{"id":11249,"date":"2020-05-07T11:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T15:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=11249"},"modified":"2020-09-15T16:24:18","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T20:24:18","slug":"anxiety-attack-vs-panic-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/anxiety-attack-vs-panic-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"How to tell the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am no stranger to anxiety. I don\u2019t remember a time in my life that I wasn\u2019t visited by the familiar intrusive thoughts of worry and \u201cwhat-ifs.\u201d While I may have experienced some physical symptoms like increased heart rate with my anxiety episodes, it was always the worry that let me know anxiety was the culprit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When one night I had sudden hot flashes, a racing heartbeat, mild chest pain, and sweating, I thought I must be having a heart attack. I hadn\u2019t felt anxious\u2014at least not until I thought I was dying\u2014so I didn\u2019t consider the possibility this was anxiety-related. It went away after about half an hour, and I realized I was okay. When it happened again a few weeks later, I talked to my doctor and learned I was having panic attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are often used interchangeably\u2014but there are some key differences between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c’Anxiety attack’ is a layman\u2019s term for a feeling of heightened anxiety that generally builds over time due to excessive worry,\u201d says<\/span> Shana Olmstead<\/span><\/a>, MA, LMHC, a psychotherapist in Kirkland, Washington. \u201cA panic attack can feel more like it comes out of the blue, and can be due to underlying anxiety or stress but not necessarily happen at the time of the stressful situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of an anxiety attack vs. a panic attack?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Symptom<\/b><\/td>\nAnxiety attack<\/span><\/td>\nPanic attack<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Excessive worry<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nSometimes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Difficulty concentrating<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Irritability<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Restlessness<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fatigue<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Muscle tension<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disturbed sleep<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Increased startle response<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Increased heart rate\/heart palpitations\/pounding heart<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dizziness<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sensations of shortness of breath\/difficulty breathing<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feelings of unreality<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feeling detached from oneself<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fear of losing control or going crazy<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fear of dying<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Excessive sweating<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trembling or shaking<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feeling of choking<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chest pain<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nausea or abdominal discomfort<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feeling lightheaded, unsteady, or faint<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Numbness of tingling sensations<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chills<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hot flashes<\/span><\/td>\nLess likely<\/span><\/td>\nYes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How to tell the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cAn anxiety attack is generally caused by the escalating intensity of worry in response to a real or perceived internal or external stressor,\u201d says<\/span> Sharon D. Thomas<\/span><\/a>, MS, LCMHC, a licensed clinical mental health counselor at MindPath Care Centers in Raleigh, North Carolina. \u201cThis worry builds and the excessiveness of the stress becomes overwhelming, which can feel like an attack.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPanic attacks are similarly influenced by an internal\/external stressor,\u201d says Thomas, \u201cbut instead of the escalating or building response from the stressor of an anxiety attack, the fear responses are abrupt, intense, and highly disruptive to the individual\u2019s capacity to function in response to the fear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anxiety attacks:<\/span><\/p>\n