Understanding and Managing Anguish: What You Need to Know

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It Feels LikeWhat Causes Us to Feel Anguish?How Anguish Can Impact Our LivesHow to Deal and Cope With AnguishAdditional Resources on Anguish

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What It Feels Like

What Causes Us to Feel Anguish?

How Anguish Can Impact Our Lives

How to Deal and Cope With Anguish

Additional Resources on Anguish

tl;drAnguish feels like deep sorrow and pain and it can lead to emotional distress. Life can throw many obstacles our way (think grief, trauma, and loss) and we’ve all fallen victim to this kind of pain. None of us are alone in that.Fortunately, we can overcome feelings of anguish with support from loved ones and/or a mental health professional.

tl;dr

Anguish feels like deep sorrow and pain and it can lead to emotional distress. Life can throw many obstacles our way (think grief, trauma, and loss) and we’ve all fallen victim to this kind of pain. None of us are alone in that.Fortunately, we can overcome feelings of anguish with support from loved ones and/or a mental health professional.

Fortunately, we can overcome feelings of anguish with support from loved ones and/or a mental health professional.

What Does Anguish Feel Like?

“Anguish can feel like angst and/or deep, complex suffering or sorrow, typically regarding something profound and valuable to us,” saysRainier Wells, LMHC, a partner provider at Grow Therapy.

Such feelings can manifest both physically and emotionally. Physically, this can create bodily sensations, including pain, soreness, heaviness, tearfulness, and slowed movement and momentum, Wells explains.

In addition to the physical experience of anguish, it can also result in examining aspects of identity, belief, and other existential questions.

Anguish may elicit thoughts and feelings about one’s belief systems, status, mortality, legacy, and other existential systems.—RAINIER WELLS, LMHC

Anguish may elicit thoughts and feelings about one’s belief systems, status, mortality, legacy, and other existential systems.

—RAINIER WELLS, LMHC

Anguish vs. Anxiety

The terms anguish andanxietyshare similar origins. Both derive from the Indo-European root “angh,” meaning tighten, strangle, or compress.

While the two emotions share some similarities, including similar somatic experiences, anguish typically involves a more distressing experience.Anxiety centers on worry, fear, and apprehension, while anguish involves profound mental distress, sorrow, and despair.

AnxietyWorryFearApprehensionOften in response to daily situationsAnguishEmotional distressSorrowDespairOccurs in response to life-altering events

AnxietyWorryFearApprehensionOften in response to daily situations

Worry

Fear

Apprehension

Often in response to daily situations

AnguishEmotional distressSorrowDespairOccurs in response to life-altering events

Emotional distress

Sorrow

Despair

Occurs in response to life-altering events

Wells notes that anguish differs from sadness and anxiety in duration and intensity. “As anguish is often a response to grief, loss, trauma, tension, estrangement, and unexpected life situations, it often lingers for days, months, or more to varying degrees of intensity. Anguish can live alongside sadness and anxiety but tends to be more overwhelming and all-encompassing regarding a large life event,” they explain.

Anguish is a complex emotion that can have a variety of causes. Some factors that can contribute to this state include:

Grief and Loss

The death of a loved one can cause deep anguish, but the end of an important relationship or the loss of other important things in your life can also result in intense turmoil and despair.

Griefis a natural response to the loss of someone or something that can produce a range of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Losing a meaningful attachment can create profound sadness, anger, and uncertainty. It can also lead people to experience changes in their identity and question their life’s purpose and meaning.

Trauma

Natural disasters, accidents, violence, and other traumatic events can also lead to significant feelings of anguish. In addition to the initial disruption and distress that these events create, they can also lead to longer-lasting feelings of anxiety.

Other trauma symptomsinclude distressing memories, hyperarousal,hypervigilance, overwhelming emotions, emotional numbing, avoidance, guilt, and shame. Trauma can also interfere with a person’s feelings of trust and safety, which can heighten a person’s feelings of anguish and create a pervasive sense of anxiety and vulnerability.

Relationships

Illness

Physical pain and illness can be a source of anguish, particularly when it involves chronic conditions. People with chronic health conditions have a 50% higher risk of depression than those without such conditions.

The long-term nature of such illnesses and their impact on a person’s quality of life can affect physical function and social connections. These effects can then harm a person’sself-worthand sense of empowerment in life.

Life Changes

While transitions are a common part of life, they can also bring feelings of fear and anxiety, particularly when people are faced with dealing with the unknown. Research has found that such periods can make people more prone to developing depression and other mental health problems.

Major life changes, particularly involuntary ones, can create feelings of pain, uncertainty, and, in some cases, anguish. Divorce and job loss, for example, can interfere with a person’s sense of self, particularly if their identity was heavily wrapped up in their relationship or their job.

