Anxiety Attack, Panic Attack - What’s The Difference?

Most people are familiar with anxiety. Anxiety can be experienced on a wide spectrum of intensity. It can be experienced as a vague sense of dread and impending doom or as intense, uncomfortable feelings and physical sensations. Sometimes we can put a finger on what it is we are worried about and sometimes there is no clear reason to feel what some describe as “ a knot in my stomach” or “a tightness in my chest”. When the symptoms of anxiety are severe enough to affect our ability to function in daily life, it is considered an anxiety disorder. To give you an idea how common anxiety disorders are, here are some numbers: According to The National Institute of Mental Health and The Anxiety & Depression Association of America, an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults (23.4% of females and 14.3% of males) and 31.9% of adolescents (13-18 years) experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder. 

Non-pathological anxiety is a normal and, actually necessary, emotion. It helps us to function, pushes us to do things we don’t enjoy such as chores, filing taxes, and getting up in the morning. If we weren’t afraid of the negative consequences of not doing what we dislike, we probably wouldn’t do any of it. Also, if we didn't have any fear of a bad outcome, we would not avoid risk. This shows that anxiety is not “a bad thing” per se. Problems arise when we are unable to balance anxiety and calmness, or when we don’t know how to manage anxious thoughts and feelings.

When the symptoms of anxiety are very intense, we often use the terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack”. While both are related and rooted in anxiety, they are not the same. 

Anxiety attacks 

• Refer to intense 

  • Emotional symptoms such as worry, fear, apprehension, and distress

  • Physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, tightness in the shoulders and/or chest 

• Are often related to events or situations that are stressful to an individual ● The symptoms can be gradual or sudden 

Panic attacks 

• Share similarities with anxiety attacks, but the level of fear and sense of overwhelm is more intense than in an anxiety attack. 

• Can be experienced as sudden and intense bouts of fear 

• Usually occur without warning 

• Often involve emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms such as ○ Severe distress 

  • Chest pain, heart palpitations, or accelerated heart rate 

  • Dissociation (a sense of detachment from oneself and/or the environment) ○ Dizziness 

  • Nausea 

  • Sweating 

  • Trembling 

  • Shortness of breath or a feeling of choking. 

These symptoms can peak within minutes and can make you feel like you’re losing control or even dying. Due to the severity of the symptoms, it is not uncommon for a person experiencing a panic attack to go to the ER because they think they have a heart attack. 

Differences between Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks: 

• Panic Attacks often occur without warning, while anxiety attacks are usually a response to a stressor/trigger. 

• Panic Attacks are more intense and peak within minutes, while Anxiety Attacks can last longer and vary in intensity. 

• Anxiety Attacks lack the extreme fear and sense of detachment found in Panic Attacks. 

• Panic Attacks can lead to fear of future attacks, while anxiety attacks are often associated with excessive worry about a specific issue. 

• The physical symptoms in panic attacks are usually more intense which contributes to the fear of having a panic attack in the future. 

• Both, Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks, can significantly impact our functioning and sense of well-being. If you are struggling with these symptoms, know that

  • What you are experiencing is not a ‘life sentence”.

  • It is not a sign of weakness or lack of willpower. 

  • Your body and brain are responding to things that happened to or around you at any time in your past. 

  • Nobody is immune to sx of significant anxiety. 

The treatment for both Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks includes lifestyle changes, psychotherapy, relaxation and mindfulness, and sometimes psychotropic medication. When anxiety is interfering with our quality of life, it may be necessary to seek professional help to learn to manage the symptoms and relieve related suffering. 

Resources: 

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder 

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics