How to Tell the Difference Between Anxiety and a Panic Attack

You’re breathing fast, your heart is racing, and you feel dizzy, clammy, or sick to your stomach. Is it anxiety, or an actual panic attack?

At 2nd Chance Treatment Center, with practice locations in Phoenix and Litchfield Park, Arizona, our team of board-certified psychiatrists treats anxiety, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We can help you learn the difference between anxiety and a panic attack, weather these moments, and gain control over your mind and body.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal part of life for most people. It comes and goes, and can be at different levels depending on what’s currently happening (or expected to happen) in your life. 

You may have heard terms like “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” used interchangeably, but someone with acute anxiety can usually be talked down, while a person having a panic attack is much more difficult to reach.

You can suffer from a period of anticipatory anxiety due to an upcoming test or a job interview, have a sudden surge of anxiety about an unexpected drain on your finances, or suffer from bouts of anxiety due to circumstances beyond your control, like the behavior of family members toward you.

However, most anxiety passes when the cause for the anxiety is gone. If you have an anxiety disorder, anxiety can be chronic, with levels of distress that change over time. Panic attacks generally happen without warning and be more intense.

Panic attacks vs. anxiety

Panic attacks, unlike anxiety, can happen with or without an immediate or obvious cause. You can be triggered by an event that reminds you of some trauma from your past (common in people with PTSD), or just suddenly find yourself in the grip of an attack, or even recovering from one, without much memory of what happened.

While both anxiety and panic attacks can cause an elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and dizziness, there are some important differences in additional physical symptoms.

Anxiety can build slowly over time, starting with a general feeling of unwellness. You could have dry mouth or nausea, stomach pain, or clammy hands. Your anxiety can become acute, slowly building until the cause for anxiety is gone or an anxiety disorder is properly treated.

Panic attacks are more likely to come on swiftly and ferociously, leaving you struggling with flight-or-fight responses, or even completely frozen. You’re more likely to tremble and shake, have chest pain, think you’re dying, or disconnect from reality.

Panic attacks typically last 20 minutes or less and can leave you shaky, fatigued, and/or struggling with a headache. It’s possible to have multiple conditions like anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD at the same time.

If you struggle from anxiety, PTSD, and/or panic attacks, call the 2nd Chance Treatment Center location near you, or make an appointment online today. We can help.