Anxiety can be characterized as the unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension.  Usually anxiety can be useful as it helps us to avert dangerous situations, making us more alert and giving us the desire to deal with issues that may arise.  However, if the feelings start to become too much or go on for an extended period of time, they can keep us from doing the things we want to do, making our lives miserable.

Stress is defined by your body’s way of reacting to any kind of demand.  Stress can be caused by good and bad experiences.  When individuals feel stressed out by something going on in their lives, their bodies react by releasing chemicals into the blood.  The chemicals released give individuals more energy as well as strength, which can be a very good thing if their stress is generated by physical danger.  However, this can also be a bad thing, if the persons stress is in response to something emotional and there is no avenue for this excess energy and strength.