The Difference Between A Panic Attack And An Anxiety Attack

[Jean Thomas]

An anxiety attack is brought on by a stressor. ie, hearing a loud bang, walking alone at night. Once the stressor is gone, so is the anxiety attack.


Common Symptoms of an anxiety attack:


-Nervousness


-Being easily startled


-Hot flashes


-Difficulty breathing


-Heart palpitations


-Rashes


-Irritability


-Restlessness/ fidgeting


-Muscle tension


-Headaches


-A consistent feeling of being stressed


-Lack of sleep


-Drained or fatigued


-Not waking up feeling rested


-Issues concentrating or completing tasks


-Not feeling "in your body".


Feeling as if you are in a dream and can't wake up out of it


On the other hand, a panic attack can happen suddenly without any immediate stressor.


Common symptoms of a panic attack:


-Feeling like you're going to die, or lose control


-Feeling like you're having a heart attack


-Having an assortment of physical symptoms similar to an anxiety attack which may include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea.


-Feeling paralyzed by fear

 

[Steph4real]

I think I have occasional anxiety attacks while I'm driving. I have some of those symptoms and they come up out of seemingly nowhere without any real triggers. One thing I've noticed is common with me is that my hands clench up around the wheel and I can't seem to move my fingers very well. They become numb and tingly and my heart races. There's not much I can do since it usually happens on the highway, so I have to wait it out until the feeling passes.

 

[Tshaka]

A panic attack is much worse than an anxiety attack both physically, mentally, and emotionally. A panic attack to me feels like a heart attack or a mild stroke. I have had so many anxiety attacks but when I have a panic attack I feel like I'am being punched in the gut. I think that in this highly caffeinated fast-paced society most people or about 70 percent of all Americans have an anxiety attack at least one time a month.

 

[lexinonomous]

I have had a combination of the two attacks on a few occasions now. My anxiety will start to spike, which will lead into an anxiety attack. Once the anxiety sets in, I start to panic thinking that I am about to die. I panicked a few weeks ago, convinced that I was having a heart attack and almost had my boyfriend drive me to the hospital. The idea of dying is one of the most terrifying scenarios. I am absolutely terrified of death- so when these anxiety attacks happen, I start to think about every scenario imaginable. The worst case scenario is when I start to google my symptoms and convince myself that I am having a stroke and/or heart attack. Thankfully, I have learned to manage my feelings, but panic and anxiety are no joke!

 

[andy21]

I have found that the combination of the two, anxiety and panic attacks are very similar, it requires the individual to decide the difference. You can anticipate a situation occurring and end up in a state of total panic. My issues have always been more or less with anxiety attacks due to a bully that was present throughout my middle and high school years. That stressor, once removed, was replaced by the habitual nature of heightened anxiety every time I would head off to school. As my self-esteem fell, the consistency of my attacks; now more panic than anxiety were like a comfort blanket, giving me an excuse not to go out and get over the feeling of total doom. I believe that anxiety attacks bring on the state of panic attacks and that is the relationship between the two.

 

[kgord]

I do become anxious over situations, to the point where it can resemble an attack, however, a real panic attack is something quite different. I remember vividly when I used to have them, and they were very scary and debilitating indeed. I remember just lying in bed one time and experiencing one out of the blue. I had to actually go to the emergency room, because I thought I was having a heart attack. Once I was medically reassured there was nothing wrong with my heart..it was easier to calm myself down.

 

[Jean Thomas]

I agree with everyone, both are very similar. I can usually calm down from an anxiety attack easily. But a panic attack is exhausting. It'll take me a couple days to recuperate from.

 

[aimeepoo]

Thank you for this explanation. I have had anxiety issues for a very long time and this is really something I've always wondered. I suffer from panic attacks (in remission I supposed and thank the Lord!). When I get one it seems to come out of the blue and suddenly. Thanks again!

 

[DDNatureLover]

I seem to live in a state of high anxiety, including anxiety attacks, with sporadic panic attacks. There is a distinct difference in the feeling, and as mentioned, the panic attacks are often attributable to a distinct trigger. I have done a lot of walking for leisure and exercise over the years. There's a trend that I noticed a while back that I appreciate, but it can also startle me and send my anxiety skyrocketing. When certain people are approaching from behind, whether on a bicycle or sometimes on foot, will make a comment such as, 'coming up on the left' or similar, to let (usually women) know that they're friendly and non-threatening. I appreciate the comments and heads up that someone is approaching, but the sudden sound, when I'm in my head, or listening to the sounds of nature, can really startle me, and I'll sometimes end up jumping, or stumbling into their path, which is sort of humorous, considering the whole point was to avoid that.

 

[Alex]

I find most people will have a combination of the two, and to be honest when you are having an attack you are not going to be rational about the the symptoms at all. You can get panic attacks without anxiety, as actors do get them before they go on stage sometimes.


