How to distinguish between fear and anxiety. Specialists explain symptoms and treatment methods
How do we differentiate between worry, fear and anxiety disorders? Is it normal to be afraid? Or does fear have no connection to anything real? One in six people will develop an anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
The instinct for survival generates concern in humans.
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Bogdana Bursuc, clinical psychologist: "Worry is a natural reaction and a capacity we have as a species to protect ourselves, to be safe. I have a worry thought - that I'll eat tonight, very well, I'll go get some food and eat tonight".
Can I solve my worry in 5 minutes? If yes, it means that the worry is part of the present and is good.
The difference between fear and anxiety
What is fear? When we cross the street, and a car is coming towards us, we feel fear, so we talk about an emotional reaction to an imminent danger. Regarding anxiety, it is not related to a real danger, but to something within us, according to psychologists.
Bogdana Bursuc, clinical psychologist: "The anxiety reaction is not related to a real, imminent danger. Anxiety signals that we are afraid of something within us, we are afraid of emotions within us, and we project this fear outward and are afraid of illness, darkness. An emotion we are afraid of is helplessness. There are situations when we feel helpless and when we are helpless, we cannot control what our life partner is doing, what the children are doing as they grow up, and I project this helplessness onto something external. For example, I'm afraid of illness, and I go to get tested or do sports, and I feel less helpless. But in this process, I haven't found out why I run away from this helplessness".
Anxiety disorders have physical symptoms. The heart beats faster almost all the time, frequent urination, frequent headaches. In fact, anxiety can mimic any illness.
Dr. Carmen Truțescu, primary specialist in pediatric psychiatry: "We say that anxiety occurs when we cannot control the external environment. In obsessive-compulsive disorder, people develop various rituals, behaviors where you feel the need to wash your hands often to avoid getting contaminated or catching a disease that could be fatal".
Anxiety disorders are treated with the help of a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist.
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