Are Anxiety And Panic Attacks Same: One of the most common mental health problems experienced by millions of people across the globe is anxiety and panic attacks. As soon as we hear anxiety and panic attacks, we often struggle to differentiate between the two. An anxiety attack usually occurs in response to certain stressors and may build gradually, while panic attacks can occur abruptly and unexpectedly. Both anxiety and panic attacks indicate an underlying health condition.
While highlighting the differences between anxiety and panic attacks, Dr Vasudha Aggarwal, Clinical Director, United We Care shared that anxiety is an unsettling feeling that something is not right, even though everything seems fine. Whereas panic is a sudden, intense fear that something dangerous is going to happen to you.
Watch the video on tips to relive stress and axiety:
Table of Contents
Symptoms Of Anxiety Attack
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
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Symptoms Of Panic Attack
A women experiencing panic attack (Image Credits: Canva)
Symptoms of a panic attack usually peak within 10 minutes after it starts and then disappear soon after. Physical symptoms of a panic attack include:
- Chest pain
- Racing heart
- Difficulty breathing, such as hyperventilation
- Trembling or shaking
- Chills
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Tingling or numbness in your fingers or toes
According to Dr Aggarwal, both anxiety and panic attacks are accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, trembling, and muscle tension, but they vary in intensity, with panic attacks having severe symptoms.
How To Differentiate Between Anxiety And Panic Attack?
Dr Aggarwal explains that with anxiety, the thoughts are like “My friends don't really like me" or "I am going to embarrass myself." It's like a whirlpool of self-doubt, pulling you down and leading to either procrastination, perfectionism, or avoidance. But in panic attacks, the anxious tracks are like, "I am having a heart attack; I am going to stop breathing and suffocate,” causing intense physical symptoms.
How To Deal With Anxiety And Panic Attacks?
Anxiety and panic attacks are common mental health conditions (Image Credits: Canva)
- Tell yourself that the symptoms you're experiencing are caused by anxiety.
- Ride out the attack. Try to keep doing things. If possible, it's important to try to remain in the situation until the anxiety has subsided.
- Confront your fear. If you don't run away from it, you're giving yourself a chance to discover that nothing's going to happen.
- As soon as the attack begins to pass, start to focus on your surroundings and continue to do what you were doing before.
- If you’re breathing quickly during a panic attack, doing a breathing exercise can ease your other symptoms:
- Breathe in as slowly, deeply and gently as you can, through your nose
- Breathe out slowly, deeply and gently through your mouth
- Some people find it helpful to count steadily from 1 to 5 on each in-breath and each out-breath
- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing
(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.)
