it takes you to complete giving a speech. When you are done, however, you regain stability in your emotions.
Both people with and without anxiety experience feeling nervous about specific situations and interactions. However, here is the difference: nervousness often does not persist, nor does it cause lengthy periods of fast heart rate or overthinking. Anxiety disorders do.
Struggling with Anxiety
In comparison to feeling nervous, an anxiety disorder is a chronic condition that makes you feel constantly stressed, nervous, or uneasy, and is determined by chronic symptoms, such as panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, and overthinking. Anxiety is a disproportionate response to fear and worry about uncertain situations.
Nervousness tends to dissipate rather quickly in comparison to anxiety. On the other hand, anxiety usually requires additional resources to cope with, including therapy sessions and medication intervention. Anxiety can be a debilitating condition for some, as it can impact daily functioning, like going to work or school.
Challenges With Using Nervous and Anxiety Synonymously
The challenge with using the terms interchangeably is that is can undermine the experience of those struggling with an anxiety disorder, and cause them to believe that they should not access treatment, since it can be common to feel like “everyone” struggles with anxiety. In addition, normalizing the feeling of anxiety can be compromising to society as a whole, since it encourages the idea that people should just live with anxious feelings, rather than cope with them appropriately.
The difference between nervousness and an anxiety disorder is somewhat of a blurry line, but if you’re experiencing chronic symptoms of worry, you may require further evaluation for an anxiety disorder, and potential treatment if a diagnosis is present.
Learn more about the author: About Therapist Samantha Nolan, MA, LPC, ATR- Barnum Counseling
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