Difference between Panic Attack and Anxiety Attack: Symptoms and cure

When your body responds to your stress levels in a way that is concerning, you could be suffering from either a panic attack or an anxiety attack. However, although both factors respond to certain stressors and can occur unexpectedly and abruptly, they are very much different from each other. Both Panic attacks and Anxiety attacks indicate an underlying health condition.

People often get confused between an Anxiety attack and a Panic attack, it is because the symptoms are quite similar. But, it is important to understand your disease in order to find a cure. Read further to understand the difference between the two.

What is Anxiety Attack?

An anxiety attack could be of various types and features a number of common psychiatric disorders. The conditions include:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• specific phobia

Anxiety is usually related to the effect of a stressful situation, experience, or event. However, unlike a panic attack, an anxiety attack builds up gradually. Basic symptoms of anxiety include worry, stress, and fear.

It is to be noted that, the symptoms of “anxiety attack” can differ from person to person. The lack of diagnostic recognition of anxiety attacks means that the signs and symptoms are open to interpretation.

What is Panic Attack?

Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly and abruptly, and involve intense and often overwhelming fear. It can occur with or without a trigger. The basic physical symptoms of a panic attack are racing heartbeats, shortness of breath, or nausea.

Unexpected panic attacks occur without an obvious cause, whereas, Expected panic attacks are cued by external stressors, like phobias.

Panic attacks can happen to anyone, but having them more frequently can be a sign of panic disorder.

Difference between symptoms of Panic attack and Anxiety attack

Panic and anxiety may feel similar as they both share a lot of emotional and physical symptoms. It is possible for a person to experience both attacks at the same time.

Anxiety attacks usually take place while worrying about a potentially stressful situation, like a performance you need to conduct in front of a huge crowd in the near future. The anxiety keeps building up until the time before your big event and eventually turns into a panic attack.

A panic attack or anxiety attack can both cause physical and emotional symptoms, including:

• apprehension and worry
• distress
• fear of dying or losing control
• a sense of detachment from the world (derealization) or oneself (depersonalization)
• heart palpitations or an accelerated heart rate
• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• tightness in the throat or feeling like you’re choking
• dry mouth
• sweating
• chills or hot flashes
• trembling or shaking
• numbness or tingling (paresthesia)
• nausea, abdominal pain, or upset stomach
• headache
• feeling faint or dizzy

It can be difficult to know whether what you’re experiencing is anxiety or a panic attack. In this case, keep the following in mind;

The cause:

Anxiety is triggered by something stressful or threatening, and it builds up gradually. Meanwhile, panic attacks are not cued by stressors; they often occur out of the blue.

The level of distress:

Anxiety attacks can be mild, moderate, or severe. In other words, anxiety could already be building up at a slow pace in the back of your mind as you go about your day-to-day activities. Whereas, panic attacks mostly involve severe, disruptive symptoms.

Fight-or-flight:

During a panic attack, the body’s autonomous fight-or-flight response takes over. The brain tries to save the body by looking at the problems on the surface even though the trouble is within it. On the other hand, in anxiety, the physical symptoms are even more intense. For, example, if you are feeling like your heart is stopping, it will stop if your mind is unable to discover the cause in time.

Speed of onset:

While anxiety can build gradually, panic attacks usually come on abruptly.

Effect:

While anxiety is triggered by various worries and fears, panic attacks open gates for such factors or even another attack. It will leave an effect on your behaviour, leading you to avoid places or situations where you think you might be at risk of a panic attack.

Also Read: 8 Habits That Help Become Mentally Strong

Causes of Panic attacks and Anxiety attacks

Unexpected panic attacks have no clear external triggers. Expected panic attacks and anxiety can be triggered by similar things. Some common triggers include:

• a stressful job
• driving
• social situations
• phobias, like agoraphobia (fear of crowded or open spaces), claustrophobia (fear of small spaces), and acrophobia (fear of heights)
• reminders or memories of traumatic experiences
• chronic illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, or asthma
• chronic pain
• withdrawal from drugs or alcohol
• caffeine
• medication and supplements
• thyroid problems

Treatment

It is important to speak with a doctor in case of such uneasy symptoms and get diagnosed in order to get prescribed treatment. Here are some treatments a doctor may discuss with you:

Counseling and psychotherapy

Therapies for anxiety and panic disorders can help overcome the fear and lead a healthier life. It can involve, the following, often in combination.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):

In this therapy, a counselor will help you develop strategies for managing triggers when they arise. It can help you see things that worry you from a different perspective.

Cognitive therapy:

This therapy will help you pinpoint the problem or fear and reframe, and neutralize the unhelpful thoughts that often underlie an anxiety disorder.

Exposure therapy:

This therapy involves controlling exposure to situations that trigger fear and anxiety, gradually leading to learning to confront those fears and overcoming them.

Relaxation therapy:

This form of treatment includes breathing exercises, guided imagery, progressive relaxation, biofeedback, and autogenic training.

What you can do

In case of sudden seizures, it may not always be possible to visit a doctor. In such situations, you can try some home remedies to ease your condition.

If you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, try the following:

• Take slow and deep breaths: Focus your attention on each inhale and exhale and forget everything else.
• Recognize and accept what you are experiencing: If you have already experienced an anxiety or panic attack before, remind yourself that the symptoms will pass and you’ll be alright.
• Practice mindfulness: It is a technique that can help you ground your thoughts in the present. In this, you actively observe your thoughts and sensations without reacting to them.
• Use relaxation techniques: Aromatherapy, and muscle relaxation may help. Take a bath, use lavender oil, or burn a candle with this scent as it has relaxing effects. You can also tune in to some relaxing music to calm your nerves.

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