An anxiety attack tends to occur in response to certain stressors and may build gradually while panic attacks can occur unexpectedly and abruptly. Both may indicate an underlying health condition.
You might hear people talking about panic attacks and anxiety attacks like they’re the same thing. But they’re different conditions.
Read on to find out more about the differences between panic attacks and anxiety.
What is an anxiety attack?
The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition” (DSM-5) does not mention anxiety attacks, but it does define anxiety as a feature of a number of common psychiatric disorders.
This includes the following conditions:
- generalized anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- separation anxiety disorder
- agoraphobia without history of panic disorder
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- social anxiety disorder
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- specific phobia
Anxiety is usually relatedTrusted Source to the anticipation of a stressful situation, experience, or event. It may come on gradually.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
- worry
- distress
- fear
The lack of diagnostic recognition of anxiety attacks means that the signs and symptoms are open to interpretation.
That is, a person may describe having an “anxiety attack” and have symptoms that another person has never experienced despite indicating that they, too, have had an “anxiety attack.”
What is a panic attack?
Panic attacks come on suddenly and involve intense and often overwhelming fear. They’re accompaniedTrusted Source by very challenging physical symptoms, like a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, or nausea.
DSM-5 recognizes panic attacks and categorizes them as unexpected or expected.
Unexpected panic attacks occur without an obvious cause. Expected panic attacks are cued by external stressors, like phobias.
Panic attacks can happen to anyone, but having more than one may be a sign of panic disorder, a mental health condition characterized by sudden and repeated panic attacks.
Symptoms of panic attack vs. anxiety attack
Panic and anxiety attacks may feel similar, and they share a lot of emotional and physical symptoms.
You can experience both an anxiety and a panic attack at the same time.
For instance, you might experience anxiety while worrying about a potentially stressful situation, like an important presentation at work. When the situation arrives, anxiety may culminate in a panic attack.
A panic attack or anxiety attack can both cause physical and emotional symptoms, including:
- apprehension and worry
- distress
- fear of dying or losing control
- a sense of detachment from the world (derealization) or oneself (depersonalization)
- heart palpitations or an accelerated heart rate
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- tightness in the throat or feeling like you’re choking
- dry mouth
- sweating
- chills or hot flashes
- trembling or shaking
- numbness or tingling (paresthesia)
- nausea, abdominal pain, or upset stomach
- headache
- feeling faint or dizzy
It may be difficult to know whether what you’re experiencing is anxiety or a panic attack. Keep in mind the following:
- The cause: Anxiety is typically related to something that’s perceived as stressful or threatening. Panic attacks aren’t always cued by stressors. They most oftenTrusted Source occur out of the blue.
- The level of distress: Anxiety can be mild, moderate, or severe. For example, anxiety may be happening in the back of your mind as you go about your day-to-day activities. Panic attacks, on the other hand, mostly involve severe, disruptive symptoms.
- Fight-or-flight: During a panic attack, the body’s autonomous fight-or-flight response takes over. Physical symptoms are often more intense than symptoms of anxiety.
- Speed of onset: While anxiety can build gradually, panic attacks usually come on abruptly.
- Effect: Panic attacks typically trigger worries or fears related to having another attack. This may have an effect on your behavior, leading you to avoid places or situations where you think you might be at risk of a panic attack.
Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack#symptoms
