Is anxiety an emotion or a disorder?

Is anxiety an emotion, a disorder, or something else? As the conversation around mental health continues to become more mainstream (yea!), the word “anxiety” is being used more and more, but not just because it’s a trendy term. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder. Personally, I think that number is much higher when you factor in all of the people who suffer silently. As many questions about mental health and anxiety loom, one that I’ve often pondered is, can you feel anxiety without necessarily having a disorder? It turns out that the answer is, yes. 

As defined by the American Psychological Association (APA),

“Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat.”

Going by the definition above, anxiety is both an emotion and a disorder, although they are not mutually exclusive. You can feel anxious or another emotion that can be related to worry without necessarily having an anxiety disorder. In other words, emotions caused by worry or stress can be short-term and are usually tied to a specific difficulty, while disorders are often issues that interfere with your daily life on a continuing cycle.

Under extreme stress and uncertainty, I think it’s completely common for someone to feel anxiety. However, if the individual is suffering from a disorder, the feelings of anxiety are more of an ongoing mental health issue than they are a short-term problem.

When is anxiety a disorder?

First things first, this is something that only a doctor can diagnose (i.e., don’t take this article as health advice), but it is critical to understand definitions and symptoms because self-awareness is the first step in getting the proper help. There are different types of anxiety disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but for the purpose of this article, we’ll look at the definition of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) defines GAD as:

“GAD is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things. People with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues. Individuals with GAD find it difficult to control their worry. They may worry more than seems warranted about actual events or may expect the worst even when there is no apparent reason for concern.

GAD is diagnosed when a person finds it difficult to control worry on more days than not for at least six months and has three or more symptoms. This differentiates GAD from worry that may be specific to a set stressor or for a more limited period of time.”

Under this definition, the feelings associated with anxiety are prolonged for at least six months. Again, if this sounds like you, seek the help of a doctor who can properly diagnose your issue and offer treatment plans. But, anxiety doesn’t have to be a disorder in order to have a significant hindrance in your life.

I think any time you feel unbalanced, in a funk, or anything to the point that you notice you’re not feeling like yourself or you feel lost, it’s worth taking a step back to reflect upon. Life is busy and offers many distractions making it easy to brush off your problems and your feelings. Conversely, being overly focused on a problem doesn’t help anyone either because that can easily become a great source of anxiety.

Be real with yourself about what you’re feeling because if you lie to yourself, the person who really ends up suffering is you.

It’s tremendously important to speak up. Talk with someone who can help you develop your inner awareness and the tools to help you cope through mental wellness issues, whatever they might be. I’m a firm believer that each person and each situation is different. People change and evolve, and oftentimes, so does the way that they cope with emotional stress. There is no law that says just because something has always been a way, that it always has to be that way forever. If you’re willing to work through the things that make your anxiety surface, you can enjoy more peace and clarity in your life.

Want to chat about this more? Contact me about mental wellness coaching.