Anxiety vs. Panic Attacks: What’s the Difference?

Anxiety and panic attacks affect more women than men, and only an estimated 20% of women who have anxiety and/or panic attacks receive treatment.  This means there are a LOT of females out there struggling on their own.

But what exactly is “anxiety”? And what is a “panic attack”?

We use and hear these words daily, but even for many who’ve spent time in the world of psychology, it may still feel unclear.

Lets take a look at what each entails.

Anxiety vs Panic Attack

Anxiety is a broader, more generalized experience and includes the following:

Excessive concern or worry about various topics, events, or activities; the worry is experienced as very challenging to control; the worry is accompanied by at least 3 of the following physical or cognitive symptoms:

• Edginess or restlessness

• Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual

• Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank

• Irritability

• Muscle aches or soreness

• Difficulty sleeping

A Panic Attack is an extremely intense experience, characterized by 4 or more of the following symptoms:

• Heart palpitations, or accelerated heart rate

• Sweating

• Trembling or shaking

• Sensations of smothering, or shortness of breath

• Sensations of choking

• Chest discomfort or pain

• Nausea or abdominal distress

• Dizziness, unsteady, lightheaded, faint

• Feelings of unreality (derealization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization)

• Fear of losing control or going crazy

• Fear of dying

• Numbness or tingling sensations

• Chills or hot flushes

You can imagine how different these two experiences are.  “General anxiety is like a dark, gloomy day with lots of clouds and rain, and a panic attack is a sudden flash flood with lightning, setting off the emergency alarms.”

Treatment

Many types of medications can be prescribed to treat anxiety and panic attacks. It is important to understand, however, that medication alone should never be the solution (in fact many people treat their anxiety successfully without any medicine or prescription drugs at all).

What’s proven to be most effective is the ongoing maintenance of physical and mental health. Since anxiety is most times a by-product of an over-stimulated nervous system, simple healthy habits are paramount. Healthy eating, exercise, quality sleep & avoiding alcohol and drugs are the top recommended healthy habits to reduce anxiety and panic attacks.

Psychotherapy (or counseling) is another powerful tool to help reduce anxiety and manage emotional regulation. There are many different schools of thought and techniques practitioners use to help alleviate anxiousness, and use cognitive behavioral approaches to focus on thoughts, feeling and behaviors. These work well with bringing awareness to the events that may trigger anxiety or panic attacks, and then how to move through those experiences in a more productive way.

Supportive relationships/groups are key to holistic health and longevity. Whether this is joining a support group, a Facebook community, or a very empathetic caring friend or partner, having people in your corner to connect with a relate to about anxiety will alleviate the feelings of isolation, and help you develop mindset and feel more secure as you move forward.

Stress management techniques (i.e.: breathing, yoga, meditation, journaling) are the tools you can store in your tool kit for when you may need them. I highly recommend finding and committing to one that resonates with you to reduce stress. That way, it becomes your go-to when anxiety or panic strikes, and you’ll automatically lean into your coping tool for alleviation.

Check out this video on managing stress which gives some helpful advice as well.

Consult your doctor if you are experiencing any distressful symptoms such as the ones listed above.  There are many ways anxiety may manifest, and each individual is going to show different symptoms and levels of intensity. 

Just remember, there is so much you can do to feel better and live your life in a whole different way. A life free from panic and fear. The only way to get there is to take action!