Panic Attack Or Anxiety? 5 Points Where They Differ

You have already received your diagnosis, but you don’t really know what the differences are between a panic attack or anxiety *. Many people confuse these two terms; however, both have some differential characteristics that should be paid attention to. Knowing these two disorders better will help you to know what is happening to you and to better understand the intervention plan that the specialist is going to design for you.

Anxiety has become a problem that affects a large part of society; not only to adults, but also to the youngest. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “anxiety is the ninth leading cause among adolescents aged 15 to 19”.

1. Anxiety is not momentary

This is one of the main differences between a panic or anxiety attack. The panic attack arises when you feel that you are in danger (unconsciously). As soon as the reason that caused that attack is gone, the panic attack disappears. Can it last for hours? It usually lasts a few minutes, about ten, although in some people it can last a little longer.

What about anxiety? Well, although the situation that you may have interpreted as dangerous is no longer there, the person continues to experience symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, nervousness, discomfort, worry, etc. Anxiety will be present in the day to day. Therefore, you will try to avoid those circumstances that cause it and you will feel anxious most of your time.

2. Panic attack is a clinical term

Alice Boyes, author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit , states that panic attack is a clinical term. It comes out of nowhere , abruptly. Thus, this author refers to panic attacks that can wake you up at night. Anxiety does not act this way.

There are people who feel anxiety when getting on a plane or having to drive. Contrary to panic attacks, when it comes to anxiety there is a factor where expectations or the response to a situation already experienced in the past are especially important.

Anxiety is a reaction to something specific (meeting someone, taking an exam, etc.). On the other hand, the panic attack arises without the person knowing how to identify the cause; that is why it is so disconcerting and produces so much helplessness.

3. The common symptoms are different

You may associate that hysterical bolus – that you have in your throat and that appears when you least expect it – to a panic attack. However, this is one of the many symptoms that you should look out for, since in this case it is an anxiety disorder. What other symptoms can alert you? Difficulty sleeping, the feeling of nervousness that lasts, having intestinal problems, such as sudden diarrhea for no reason, not being able to control worries and being tempted to avoid situations that generate anxiety.

With regard to panic attack, the symptoms are somewhat different. In these cases, dizziness or a feeling of light-headedness, chest pain or discomfort, very strong palpitations, fear of dying and losing control, numbness and tingling in the extremities, among other equally unpleasant symptoms, may appear. However, remember that the panic attack does not last days, but, at most, hours. With anxiety it is the opposite.

4. Worries don’t lead to a panic attack

You may have obsessive thoughts or worry too much, you may feel that many times you lose control, that you start to breathe faster, that hysterical bolus settles in your throat … In this context, although sometimes the symptoms seem unbearable, no It is a panic attack; it is anxiety.

Panic attacks appear when we feel threatened – it can be, for example, a stimulus that reminds us of a traumatic experience from the past; We can see them in many series or movies in which we see the return of the battle front by the soldiers.

In many cases, the person is unable to identify what has caused the panic attack. You will feel that you can die, you can even have the symptoms of a heart attack, some part of your body can be paralyzed, you will tremble …

5. Anxiety can lead to a panic attack

Finally, one of the reasons panic attack is often confused with anxiety is because they are related. When anxiety persists over time, anxiety attacks or, rather, panic attacks can occur. It is a reaction of the body that alerts that anxiety has exceeded the limits. But this is momentary and once the panic attack disappears the anxiety will return in the form of worries, insomnia, tummy aches, etc.

These are some of the differences between panic or anxiety attack. They get confused when talking about them, but they are not the same. Of course, it is advisable to go to a psychologist who can help solve what is causing them. If this is your case, in The Mind is Wonderful you will find many professionals willing to help you. Well, the panic or anxiety attack can affect your quality of life. It is time for this to stop being the case.

* Editorial note : in the article, we talk about anxiety as the reaction that accompanies concern about an identified threat, such as a plane trip or having to speak in public. Being strict, in panic attacks there is also anxiety, in fact they are also known as anxiety attacks. Therefore, I encourage the reader to understand the article in this sense.