Anxiety and panic are highly distressing emotions that share some characteristics. But they are not the same. Being able to differentiate between anxiety vs. panic attack can be an important step toward finding the right treatment for yourself or a loved one.
At North Atlanta Behavioral Health, we have created a safe and highly supportive environment where adults can receive customized outpatient care to manage anxiety and minimize the impact of panic attacks.
Learn more about anxiety treatment in Atlanta or verify your insurance now.
What Is Anxiety?
To understand the similarities and differences between anxiety vs. panic attacks, it can be helpful to take a look at each one individually first. We’ll start with anxiety.
Nervousness vs. Anxiety Disorders
In a clinical context, anxiety can refer to several mental health disorders that are all characterized by excessive or otherwise disproportionate fear, worry, or concern. These disorders are differentiated primarily by the situations or circumstances that trigger the onset of symptoms.
Key terms in the descriptions of anxiety disorders are “excessive” and “disproportionate.” It’s not uncommon to be nervous when getting on an airplane, giving a presentation, or dealing with many other stressful situations. What differentiates the symptoms of anxiety disorders from everyday nervousness are their intensity and persistence, as well as their ability to disrupt a person’s life.
People who have anxiety disorders can experience such overwhelming psychological distress that it impairs their ability to function and causes them to alter their behaviors.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes criteria for seven different anxiety disorders.
Brief descriptions of anxiety disorders in the DSM-5:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Persistent and/or recurring symptoms that may be related to a variety of issues, such as work, relationships, finances, or health. This disorder can also cause a general sense of unease or fear that something bad is about to happen, without the emotions being tied to a specific event or concern.
- Panic disorder: Having multiple panic attacks, which will be discussed in greater detail later in today’s post.
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia): Extreme fear about situations where you might be observed and judged by others, such as eating in a restaurant, giving a presentation, or meeting new people.
- Separation anxiety disorder: Overwhelming fear when being apart from an attachment figure such as a parent or spouse, due to concern that something terrible may happen to them and you’ll never see them again.
- Specific phobia: Having an intense negative reaction when exposed to certain objects, animals, or situations, such as spiders, needles, blood, or air travel.
- Agoraphobia: Severe emotional discomfort in certain environments, including wide open or enclosed spaces, public transportation, crowds, or even simply being outside your home by yourself. The distress may be driven by fear that you won’t be able to escape or get help if something bad or embarrassing happens to you.
- Selective mutism: This type of anxiety disorder, which is limited to children, is characterized by the inability to speak in certain situations despite not exhibiting this problem in other circumstances.
What Are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks involve the sudden, unpredictable onset of extreme fear and possible disorientation, along with a host of upsetting physical symptoms. They are usually brief, often lasting less than 10 minutes. But when a person is in the midst of a panic attack it can feel like the experience will never end.
Symptoms of panic attacks include:
- Dizziness, vertigo, or feeling like you’re going to faint
- Hot flashes and chills
- Excessive perspiration
- Accelerated heart rate
- Chest pain
- Feeling like you can’t catch your breath
- Feeling like you’re being choked or smothered
- Tingling in your hands and feet
- Nausea
- Depersonalization, or the sense of being detached from your body and mind
- Derealization, or the sense of having become detached from your surroundings
- Intense fear of impending death
If a person has multiple panic attacks, they may be diagnosed with panic disorder, which is a type of anxiety disorder.
Panic disorder is less common than panic attacks:
- According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 11% of adults will have at least one panic attack in a typical year.
- The National Institute of Mental Health has reported that about 2.7% of adults had panic disorder in the previous 12 months, and about 4.7% will develop the condition at some point in their lifetime.
Anxiety vs. Panic Attack
The main difference between anxiety vs. panic attack is that anxiety can refer to a category of disorders, while panic attack describes a specific set of symptoms.
Other differences between anxiety vs. panic attack:
- Onset: Anxiety symptoms are often (but by no means always) triggered by specific stimuli. This makes them somewhat predictable. Panic attacks, on the other hand, often occur suddenly and for no clear reason.
- Duration: Panic attacks are usually brief. Anxiety symptoms, especially those associated with GAD, can persist indefinitely.
- Symptoms: Anxiety symptoms are primarily psychological, involving excessive fear or worry, though they can also cause physical symptoms. Panic attacks always have a strong physical component, along with emotional distress.
One important similarity between anxiety vs. panic attack is that both are treatable. With proper care, which may include prescription medication and therapy, people can learn to manage their symptoms and achieve significant improvements in their quality of life.
Find Treatment for Anxiety & Panic in Atlanta, GA
North Atlanta Behavioral Health provides personalized outpatients services for adults who have been experiencing panic attacks and other anxiety-related symptoms. We also offer dual diagnosis programming for clients whose mental health struggles are accompanied by a co-occurring addiction to alcohol or another drug.
Clients who heal at our outpatient center in Atlanta, GA, may receive care at two levels: a partial hospitalization program (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (IOP). Both options feature customized service provided by experienced professionals within a safe and respectful environment.
Untreated anxiety can have a devastating impact on your life. But when you get the help you need, you can start living the healthier life you deserve.
Call 770-230-5699 today to learn more or verify your insurance now.
