Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are easy to confuse with one another.
Both are frightening mental and bodily onslaughts with debilitating effects, both cause the sufferer to lose control, and both are difficult to stop.
However, if you're looking for ways to treat your illness on your own, it's important to be able to distinguish between the two types of attacks.
Understanding the differences will make it easier to give yourself an accurate diagnosis.
Causes An anxiety attack can usually be traced to a recognizable source of worry, which can be almost anything: Maybe you're afraid of flying or of getting sick.
Perhaps you're worried about an upcoming public speaking engagement, or maybe you've been arguing with your spouse.
During the attack, nothing you do or think seems to assuage your worries, and your anxiety builds and builds until it's unbearable.
A panic attack is more difficult to trace to an identifiable cause.
Many long-time sufferers say things like, "It just comes out of the blue," or, "I just start to feel funny, and then it gets worse and worse.
" Perversely, once the attack has started, your main worry becomes fear that you're having an attack.
Based on prior experience, you know what panic attacks are like, and the thought of having another one is terrifying.
In other words, your fear turns in on itself.
Then, your natural fight or flight response kicks in, which compounds the panic.
In short, the important difference between anxiety and panic attacks is this: Panic attacks are all about you, while anxiety attacks are all about something else.
Symptoms Another major difference between the two is that panic attacks tend to peak after a short period of time and then subside, while anxiety attacks can go on and on until the problem is resolved in some concrete way.
At the start of a panic attack, the sufferer may begin to experience an accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, chills, or hot flashes.
At this point, she begins to fear that she is having an attack, which makes these symptoms intensify and may lead to more serious effects such as fainting, disorientation, or embarrassing public distress.
All of this may occur within minutes, and it will usually pass once the sufferer has reached a safe place or found some other way to calm down.
The symptoms of anxiety attacks unfold in a much slower way.
Rather than short-term effects like dizziness or hot flashes, anxiety attacks begin with long-term stress-related symptoms such as muscle tension, disturbed sleep, restlessness, or mood disturbances.
The attack may take hours or even days to peak, and once it does, the symptoms can begin to resemble a panic attack, with things like accelerated heart rate, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
Treatment Anxiety attacks are sometimes related to deep-seated issues that may require medical treatment.
If the anxiety is closely related to something like post-traumatic stress, severe sociophobia, or persistent general anxiety disorder, psychiatric therapy may be the best choice.
On the other hand, if you have panic attacks, or if you have anxiety attacks but would rather not use medication, you have options.
There are special techniques designed to reduce your fear, which is sometimes all it takes.
Why place a burden on your time and wallet, when the solution to your problem may lie inside of your head? In the end, the choice is yours.
Both are frightening mental and bodily onslaughts with debilitating effects, both cause the sufferer to lose control, and both are difficult to stop.
However, if you're looking for ways to treat your illness on your own, it's important to be able to distinguish between the two types of attacks.
Understanding the differences will make it easier to give yourself an accurate diagnosis.
Causes An anxiety attack can usually be traced to a recognizable source of worry, which can be almost anything: Maybe you're afraid of flying or of getting sick.
Perhaps you're worried about an upcoming public speaking engagement, or maybe you've been arguing with your spouse.
During the attack, nothing you do or think seems to assuage your worries, and your anxiety builds and builds until it's unbearable.
A panic attack is more difficult to trace to an identifiable cause.
Many long-time sufferers say things like, "It just comes out of the blue," or, "I just start to feel funny, and then it gets worse and worse.
" Perversely, once the attack has started, your main worry becomes fear that you're having an attack.
Based on prior experience, you know what panic attacks are like, and the thought of having another one is terrifying.
In other words, your fear turns in on itself.
Then, your natural fight or flight response kicks in, which compounds the panic.
In short, the important difference between anxiety and panic attacks is this: Panic attacks are all about you, while anxiety attacks are all about something else.
Symptoms Another major difference between the two is that panic attacks tend to peak after a short period of time and then subside, while anxiety attacks can go on and on until the problem is resolved in some concrete way.
At the start of a panic attack, the sufferer may begin to experience an accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, chills, or hot flashes.
At this point, she begins to fear that she is having an attack, which makes these symptoms intensify and may lead to more serious effects such as fainting, disorientation, or embarrassing public distress.
All of this may occur within minutes, and it will usually pass once the sufferer has reached a safe place or found some other way to calm down.
The symptoms of anxiety attacks unfold in a much slower way.
Rather than short-term effects like dizziness or hot flashes, anxiety attacks begin with long-term stress-related symptoms such as muscle tension, disturbed sleep, restlessness, or mood disturbances.
The attack may take hours or even days to peak, and once it does, the symptoms can begin to resemble a panic attack, with things like accelerated heart rate, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
Treatment Anxiety attacks are sometimes related to deep-seated issues that may require medical treatment.
If the anxiety is closely related to something like post-traumatic stress, severe sociophobia, or persistent general anxiety disorder, psychiatric therapy may be the best choice.
On the other hand, if you have panic attacks, or if you have anxiety attacks but would rather not use medication, you have options.
There are special techniques designed to reduce your fear, which is sometimes all it takes.
Why place a burden on your time and wallet, when the solution to your problem may lie inside of your head? In the end, the choice is yours.