The Difference Between Existential Anxiety and General Anxiety
You might wonder if what you’re feeling is related to anxiety or existential dread. On the surface, these can seem similar. Many experiences can be labeled—and then even dismissed—as general anxiety when, in reality, they are caused by something more specific. Someone who has experienced bouts of Generalized Anxiety may also be more prone to Existential Anxiety. Existential Anxiety tends to be more common in certain segments of the population: mainly those with high creative gifts, those who identify as highly sensitive people, intellectuals, and scientists. In contrast, Generalized Anxiety Disorder is twice as common in those assigned female at birth. There are many societal and systemic factors that may impact this, which we will unpack in another blog post, so stay tuned!
Defining General Anxiety
General anxiety is defined as persistent worry, lasting for over six months, that feels excessive. This worry shifts from topic to topic and feels uncontrollable. A common tool to identify how much anxiety you’re experiencing is called the GAD-7, which can be helpful in measuring your anxiety level and whether what you’re doing to manage it is effective.
Folks experiencing generalized anxiety tend to have physical symptoms, including increased fatigue, muscle aches and soreness from holding a lot of tension in the body, and difficulty sleeping. It is also possible to experience sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues. Anxiety often occurs even when there is no real threat or when the worry is disproportionate to the actual event.
Defining Existential Anxiety
In contrast, existential anxiety occurs most commonly during life transitions, such as graduating from university, losing a job, or changing careers. It can also occur in midlife as folks evaluate their lives and careers and seek to determine if the choices they’ve made and the life they find themselves in feels meaningful to them.
Existential anxiety is not a formal mental health diagnosis and can often go overlooked. It can occur at any time and is most closely linked to questions like “Who am I?” or “What really matters?” Anxious feelings surface in connection to these questions and a quest for significance or purpose in life. The discomfort that arises can cause folks to seek external coping or methods of avoiding their feelings. In truth, these feelings are a normal part of the human experience and can be seen as a signal that something in our lives needs to shift or change, or that we are in some way out of alignment with our values. Existential Anxiety is a prompt to look at what is and is not working for us; sometimes, the anxiety can even be the result of knowing that change is necessary but also scary.
Key Differences
Generalized Anxiety
Focus of Anxiety: Shifts from topic to topic, no consistent focus. Anxiety persists for over six months.
Emotional Experience: It is common to feel stuck in intense emotions and feel a sense of fear or dread. Emotions feel hard to shift and may lead to panic.
Physical Symptoms: Tension, insomnia, fatigue, digestive issues, muscle aches/pains
Existential Anxiety
Focus of Anxiety: Related to the question of meaning and purpose in life. Can also be connected to the idea of one’s death. Anxiety comes and goes.
Emotional Experience: A wide variety of emotions can be present including fear, regret, grief, disappointment, and anger.
Physical Symptoms: Tension, but other physical symptoms may also be present.
Overlapping Symptoms
The physical experience of general and existential anxiety may overlap. If you are experiencing physical symptoms, it is important to try to identify the root cause of your worry or tension. This is where something like stream-of-consciousness journaling can help surface the underlying questions, fears, or beliefs leading to your anxiety. If you notice the anxiety focusing on meaning and purpose, it is possible that it is more existential in nature. If it seems more random and attaches itself to a variety of topics or worries, then it is likely more generalized.
Seeking Help
If you’re feeling alone in what you’re experiencing or stuck in how to move through the anxiety and emotions that are coming up, it is important to connect instead of allowing yourself to become more isolated. Finding someone who understands the specific nuances of existential dread and anxiety, and the ways they can be experienced differently from more generalized anxiety is important in creating the chance for yourself to see a positive shift.
Often, the anxiety associated with an existential crisis is covering up strong emotions such as fear, anger, disappointment, or even grief. Finding someone who can help you surface and move through those emotions can allow for some calm and clarity, helping you reconnect with your values and make choices that feel right for you in how to move forward in your life. We live in a capitalistic society that puts forth the idea that we are alone and need to solve our problems as individuals, keeping us separated from each other in our struggles. Understanding the common human need for meaning and purpose in life—and knowing that you are not alone in your quest—can significantly help reduce the anxiety and stress you feel associated with the big questions your mind may be pondering. At The Commons Wellness Collective, we would be honoured to be part of your journey.
