Two terms that are often used in relation to anxiety are a panic attack and an anxiety attack. But what do these terms actually mean? Keep reading if you’ve been wondering about the difference between a panic attack vs. anxiety attack.
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Panic Attack
What Is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is a clinical term that is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (essentially the go-to reference book for diagnosing mental health conditions in the United States). A panic attack refers to a specific experience that includes at least 4 of the following symptoms:
- Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
- A feeling of choking
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
- Nausea or abdominal distress
- Trembling or shaking
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Chills or hot flushes
- Sweating
- Feelings of unreality (derealization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization)
- Fear of losing control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
A panic attack is essentially the most anxious that you can feel.
Often the scariest part when you experience a panic attack is not knowing what it is or what is happening. A panic attack is your fight or flight system kicked into overdrive. Essentially, if you were being chased by a raging moose, you would experience all of the same symptoms, except you would experience it as completely normal!
Another feature of panic attacks is that they are brief. Most panic attacks last about 10 minutes, although they can last up to about 30 minutes. Despite this, even a very brief panic attack can feel like forever and there is often lingering elevated anxiety even after it is over.
When Do People Have Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks can happen in response to a trauma trigger, an anxiety trigger, or a major stressor. They can also occur out of the blue for no discernable reason (even while you are sleeping).
Individuals who have regular panic attacks may have them in the context of Panic Disorder or another mental health disorder, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or PTSD. However, not everyone who has had a panic attack has problematic anxiety* and not everyone who has problematic anxiety has panic attacks.
*I specify problematic anxiety because everyone has anxiety from time to time and this is perfectly normal.
Why Do People Have Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks are usually caused by an increased sensitivity to the physical symptoms of the fight or flight response. Anxiety escalates to panic when your amygdala (the fear center of the brain) misinterprets the internal bodily changes that come along with anxiety (such as an increased heart rate). In a panic attack, the amygdala labels these internal experiences as dangerous, rather than a normal phenomenon happening at an atypical time.
What Can You Do about Panic Attacks?
First, remember that while panic attacks can feel scary and are very uncomfortable, they are not dangerous. For more about how to respond to a panic attack in the moment, check out my article “How to Survive a Panic Attack in 5 Simple Steps.”
One of the primary interventions for panic attacks in therapy is called “interoceptives.” These exercises are a way to inoculate your body to various physiological symptoms so that they no longer trigger panic. Interoceptives should be done under the supervision of a therapist who has expertise in treating panic.
Anxiety Attack
What Is an Anxiety Attack?
While “panic attack” is a clinical term, an “anxiety attack” can mean different things to different people, as there is no set clinical definition.
Some possible definitions of an “anxiety attack” include:
- A short period of very high anxiety, but not quiet panic.
- A long period of time (anywhere from hours to weeks) of elevated anxiety.
Some may even use the terms “panic attack” and “anxiety attack” interchangeably.
As an anxiety therapist, I don’t use the term “anxiety attack” unless my client likes to use this term for something that they experience.
What Do Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks Have in Common?
No matter what your definition of an anxiety attack, both panic attacks and anxiety attacks involve elevated anxiety and usually an array of uncomfortable physical and mental symptoms, such as elevated heart rate or racing thoughts.
Neither panic attacks nor anxiety attacks are dangerous, although they can absolutely impact your life negatively and make day-to-day activities more challenging or less pleasant, to say the least.
If you are experiencing problematic anxiety, I encourage you to seek a professional who has the necessary expertise to support you as both panic and anxiety are highly treatable!
As a reminder, this blog post is not intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. This article is meant to provide you with some helpful information about the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack. If you are struggling with your mental health, I encourage you to consider reaching out for additional support, professional or otherwise.
– Kristel Roper, LMFT, LPCC
Kristel Roper is a licensed psychotherapist offering therapy services to individuals in the Sacramento area. She specializes in therapy for anxiety and OCD and especially enjoys working women, children, and parents of anxious kiddos. If you have a question for Kristel or are interested in therapy for yourself or your loved one, feel free to reach out.
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