Panic Attack vs. Anxiety Attack

Perhaps the most significant difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack is that a panic attack is a medical condition defined by DSM-V criteria: “a sudden and abrupt occurrence of intense fear triggering severe physical reaction when there is no apparent cause or real danger”. Conversely, an anxiety attack is a colloquial term that arises due to heightened periods of anxiousness. 

Some of the significant key differences between anxiety vs. panic attack include;

• Most often panic attack occurs with or without a trigger, while an anxiety attack occurs in response to specific threats or perceived stressors.
• Panic attacks are disruptive and intense. Also, the physical symptoms in case of a panic attack are worse than an anxiety attack.
• The panic attack often encompasses the sense of unreality or detachment. Anxiety attacks can permutate from mild to severe trajectory.
• Anxiety attacks lack diagnostic recognition, while panic attacks do not.
• Panic attacks instigate all of a sudden and are spontaneous. Anxiety attacks occur gradually and take hours, days, weeks to reach the peak and thus get progressively intense.
• Panic attacks do not persist longer than a few minutes, while anxiety attacks last for more extended periods.

Differences In Symptoms

The correlations and contrasts between symptoms of anxiety vs. panic attacks always exist. These are noticeable in terms of the intensity of various symptoms, as physical symptoms are the same in both types of attack. Anxiety attacks due to gradual onset come about to be self-evident with more symptoms as compared to panic attacks.

Differences In Duration 

There exists a substantial variance in the duration of anxiety vs. panic attacks. The duration of panic attack symptoms is incisive, lasting for about 10-15 minutes. Moreover, symptoms disappear when the attack is over. Anxiety attacks do not last longer than 30 minutes, and symptoms last even after the end of the attack. A person’s removal from the situation or change of situation is inevitable to overcome the onset of anxiety attacks.

Differences In Trigger

The symptoms can sometimes eventuate in response to a trigger, the “expected panic attack”. These can often come “out of the blue” irrespective of known fear or stressor, as an “unexpected panic attack”. Anxiety attacks invigorate in accordance with the situation. The triggers of anxiety attacks vary from person to person. Some endure a few mild symptoms, while others put up with a wide variety of terrible symptoms. 

Differences In Treatment

Panic attacks vs. anxiety attacks are treatable conditions and may include home treatments, lifestyle changes, medications, and therapies. Panic and anxiety attacks differ in the way they are treated. 

The reason being the symptoms of anxiety account for anxiety attack and panic attack also has a different approach. It is also helpful to take possession of productive and informed conversations with a doctor or therapist.

Anxiety Attack Treatment

These are treated on the basis of overall anxiety symptoms. There are several treatments available to prevent anxiety disorder. Also, there are some medications that can benefit from a regular basis. Anxiety attacks can also be treated through cognitive behavioral therapy, which is undoubtedly a good option. 

In this therapy, you learn to change your behavior through mindful practices that are reasonable of thoughts. Trained therapists teach you how to change your thoughts, and as a result, you make conscious decisions. You learn to keep yourself worry-free and calm under various circumstances through which you know how to cope with anxiety attacks and stop them with time. 

Panic Attack Treatment

As panic attacks are far different from anxiety attacks, so are their treatments. Panic attacks are marked as unpredictable because they usually occur infrequently and interchangeably, so one should make a serious effort to tackle these attacks. The best way to start getting over these attacks is by looking at the symptoms of these attacks and then navigating them accordingly. 

Until now, the best-known treatment to handle these attacks is therapy. Therapy will surely make a way to confront panic attacks by making you aware of the dos and don’ts during the attack, minimizing the duration of the attack, and making you stronger to undertake the attack. And in some cases, medications and exercises have also been proved an effective tool to calm a person of these attacks.