7 Key Differences Between an Anxiety Attack and a Panic Attack
Feeling overwhelmed, breathless, or consumed by fear can signal a deeper mental health condition, but understanding what you’re experiencing, especially regarding anxiety and panic, is crucial. Panic attacks and anxiety attacks are two of the most common emotional responses to stress and mental overload, and while they share overlapping symptoms, they are not the same. Differentiating between them is essential for accurate diagnosis, proper treatment, and long-term management of your mental health.
Written by
- Redaction Team
- Mind, Personal Development
Table of Contents
Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack: Understanding the Difference
When comparing a panic attack and an anxiety attack, it’s important to understand that only panic attacks are officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Anxiety attacks may lead to experience a panic attack, though commonly used in conversation, are not a formal diagnosis. Instead, the term often refers to episodes of intensified anxiety associated with a broader anxiety disorder like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
While both panic and anxiety attacks can involve overwhelming fear and physical symptoms, the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack lies in their onset, intensity, and duration. Panic attacks are typically sudden and unprovoked, while anxiety attacks build gradually in response to stressors.
Onset: Panic Attacks Are Sudden, Anxiety Builds Gradually
The difference between panic and anxiety often starts with how the symptoms present themselves. A panic attack can strike unexpectedly, even while resting or relaxing. You may feel like you’re having a heart attack, with no obvious trigger. These attacks Panic attacks can happen to anyone, even without a prior mental health condition.
In contrast, anxiety attacks may build up slowly in response to a specific stressful situation, such as a work deadline, public speaking, or financial worries. These attacks are usually tied to anxiety or panic attacks an ongoing concern, making the difference between a panic attack and anxiety not just about symptoms but also context.
Intensity of Symptoms: Panic Attacks Are Often More Intense
Panic attacks are often more intense than anxiety attacks. The physical symptoms of a panic attack include chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, racing heart, and a fear of dying or losing control. These symptoms of a panic attack peak quickly and are extremely overwhelming.
Anxiety symptoms, on the other hand, may be less severe but longer lasting. People experiencing anxiety or a panic attack often describe muscle tension, restlessness, irritability, and a general sense of dread. Unlike the sudden flood of panic, anxiety tends to linger and can affect daily functioning over time.
Duration: Anxiety Tends to Last Longer Than Panic
Panic attacks usually peak within anxiety and panic attacks 10 minutes and subside within half an hour, although the fear of another attack can linger much longer, especially in those with panic disorder.
An anxiety attack, however, Anxiety attacks may last hours or even days, leading to symptoms of panic., depending on the stressors involved and the individual’s mental health condition. Understanding the difference between panic and anxiety means recognizing not just what you feel, but how long If anxiety persists, it may indicate that you are experiencing panic attacks.
Triggers: Panic Attacks May Be Unexpected
Another defining difference between panic and anxiety is the presence of triggers. Panic attacks can occur without warning or any clear reason, which can be particularly distressing. This unpredictability is common in panic disorder, where attacks are recurrent and unexpected.
An anxiety attack, by contrast, is usually linked to identifiable Fear and anxiety are common symptoms of panic about a specific situation. Panic or anxiety attacks might both be linked to trauma, but attacks usually happen under different circumstances.
Treatment Options: Tailoring to the Type of Attack
Healing the Spirit
- Practicing gratitude
- Acknowledging that a higher power, God/The Universe/The Greater Consciousness/ The Source, is already guiding us towards healing
- Practice own spiritual prayer. (In my opinion, regardless of religion, they can lead towards connecting with God
- Spiritual prayers for healing ancestral trauma
- Developing an attitude of not self identifying with the mind, and knowing how to merge and balance the spirit, the mind and the body
- Understanding that everything is connected.
- Angels follow you in your healing path and guide you in the form of synchronicities.
- Find out about chakra blockages and work towards it.
Healing the Mind
- Stress relief activities: Reading, going for a walk, listening music, dancing
- Nature / animal work
- Talking therapy
- Journaling
- Spotting and understanding own subconscious patterns
- Shadow work and integrating the suppressed emotions to be channeled into new form of energy such as creative arts or creative work
- Dedicating time to heal childhood emotional traumas
- Hashimoto and Thyroid Issues are psychological related to being unable to express oneself, and talk onself truth, therefore focusing on expressing such emotions and not suppressing them is important.
- Understand sickness as an invitation to change, evolve, grow and heal, similar to the point of view of the German New Medicine.
Healing the Body
- Do blood lab tests on different aspects to search for nutritional defficiencies (Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Zinc, Calcium levels etc) or surplus of sugar, LDL, HDL cholesterol etc.
- Address nutritional defficiencies
- Seek out with a food sensitivity test for food allergies such as Gluten, Diary, Eggs, Corn, Sugar.
- Include whole and healing foods (Kiwi, Ginger, Cilantro, Spirulina, Curcumin, Mango, Cucumber, Walnuts, Peacans, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Kefir, Greek Yogurt, Papaya, Banana, Coconut)
- Eliminate or reduce proccessed foods.
- Juicing therapy. (Green Juice, Beet, Carrot, Apple Juice, or find a mix of , Natural fruit or vegetable juices)
- Add supplements according to your needs.
- Check thyroid labs (T3, T4, TSH, T3 inverse), autoimmune anitbodies labs (TPO, TGAB) and hormone labs (Pregnenolone)
- If a doctor is going to give you any sort of medication, start from lower dose and adjust accordingly. (Medication is generally just a "Band-Aid" to a support a body issue, but it is not what it will fully help to heal the body)
- Grounding and time in nature.
- Exercise
- Sleep
Long-Term Impact: Panic vs Anxiety on Mental Health
Both panic and anxiety attacks can have a profound impact on your mental health, especially when left untreated. Panic attacks may lead to panic disorder, while recurring anxiety attacks often signal generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Over time, these conditions can influence work performance, relationships, and overall well-being. Early intervention with a It’s important to consult a mental health professional if you experience panic attack symptoms can dramatically improve outcomes.
Similar Symptoms but Different Origins
Although attacks and anxiety attacks share several similar symptoms, including Shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat are common symptoms of panic, and chest discomfort, they differ in cause and course. Understanding the difference between panic and anxiety attacks can help you know the difference between needing immediate calming strategies versus long-term mental health support.
Whether you experience panic or anxiety, it’s vital to understand that both are valid and treatable mental health conditions. Consulting a mental health professional can help you diagnose an anxiety or panic disorder and guide the best course for treatment.
Conclusion: Why Understanding the Difference Matters
Although attacks and anxiety attacks share several similar symptoms, including Shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat are common symptoms of panic, and chest discomfort, they differ in cause and course. Understanding the difference between panic and anxiety attacks can help you know the difference between needing immediate calming strategies versus long-term mental health support.
Whether you experience panic or anxiety, it’s vital to understand that both are valid and treatable mental health conditions. Consulting a mental health professional can help you diagnose an anxiety or panic disorder and guide the best course for treatment.
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