How to Get Better at Coping With Change

Loneliness

Social connections are crucial for good mental health, which is whylonelinesscan create anguish for people who feel cut off from meaningful relationships. Loneliness has a wide variety of health consequences, both physical and mental.

Research has found that experiencing loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, altered brain function, increased stress, substance misuse, depression, and suicide.

Anguish has powerful physiological and psychological effects. Such feelings are agonizing in the short term, but the stress they create can also contribute to long-term health problems.

“Living with anguish can result in disrupted sleep, poor or markedly increased appetite, difficulty concentrating, exhaustion, isolation, worry, and avoidance,” Wells says. “The event that the anguish is responsible for may be recalled through intrusive memories, thoughts, pictures, or emotional flashes.”

Crisis SupportIf you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.988

Crisis Support

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

988

If you are experiencing anguish, it is important to get the help and support you need to help relieve your emotional suffering. Coping can be difficult, but there are strategies and resources available that can help.

Seek Help From a Professional

“It is important to monitor the impact on one’s life and seek out peer andprofessional supportto work through processing emotions of anguish and the issue that brought on the emotion,” Wells says.

It can be helpful to talk to a mental health professional. A therapist can help you deal with the effects of emotional pain. You can also develop coping skills that can decrease distress and improveresilience.

Utilize Stress Relief Techniques

Stress management tactics such asmindfulness,meditation, anddeep breathingcan also help you better cope with feelings of stress.

Mindfulness, in particular, may help you better regulate your emotions and reduce the intensity of the anguish you are experiencing.

Find Ways to Express Your Emotions

Anguish can become even more painful if you try tobottle up your emotions. While you might be tempted to hide your pain, suppressing or disguising your feeling can backfire, leading to problems with mental, social, and physical health.

It’s important to find healthy ways to process and express what you are feeling. This might involve talking about what you are feeling with a trusted friend, or creative endeavors like drawing, painting, music, movement, or journaling might provide a useful outlet.

Show Yourself Compassion

Don’t beat yourself up for what you are feeling. Negative thinking can turn anguish into feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment, so remember to treat yourself with the same kindness that you might show to a friend.

“Self-compassion involves compassion, common humanity, and mindfulness,” Wells says. They recommend working on skills such as self-acceptance, being present, connecting with others in non-judgmental ways, and successfully navigating emotions.

It’s OK to acknowledge the pain that you feel without casting judgment on your thoughts or emotions.

Instead, strive to treat yourself with kindness and give yourself the grace to work through your emotions without feeling overhwelmed.

Stay Physically Active

Exercise can be an important tool for mental health. While you might not feel motivated to work out when you are at your lowest point, research has shown that exercise can be an effective tool for relieving feelings depression and anxiety.It can also serve as a helpful distraction to help take your mind off of some of the stressors that are troubling you.

It’s also easy to develop tunnel vision when you are emotionally distressed, but having people to turn to can provide you with the advice and perspective you need to get you through tough times.

What Is Empathy?

Engage in Ritual

Wells suggests that rituals can play a key role in coping and healing.

When we engage in ritual around anguish and the correlated situations, we allow ourselves expression and comfort in simple acts that are intended for processing and acknowledgment of our anguish.—RAINIER WELLS, LMHC

When we engage in ritual around anguish and the correlated situations, we allow ourselves expression and comfort in simple acts that are intended for processing and acknowledgment of our anguish.

Such rituals don’t need to be overly complex and should be personalized to your unique needs. “This could involve the simple lighting of a candle, journaling, attending a place that brings comfort, or finding a new routine to a difficult day. Draw from tradition and create your own,” Wells suggests.

Anguish can lead to feelings of fear, hopelessness, and anxiety that overwhelm our ability to cope. If you are dealing with emotional suffering, there are resources available that can help:

What This Means For YouAnguish represents one of the most painful emotions a person can experience, and it can have deep and resounding effects on physical and emotional well-being. Such emotions often stem from trauma, loss, and grief, but each person’s experience is unique.In times of such turmoil, it is vital to find support and resources that will help you weather these feelings of anguish. Treating yourself gently, seeking professional help, and turning to loved ones can provide the care and support you need and can foster a greater sense of resilience and purpose as you work toward emotional healing.

What This Means For You

Anguish represents one of the most painful emotions a person can experience, and it can have deep and resounding effects on physical and emotional well-being. Such emotions often stem from trauma, loss, and grief, but each person’s experience is unique.In times of such turmoil, it is vital to find support and resources that will help you weather these feelings of anguish. Treating yourself gently, seeking professional help, and turning to loved ones can provide the care and support you need and can foster a greater sense of resilience and purpose as you work toward emotional healing.

