Mental Health Series: Anxiousness vs. Anxiety Disorder- Dr. Rashi Agarwal Explains the Difference

Occasionally experiencing anxiety does not necessarily indicate that you have an anxiety disorder. However, the terms "anxiety" and "anxious feelings" are frequently used synonymously these days to refer to anxiety disorders.

Let's learn how to distinguish between "normal" anxiety and anxiety disorders in this interview with MedBound Times from Dr. Rashi Agarwal.

Dr. Rashi Agarwal, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry), is a psychiatrist, mental health expert, and educator who dispels misconceptions and myths about mental health online and in person and is currently practicing in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dr. Anjali Singh: These days, the word "anxiety" is used rather frequently. I therefore wanted to know the distinction between anxiety and an anxiety disorder and whether everyone who experiences anxiety also has an anxiety disorder.

Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Similar to how people feel emotions like rage, fear, hunger, grief, and happiness, they also feel anxiety, which is a perfectly natural emotion to have. We've all been apprehensive the day before an exam, before giving a presentation, or during a job interview, and based on the personality type of various people, the level of anxiety may vary. It's perfectly normal to feel anxious before our big day. However, it turns into a disorder when it starts to interfere with a person's capacity to lead a fulfilling personal and professional life. When that happens, anxiety becomes a disorder!

Setting attainable goals is something I've always stressed throughout personality assessment tests. If a person has both an anxious personality type and an anxiety disorder, he may be able to manage the anxiety condition to some extent with the aid of tools, therapy, and drugs, but he cannot modify the anxious personality type. Therefore, one needs to learn to deal with it instead of freaking out and feeling helpless by becoming more mindful and self-aware about their own thoughts and feelings and by just obtaining a sense of what their anxiety looks like.

Dr. Anjali Singh: Therefore, it essentially involves learning to manage and control one's own emotions rather than allowing them to rule us. So, ma'am, moving on, what are some typical signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders?

Dr. Rashi Agarwal: In the context of Indian subculture, "ghabrahat" is the most prevalent symptom. The concept of mental health is not new; people have been experiencing these emotions and feelings for a very long time; they just didn't have a name to describe them. When we talk to people from older generations and describe what anxiety feels like, that's when they accept that they too have been through similar emotions.

The other typical symptoms are chest discomfort, heart palpitations, and a tightening or choking sensation in the throat, frequently accompanied by throat dryness. Other signs and symptoms include persistent headaches, migraines, a band-like sensation in the head, and mental fog. When it comes to a person's ideas being clouded, there may be either too many for them to be organized properly or they may become too muddled to sort through them and come to an informed or wise decision. Further down the road, there is typically a strong gut-brain connection, depending on how your nervous system regulates. So, for many people, anxiety stimulates their gut, causing them to experience acidity, indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea. As a result, anxiety manifests differently in different people and in various organ systems. Since the term "anxiety" covers a wide range of disorders, emotions, and feelings, we first rule out other clinical diagnoses before moving on to the anxiety assessment.

Dr. Anjali Singh: So, ma'am, are there many kinds of anxiety disorders, or is the phrase used in a generic sense?

Dr. Rashi Agarwal: If we categorize disorders, then there are different types of anxiety disorders, like:

- generalized anxiety disorder

- panic disorder

- post-traumatic stress disorder

- obsessive-compulsive disorder

So, as I've said earlier, anxiety is an umbrella term for a variety of symptoms and conditions. Anxiety can manifest physically as well as cognitively in a person's thinking.

Dr. Anjali Singh: Ma'am, I once read that anxiety is the body's protective reaction and can be advantageous by motivating us to take action. Could you please provide any clarification as to how accurate that is?

Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Although I wouldn't claim that having an anxiety illness is advantageous, anxiety itself could turn out to be helpful in the sense that, if I have a test the next day, a little tension and anxiety may function as a motivating factor to get me moving and studying a little harder. Some people, particularly artists, use their anxiety to their benefit; they channel their anxiety into their art as a means of self-expression. However, we are not referring to an anxiety disorder; rather, we are talking about anxiety and the symptoms of anxiety.

Dr. Anjali Singh: Got it! Therefore, if managed properly, anxiety can serve as a motivating force, but it is not the same as an anxiety disorder, which goes well beyond simple emotions of dread.

Dr. Anjali Singh: How does one manage anxiety? We've all heard and read that therapy is the most popular method of management, but is there a particular kind of therapy that aids in coping with the symptoms better, or are there some other treatment modalities that would be more effective?

Dr. Rashi Agarwal: Depending on their severity, illnesses are divided into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe. So,

- if the condition is mild or subclinical, it could be managed with therapy.

- if the condition is moderate, it is managed with therapy and medications.

- if the condition is severe, we proceed with medications at that point.

It's futile to undergo therapy if a person is in a severe condition or a panicky state because they may not be able to understand or digest what is being said, and the therapy may not have the desired effect. In severe conditions, the patient needs to be calmed down and assisted in widening their cognitive functioning in order to accept therapy. Therapy is therefore advantageous because it teaches the patient how to better manage their symptoms.

The truth is that mental health conditions and illnesses are something that a person must live with for the rest of their lives. Therapy gives people the skills and strategies they need to better manage and navigate their thoughts and emotions, as well as how to deal with them for the rest of their lives. Additionally, medications play a significant role in all of this because they aid in the reduction of symptoms and enhance a person's focus and productivity in life. By alleviating symptoms, medications aid in mental clarity, giving the patient the time, space, and resources for therapy.