I think both can be triggers, but while panic attacks are usually direct from an event or something said, and anxiety attack can come about when a person feels low. On a personal level I don't try to differentiate because when people have lists they try to self-diagnose and the only real cure in my experience is to recognize the onset and to cope in your own way. Know your triggers and learn to control them and not let them control you.

 

[lizt]

I have a mix of the two, I sometimes get an anxiety attack as the result of a panic attack or I might get one or the other from time to time. My anxiety attacks are typically triggered by stress or assignments(I'm in college), they are either mild and in the form of heart palpitations or a feeling of discomfort, or they are really bad and make me cry and feel nauseated.

 

[alice0]

I have heard doctors and therapists only use the term panic attack. When they talk about anxiety they just use anxiety. Not "anxiety attack". So.. Idk,

 

[amy88]

It's always good to get a better understanding of the two - I've experienced both in my lifetime and I think awareness is always a good thing. Especially with panic attacks, as I think they are often very much misunderstood.

 

[stephonline]

I have had both and they are always horrible to deal with. Panic attacks are much worse because I feel like I am losing total control of my body and the attack just takes over. I hyperventilate and I get so sick to my stomach that it makes me gag. It is the worst when I eat too much and then think that I am going to vomit all over the house. I miss feeling in control of my body and being able to just go out without this constant fear that I might lose it at any moment.

 

[hades_leae]

An anxiety attack is brought on by a stressor. ie, hearing a loud bang, walking alone at night. Once the stressor is gone, so is the anxiety attack.
Common Symptoms of an anxiety attack:


-Nervousness


-Difficulty breathing


-Muscle tension


-Not feeling "in your body".

Thanks for sharing the differences, now I know when I had anxiety attacks when I thought I was panicking. For me the hearing of loud bangs is something that makes me freak out. I remember being young and going to fire work shows with my family. It was when they shot the big round fireworks into the air, but I didn't see them because it was pitch black outside. It was the big bang that made my muscles tense up, and I had problems with feeling in my body because of that tension.


I really hated the feelings of anxiety attacks back then, and even now, but it's not as worse. Just not knowing when a loud noise is going to happen makes me tense up really bad.

 

[Corzhens]

On the other hand, a panic attack can happen suddenly without any immediate stressor.


Common symptoms of a panic attack:


-Feeling like you're going to die, or lose control


-Feeling like you're having a heart attack


-Having an assortment of physical symptoms similar to an anxiety attack which may include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea.


-Feeling paralyzed by fear

With your post, I get the impression that a panic attack is more of a psychological impulse maybe due to an imbalance or something? I am interested in this because my husband has anxiety attacks and it occurred not just several times. But his attack has reasons like what I had posted in another thread, when my husband lost his job, anxiety attack hit him without warning. So it is clear to me that my husband has anxiety attack and not panic attack since there is always a reason for the attack to manifest. Never did it happen that he suddenly had a symptom of the attack without a valid reason. But there are times that when he had anxiety attack, he seemed to have difficulty of breathing.

 

[Haleym1900]

Another part of having a panic attack is crying really hard or shaking and spazzing uncontrollably. These don't really happen during anxiety attacks. I know I have a feeling like I will cry during an anxiety attack but during a panic attack it just comes on woot warning, full blown and everything. Shaking/spazzing during a panic attack is also different from shivering or slight shaking during an anxiety attack. Shaking/spazzing is much more extreme.

 

[djordjem87]

With me stress is the main trigger of course. It 's not the fear of anything in particular. I just project in my mind some bad thoughts. Panic attacks are more intense with me. Anxiety is just me shaking inside. Panic attack is me shaking all around. I can barely breathe normally while in anxiety attacks I just have the feeling my heart is pacing. It is a thin thread between these but mostly the hidden factor makes the difference. Anxiety is more connected to stress caused by uncertainty and panic is more connected with some possible bad news, or bad events in general. .

 

[NormaD]

Wow.. Thank you for that post, it really was very informative for me. I did not know that there was a difference. I've always just assumed that an anxiety attack is the same as a panic attack. Really good to know. I guess I've mostly suffered from anxiety attacks rather than panic attacks, and it sort of makes me feel better to know that what I suffer from is still less severe than what others endure.

 

[Sunshine00]

I agree with everyone' date=' both are very similar. I can usually calm down from an anxiety attack easily. But a panic attack is exhausting. It'll take me a couple days to recuperate from.[/quote']
I have anxiety attacks that often start with many of the same symptoms, but some other symptoms vary. "Not feeling in my body" is the one that totally exhausts me, and like Jean Thomas, it takes me a few days to recuperate from it. So far, I've not had an anxiety attack within the few days that I'm recuperating and if I did, I fear it would prolong that to a week or more.