Anxiety vs Panic Attack: Understand Why They’re Different Conditions

Fear is a natural, unavoidable part of life. However, sometimes fear becomes so overwhelming that you feel immobilized, preventing you from doing the things you love. 

Telling the difference between an anxiety attack vs a panic attack isn’t always easy. Both conditions involve intense feelings of fear. However, anxiety symptoms usually persist, whereas a panic attack comes on suddenly and then ends abruptly. 

If you’re living with intense feelings of fear, you’re not alone. More than 48 million Americans are estimated to be living with some type of anxiety or panic disorder. 

Oceans Healthcare is here to support people living with anxiety and panic disorders. We know the serious impact unchecked anxiety and panic can have on your life. We also know that, with the right treatment and support system, you can move through life without fear. 

Anxiety and panic are both terms used to describe intense feelings of fear and emotional distress. However, they are two different conditions, and your experience will differ depending on whether you’re diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or a panic disorder. It’s vital to understand the difference between the two conditions so that you can recognize your symptoms and develop appropriate coping strategies to manage them. While anxiety is usually associated with prolonged periods of worry over specific fears, panic attacks can hit suddenly with little to no warning. 

The phrase “anxiety attack” is not a recognized medical term. However, if you have an anxiety disorder, you may use the term to describe the onset of intense, acute feelings of fear, worry, or stress brought on by specific situations. 

Common symptoms of anxiety include:

Intense bouts of anxiety are not the same as panic attacks. They usually build more gradually. They may become more intense as you approach a specific event or activity that triggers negative feelings. Your worry worsens physical symptoms, creating a cycle of fear. While panic attacks happen quickly, your anxiety could linger, continuing to cause some symptoms even after you address your fears. 

A panic attack is a sudden, intense episode of overwhelming fear that comes on quickly and then subsides. Often, panic attacks happen for no clear reason. Although some people may experience triggers for panic attacks, you can have a panic attack in a place that doesn’t give you any reason to be afraid. Panic attacks are the most common symptom of a panic disorder. However, a panic attack can also occur as a result of other conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Common symptoms of a panic attack include:

When you have a panic attack, you might feel like you’re having a heart attack, that you can’t breathe, or that you’re going to die. While panic attacks are frightening, they are not life-threatening. The worst thing that could happen is that you might pass out. Panic attacks typically last between 5 and 20 minutes before symptoms subside.  

While anxiety and panic attacks are two unique conditions, they do share certain similarities. They are both bodily reactions to perceived threats that trigger your fight-flight-freeze reaction. Many experience either anxiety or panic symptoms that are caused by trauma and stressful situations. Both conditions can cause disruptions in day-to-day life. They can make it more difficult to go out in public and successfully navigate the workday. 

Because both anxiety and panic attacks trigger your fear response, they share several symptoms. Typical physical symptoms of both anxiety and panic attacks include rapid heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, and dizziness or lightheadedness. The intensity and duration of your symptoms will differ depending on your diagnosis.

The two conditions also share psychological symptoms, mostly involving fear and worry. Usually, the situation that you’re in doesn’t warrant the intensity of the fear you feel. As your fear builds, it becomes more difficult to control your emotions, and your symptoms become more intense. 

The shared symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks can make it difficult to tell them apart.  However, their key differences are what make them two separate conditions. The onset and duration of symptoms differ greatly. While anxiety develops gradually over time, panic attacks can begin before you even realize what’s happening. Anxiety almost always has specific triggers and fears that you can work through, but panic attacks often occur without an obvious trigger.

The duration of symptoms is another key difference between the two conditions. While anxiety can peak and become overwhelming, it’s milder than a panic attack. Anxiety can last for hours or days at a time. Panic attacks happen rapidly and end within a matter of minutes. If you have a panic disorder, the number of panic attacks you experience is going to be unique to you. Some people experience multiple panic attacks a day. Others go years between panic attacks.    

The biggest difference between panic attacks and anxiety is in their timing and triggers. Bouts of anxiety are situational. They happen within a specific context and can be linked back to identifiable fears and events. For example, people with social anxiety will feel their anxiety symptoms build up and become more intense the closer they get to a social situation, like having to attend a party. Alternatively, someone with a fear of public speaking may feel increasingly anxious in the days leading up to a presentation for school or work. These feelings might peak during or right before the activity they are afraid of. Afterward, those fears will slowly begin to dissipate. 

The causes and context for panic attacks are less straightforward. They often occur without the presence of specific triggers and may catch you by surprise. The unpredictability of panic attacks makes them extremely difficult to manage without the proper support. If you’re living with a panic disorder, you’re familiar with how the fear of a panic attack can lead you to avoid certain situations and environments where you think they could occur. 

If you ever experience overwhelming feelings of fear, and you’re not sure if it’s anxiety or a panic attack, there are 4 key aspects you should consider. 

Both anxiety disorders and panic disorders can get in the way of your daily life and make it difficult to enjoy important life events. Thankfully, there are treatment options that target each condition. Anxiety disorder treatment empowers you to identify triggers and find healthy ways to cope with your symptoms. Panic disorder treatment focuses on uncovering underlying trauma and reducing the frequency of your panic attacks. Therapy is a major part of treatment for both conditions and will help you get to the root of your fears. Appropriate treatment is the first step towards a calmer life. 

We have extensive experience treating both anxiety and panic disorders at Oceans Healthcare. With over 30 locations throughout the United States, we serve more than 34,000 clients annually. Our STAR military program is available for members of the military who experience panic and anxiety. Call us now at 888-293-6899 to learn more.

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