PAUL MONIZ: I'm Paul Moniz. Thank you for joining us. If you feel stressed out from time to time consider yourself normal. The demands of the business world, parenting and modern-day life are enough to drive just about anyone over the edge. But being stressed out is certainly different from suffering from clinical anxiety. Many people can weather even heavy stress; some even thrive on it. But sometimes the stress crosses the line to anxiety and knowing the warning signs could mean the difference between hopelessness and relative normalcy with treatment.
Here to talk about that are two clinical psychologists who work together. We have Dr. Fran Massino and Dr. Willy Wiener. Both are from the Institute for Performance Advancement in Manhattan and both deal with stress and anxiety in the workplace.
Dr. Wiener, let's begin with you regarding anxiety. What is the difference, clinically, between stress and anxiety?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: When someone is really suffering from an anxiety problem, they tend to experience a variety of physiological symptoms such as excessive sweating, heart palpitations. Tremors in their hands, sweaty palms. There are a whole host of physiological symptoms that go along with that and they tend to avoid things. When you really have an anxiety disorder your functioning is impaired by that disorder as opposed to when you are stressed out you tend to push on through.
PAUL MONIZ: Are these so-called panic attacks that are commonly used, at least the term?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: One can have an anxiety disorder and not have panic attacks, and one can have panic attacks without having the anxiety disorder. Although if you have frequent panic attacks, that would qualify you for an anxiety disorder. Panic attacks are characterized by short shallow breathing. People tend to get too much oxygen in their brain and experience something that makes them feel sort of woozy. They feel as if the walls are closing in on them, that they don't have enough air to breath, that they are going to die in the moment. And then they begin to avoid situations where those panic attacks take place.
PAUL MONIZ: Dr. Massino, let's talk about some of that avoidance. What kinds of things do people avoid, and if someone watching our program is perhaps a spouse or partner of that person, what should they be looking for?
FRANCIS MASSINO, PhD: A lot of times it can start even with students in high school where there is a big term paper that is anxiety provoking. So there may be procrastination, putting off beginning, getting organized. At work it could be avoiding preparing for a meeting or it could be calling in sick the morning of a scheduled meeting with the boss because you're really apprehensive to negotiate for a raise or to ask for additional vacation time.
Something that a spouse or family member could look for would be, I think, withdrawn, someone being more apprehensive, more tentative in the moment than otherwise noted, seeing someone complaining of some of the physiological, I don't feel well; I'm more tired than usual.
PAUL MONIZ: Some of the nonspecific symptoms that can't really be attributed to anything. Is that something that will happen?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: Uh-hmm. Yeah. I think just to add to what Fran was talking about a moment ago, it's also characterized by an inability to control the stress. Folks who really have difficulty with this make efforts to bring their anxiety levels down that are unsuccessful. I don't know that there is a definitive line between normal stress and pathological anxiety. But when you're really beginning to have difficulties with this, you can't control it any more.
PAUL MONIZ: What is the long term effect of clinical anxiety on the body? Are there medical concerns -- ulcers, those kinds of things?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: Ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches.
FRANCIS MASSINO, PhD: Chronic back aches. Looking at some of the restlessness, the insomnia and how that contributes to just an overall feeling of fatigue.
PAUL MONIZ: Is there generally an admission by the person who is suffering this or is there a wall of denial that they are actually anxious? Generally, obviously, it would differ from person to person.
WILLY WIENER, PhD: In general, our experience has been that people are forthcoming with this. A lot of times they are looking for some kind of medical explanation. There is something wrong with my heart, or I've got a pulmonary problem that I've been to the doctor to explore. So people are very aware and upfront about this because it's frightening.
PAUL MONIZ: Does being stressed out, so to speak, predispose you to developing an anxiety disorder?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: Yes. I think it certainly does. There are simple things that people can do I think to not allow the cumulative effect of stress to develop into an anxiety disorder.
PAUL MONIZ: This is a continuum or it can be if you don't stop it or control it?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: Yeah, I think that's accurate.
FRANCIS MASSINO, PhD: I agree.
PAUL MONIZ: What kinds of things would you recommend that people should do to control it?
WILLY WIENER, PhD: Taking brief times off work, taking your lunch, taking a walk, disengaging yourself from your worries and your work for short periods. They need not be long periods, but giving yourself a chance to step out of the moment, step away from the stress and decompress.
PAUL MONIZ: Okay, some very good advice. Dr. Fran Massino, thank you very much for your time. Dr. Willy Wiener, as well. Both from the Institute for Performance Advancement in Manhattan. Remember there is a difference between stress and clinical anxiety. If you have questions, and you cannot cope, you should consult a professional. I'm Paul Moniz, thanks for joining us.