In times of such turmoil, it is vital to find support and resources that will help you weather these feelings of anguish. Treating yourself gently, seeking professional help, and turning to loved ones can provide the care and support you need and can foster a greater sense of resilience and purpose as you work toward emotional healing.

How to Find Emotional Healing

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Online Etymology Dictionary.Angh-Crocq MA.A history of anxiety: from Hippocrates to DSM.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):319-325. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/macrocqNational Cancer Institute.Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss.Ma Y, Xiang Q, Yan C, Liao H, Wang J.Relationship between chronic diseases and depression: the mediating effect of pain.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):436. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03428-3Praharso NF, Tear MJ, Cruwys T.Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change.Psychiatry Research. 2017;247:265-275. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.039Hämmig O.Health risks associated with social isolation in general and in young, middle and old age[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2019 Aug 29;14(8):e0222124].PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219663. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219663Wu R, Liu LL, Zhu H, et al.Brief mindfulness meditation improves emotion processing.Front Neurosci. 2019;13:1074. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01074Hu S, Tucker L, Wu C, Yang L.Beneficial effects of exercise on depression and anxiety during the covid-19 pandemic: A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:587557. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.587557

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Online Etymology Dictionary.Angh-Crocq MA.A history of anxiety: from Hippocrates to DSM.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):319-325. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/macrocqNational Cancer Institute.Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss.Ma Y, Xiang Q, Yan C, Liao H, Wang J.Relationship between chronic diseases and depression: the mediating effect of pain.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):436. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03428-3Praharso NF, Tear MJ, Cruwys T.Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change.Psychiatry Research. 2017;247:265-275. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.039Hämmig O.Health risks associated with social isolation in general and in young, middle and old age[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2019 Aug 29;14(8):e0222124].PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219663. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219663Wu R, Liu LL, Zhu H, et al.Brief mindfulness meditation improves emotion processing.Front Neurosci. 2019;13:1074. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01074Hu S, Tucker L, Wu C, Yang L.Beneficial effects of exercise on depression and anxiety during the covid-19 pandemic: A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:587557. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.587557

Online Etymology Dictionary.Angh-Crocq MA.A history of anxiety: from Hippocrates to DSM.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):319-325. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/macrocqNational Cancer Institute.Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss.Ma Y, Xiang Q, Yan C, Liao H, Wang J.Relationship between chronic diseases and depression: the mediating effect of pain.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):436. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03428-3Praharso NF, Tear MJ, Cruwys T.Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change.Psychiatry Research. 2017;247:265-275. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.039Hämmig O.Health risks associated with social isolation in general and in young, middle and old age[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2019 Aug 29;14(8):e0222124].PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219663. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219663Wu R, Liu LL, Zhu H, et al.Brief mindfulness meditation improves emotion processing.Front Neurosci. 2019;13:1074. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01074Hu S, Tucker L, Wu C, Yang L.Beneficial effects of exercise on depression and anxiety during the covid-19 pandemic: A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:587557. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.587557

Online Etymology Dictionary.Angh-

Crocq MA.A history of anxiety: from Hippocrates to DSM.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):319-325. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/macrocq

National Cancer Institute.Grief, bereavement, and coping with loss.

Ma Y, Xiang Q, Yan C, Liao H, Wang J.Relationship between chronic diseases and depression: the mediating effect of pain.BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):436. doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03428-3

Praharso NF, Tear MJ, Cruwys T.Stressful life transitions and wellbeing: A comparison of the stress buffering hypothesis and the social identity model of identity change.Psychiatry Research. 2017;247:265-275. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.11.039

Hämmig O.Health risks associated with social isolation in general and in young, middle and old age[published correction appears in PLoS One. 2019 Aug 29;14(8):e0222124].PLoS One. 2019;14(7):e0219663. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219663

Wu R, Liu LL, Zhu H, et al.Brief mindfulness meditation improves emotion processing.Front Neurosci. 2019;13:1074. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.01074

Hu S, Tucker L, Wu C, Yang L.Beneficial effects of exercise on depression and anxiety during the covid-19 pandemic: A narrative review.Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:587557. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.587557

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tl;dr#

What Does Anguish Feel Like?#

Anguish vs. Anxiety#

Grief and Loss#

Trauma#

Relationships#

Illness#

Life Changes#

Loneliness#

Crisis Support#

Seek Help From a Professional#

Utilize Stress Relief Techniques#

Find Ways to Express Your Emotions#

Show Yourself Compassion#

Stay Physically Active#

Seek Social Support#

Engage in Ritual#

What This Means For You#