Difference Between Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks

Introduction:

Both panic and anxiety attacks can cause shallow breathing, rapid heart rate, and a feeling of distress—the difference between the two lies in the cause and severity. Panic attacks are usually more intense and can happen with or without any trigger, while anxiety attacks are a response to any known threat. People often use these terms interchangeably, but they are not the same. These attacks have different durations and intensities. The symptoms of anxiety attacks may be interlinked with various mental health conditions or trauma, while panic attacks usually target those with panic disorder.

What Are Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

A panic attack may often feel surprising, sneaky, or unpredictable. They can manifest suddenly or can be due to a trigger. Panic attacks are mainly linked with a condition called panic disorder but they may occur with other psychiatric disorders as well. Panic attacks can also manifest without being associated with any disorder. On the contrary, anxiety attacks are comparatively predictable and are most commonly the consequence of piled-up worry or anxiety.

How to Distinguish Between Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

Since the symptoms of these attacks can mimic each other, it can be difficult to distinguish one attack from another. Some of the differences between panic attacks and anxiety attacks are as follows:

• Trigger: Panic attacks can manifest with or without a trigger, while anxiety attacks are a response to a perceived threat or stressor.

• Symptoms: Symptoms of panic attacks occur suddenly, while symptoms of anxiety attacks may manifest gradually over time. The symptoms of panic attacks are disruptive and are associated with a sense of detachment, while symptoms of anxiety attacks can range in intensity from mild to severe.

• Resolving of Symptoms: The symptoms of panic attacks may resolve after a few minutes, while that of anxiety attacks may linger for longer periods.

What Are the Causes of Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

Unexpected panic attacks are not harnessed by any clear external triggers while expected panic and anxiety attacks can be triggered by the following:

• Social situations.

• A stressful job.

• Caffeine use, or withdrawal from alcohol or drugs.

• Driving.

• Phobias like acrophobia (fear of heights), claustrophobia (fear of small spaces), or agoraphobia (fear of open or crowded spaces).

• Memories of traumatic experiences.

• Thyroid problems.

• Medications and supplements.

• Chronic pain or illness like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and so on.

What Are the Risk Factors Associated With Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

The risk factors for these attacks are mostly similar. These are as follows:

• Exposure to a stressful event like the loss of a loved one or a divorce.

• Having experienced trauma or witnessed other traumatic events as a child or as an adult.

• Going through stressful events or worries like financial constraints, conflict in the family, or work responsibilities.

• Having an anxious personality.

• Living with a life-threatening illness or a chronic medical condition.

• Having a co-existing mental condition like depression.

• Drug abuse or alcohol consumption.

• Having close family members who also suffer from panic or anxiety disorders.

Individuals experiencing anxiety are predisposed to experience panic attacks. However, having anxiety does not always mean that one would suffer from a panic attack.

How Can Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks Be Diagnosed?

Physicians cannot diagnose anxiety attacks, but they can diagnose anxiety symptoms, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and panic disorders. A physician will enquire about the symptoms and conduct tests to eliminate other health conditions that have similar symptoms, like thyroid problems or heart disease. A physical examination, blood tests, psychological evaluation, or the use of a questionnaire and an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) may be advised.

How Can Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks Be Treated?

The treatment plan will be decided after assessing the individual’s symptoms and it will be based on medications, therapy, or both.

Medications: Medications can minimize the symptoms of panic and anxiety attacks. Some of the medications include:

1. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): This antidepressant elevates the levels of serotonin (happy hormone) in the brain.

2. Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): This is also an antidepressant medication that elevates the levels of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain.

3. Pregabalin: In case antidepressants do not work, anticonvulsants may be prescribed by the physician. Anticonvulsants are usually prescribed to reduce the frequency of seizures (sudden, uncontrollable bursts of electrical activity in the brain) and severity of epilepsy (a disorder in which there is a disturbance in the nerve cell activity in the brain which causes seizures). However, these drugs can minimize the symptoms of anxiety.

4. Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines may be prescribed as a short-term treatment for severe anxiety. This medication is not safe for long-term use since it is a sedative. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against the use of benzodiazepines in 2020 since its use could result in physical dependence, and withdrawal could be life-threatening. Combining these drugs with opioids, alcohol, or other substances could prove to be fatal. Hence, it is important to follow the physician’s instructions when using these or other drugs to treat anxiety.

Therapy Sessions: Interpersonal therapy sessions can help one identify the triggers and manage their symptoms accordingly. Therapy also enables individuals to accept the past and move ahead in the future. Therapy sessions can be either one-on-one or can happen remotely. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widespread treatment option for panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This therapy focuses on the individual’s behavioral responses to specific stressors or events. Therapists will assist the patients to develop new behavioral habits and techniques for reacting to stressors.

Exposure therapy is a form of therapy that involves controlled exposure to situations that set off fear and anxiety in the individual. Individuals are taught to confront these fears in a new manner. Cognitive therapy can help one identify, reframe, and neutralize unwanted thoughts that mostly underlie an anxiety disorder. Relaxation techniques like guided imagery, exercises, biofeedback, autogenic training, and progressive relaxation may also be beneficial.

What Are the Home Remedies That Can Be Beneficial for Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

The following are some of the remedies:

• One can focus on each inhalation and exhalation when feeling anxious. The stomach should be filled with air when one inhales, and one must count down from four while exhaling. This should be repeated till one’s breathing slows down.

• If one has previously experienced a panic or anxiety attack, they should remind themselves of the fact that though it could be challenging, the symptoms would fade off in a while.

• Mindfulness enables one to anchor one's thoughts in the present and has been increasingly used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. One can practice mindfulness by observing one's thoughts and sensations actively without responding to them.

• Eating a balanced diet.

• Minimizing and managing stress in life.

• Learning how to recognize and deal with negative thoughts.

• Practicing yoga or meditation.

• Doing regular, moderate exercise.

• Sleeping adequately for at least eight hours a day.

• Refraining from consuming alcohol, caffeine, and drugs.

• One can join a support group for individuals with anxiety or panic attacks.

Conclusion:

Though the terms panic attacks and anxiety attacks are being used interchangeably, these are different. Anxiety and panic attacks share similar causes, risk factors, and symptoms but panic attacks are usually more intense, sudden in onset, and are associated with severe physical symptoms. Anxiety attacks are due to long-term build-up of worries. Both panic and anxiety attacks can be disruptive and distressing but medication, therapy, and self-help strategies can help one overcome the symptoms. If one experiences any of the above symptoms of panic or anxiety attack, it is advisable to consult a certified mental health professional at the earliest.