# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Worry and Anxiety: Do You Know the Difference?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Worry and anxiety are natural during the coronavirus pandemic, but what do these terms really mean? And how do you know if you’re suffering unnecessarily?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Happens When You Worry Too Much? - Baton Rouge Clinic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ever wonder what happens when you worry too much? Find out how excessive stress affects your body and what you can do about it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anxiety is a common secondary emotion. A secondary emotion is one that is experienced in place of another emotion that is difficult for the person to feel or express. A primary emotion is the initial reactions that we have. For example, anxiety can be a secondary emotion for anger, jealousy, hurt, disappointment, embarrassment, and sadness. You can also experience two secondary emotions at once, like anger and anxiety.

Understanding primary and secondary emotions helps us have a deeper understanding of ourselves and where the reactions are coming from.

Theoretically, this way of defending ourselves with secondary emotions protects us from having to deal with the more complicated and difficult feelings. However, we can easily make a mistake thinking that a situation or occurrence has made us anxious or angry when in fact the true emotion is something different.

For people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), this can become very complicated. Most of life is experienced as anxiety, and it is a relatively expected and familiar feeling.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

People with chronic anxiety and worry that is uncontrollable and cause significant life problems often get diagnosed with GAD. People with GAD tend to have some sort of disposition to experience the world in a way that is anxiety-provoking, and most of their life experience is seen through this lens.

Mental Health Symptoms

According to the DSM-5, to be diagnosed with GAD, anxiety and worry must occur for at least six months.

Mental health signs and symptoms of GAD may include:

Carrying every option in a situation all the way out to its possible negative conclusion

Difficulty concentrating, or the feeling that your mind "goes blank"

Difficulty handling uncertainty or indecisiveness

Distress about making decisions for fear of making the wrong decision

Inability to relax, restlessness, and feeling keyed up or on edge

Persistent worrying or obsession about small or large concerns that are out of proportion to the impact of the event

Worrying about excessively worrying

Physical Health Symptoms

Physical signs and symptoms of GAD can include:

Being easily startled

Fatigue

Headaches

Irritability

Muscle tension or muscle aches

Sweating

Trembling, feeling twitchy

Trouble sleeping

Understanding Complex Emotions

In trying to understand what feelings (primary emotions) could be underneath your anxiety, the first thing to do is actually ask yourself that question. Allow yourself to be open to the possibility that you are hurt, disappointed, or grieving, rather than anxious.

If you are left with some sort of fear, then your anxiety is likely in the right place. Give this a try and see if it can reduce your worry, and help you make life changes that will actually alleviate the true negative feelings you have, rather than miss your experience and cause continued worry for "no reason," as many people with GAD tend to do.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Experiencing Anxiety as a Secondary Emotion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anxiety is a common secondary emotion. A secondary emotion is one that is experienced in place of another emotion that is difficult for the person to feel or express. A primary emotion is the initial reactions that we have. For example, anxiety can be a secondary emotion for anger, jealousy, hurt, disappointment, embarrassment, and sadness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Stop Worrying and End Anxious Thoughts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you plagued by constant worries, fears, and anxious thoughts, especially about things you can’t control? These tips can help you learn how to stop worrying.