People may use the terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” interchangeably, which makes sense since they both have some of the same symptoms. In real life, though, panic and anxiety differ, and mental health professionals use these terms to describe different symptoms and disorders.
Panic attacks are sudden, intense feelings of fear or discomfort accompanied by other physical and mental signs. On the other hand, anxiety is built into the human body as an emotional and protective response. When stress is too much or gets in the way of your daily life, that’s when you should worry. This article talks about how anxiety and panic differ, including how to define them, their symptoms, and how to treat them.
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Classification
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, or DSM-5, is used by professionals to diagnose mental health conditions. The diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 help a doctor figure out what’s wrong with you and how to classify it. Even though anxiety and panic attacks may feel the same, the DSM helps to tell them apart by pointing out their differences.
The best way to tell the difference between panic and anxiety is by how intense the symptoms are and how long the main ones last. Anxiety can last for months, while the worst part of a panic attack usually only lasts about 10 minutes.
Panic attacks are often caused by panic disorder but can also happen with other mental illnesses. You can also have an attack even if you don’t have the condition.
They are different from anxiety because they come with symptoms like:
- A feeling of being separate from the world (derealization)
- Getting away from the self (depersonalization)
- The worry that you might die or lose control
On the other hand, the DSM-5 does not explain what an “anxiety attack” is. “Anxiety” is often used to describe a core symptom of several illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Anxiety is different from a panic attack because it has symptoms like fear and worries, but not the extreme fear and feeling of being far away that a panic attack has.
Some of the most common problems that fall under these three categories are:
- Panic disorder
- Agoraphobia that has never been linked to a panic disorder
- Certain fears
- Having social anxiety (SAD)
- Separation anxiety.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder(GAD)
Panic attack
A panic attack is a sudden, strong feeling of fear, terror, or discomfort accompanied by several other mental and physical symptoms. The signs of a panic attack are often so bad that they cause a lot of trouble. The DSM-5 says a panic attack occurs when four or more of the following things happen.
Mental Symptoms
- Feelings of not being real (derealization)
- Feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization)
- Fear of going crazy or losing control
- Worry about dying
Physical Signs and symptoms
- Chest pain
- Chills
- Too much sweating
- a feeling of suffocation
- feeling dizzy, unsteady, faint, or lightheaded
- Heart palpitations, a pounding heart, or a fast heart rate
- Warm spots
- Nausea or abdominal distress
- Feelings of numbness or tingling (paresthesias)
- Trembling or shaking
- Feelings of being out of breath and having trouble breathing
Most panic attacks happen out of the blue and don’t have a clear cause immediately. In other cases, they are “expected” because the fear is caused by a known stressor, like a phobia.
Symptoms of a panic attack peak in 10 minutes and then go away. It’s normal to feel stressed, worried, out of sorts, or on edge for the rest of the day after an attack. But some attacks may last longer or happen right after another, making it hard to tell when one episode ends and the next one starts.
Anxiety
On the other hand, anxiety usually gets worse over time and is strongly linked to worrying too much about a possible danger, whether real or imagined.
If you’re worried about something for a long time and the stress gets so high that it’s too much, it may feel like an “attack.” Some of the signs of anxiety are listed below.
Mental Symptoms
- Having trouble focusing
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Signs and symptoms
- Disturbed sleep
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- speeding up of the heart
- Increase in startle responses
- Muscle tension
Even though some signs of anxiety are the same as those of panic attacks, they are usually less severe. The symptoms of anxiety, unlike those of a panic attack, can last for days, weeks, or even months.
Diagnosis
Anxiety is one of the most widespread mental health problems. About 19.1% of U.S. adults have it every year. Even though anxiety can significantly affect a person’s life, only about 20% of those with symptoms go to get help.
Effective treatments are also available that can improve outcomes and well-being, so if you are having symptoms of anxiety or panic attacks, it is essential to talk to a doctor. Because women are twice as likely as men to have anxiety symptoms, the Women’s Preventative Services Initiative now suggests that all women over 13.5 get screened for anxiety. During an evaluation, the doctor will ask about your health history and do a physical exam. He or she may also do lab tests to rule out any illnesses causing your symptoms.
A doctor or mental health professional will also ask you about your symptoms, such as how bad they are, how long they last, and how they affect your daily life. Based on your evaluation, they may then use criteria from the DSM-5 to make a diagnosis.
Anxiety is a widespread mental health problem affecting millions of people in the United States annually. To figure out if someone has anxiety or panic attacks, you have to look at how they feel, how long they last, and how bad they are. Doctors often use screening tools to look for signs of anxiety.
