The Difference Between Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks
Many people use panic attacks and anxiety attacks as interchangeable terms. Truth be told, they are not the same thing so it’s important we get clear on which one we are discussing when we’re talking about your mental health. However, they both do share a lot of the same emotions and even physical symptoms.
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are much more serious and come on suddenly, involving many emotions and an overwhelming sense of fear. These can also come along with very frightening physical symptoms as well such as a racing heartbeat, difficulty breathing, or even nausea. They can also be labeled as both expected or unexpected. Expected panic attacks would have an obvious trigger, such as a person with a fear of bridges having to cross over one and all of a sudden their heart rate is through the roof and they feel like they can’t breathe. Unexpected panic attacks are simply that, unexpected. You will not know why it is happening but it just is.
Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks are a little more difficult to recognize. Essentially, the term “anxiety attack” is used to describe the sudden onset of intense anxiety, usually caused by some trigger in the environment. Sometimes, an onset of serious anxiety can later lead to panic attacks. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to any sudden bout of anxiety. When this happens, give yourself space and time to recover from anxiety attacks.
Truthfully, there is no official diagnosis of an anxiety attack. But we know the intense anxiety is real and it’s a term you can use when talking to your therapist to describe an episode of intense anxiety. Your therapist may ask you to describe the anxiety attack in more detail, because the symptoms vary so much from every person and they are open to interpretation.
What’s the Difference Between an Anxiety Attack vs. Panic Attack?
One big difference between the two is that a panic attack has a greater sense of fear, losing control, and a sense of detachment from the world than an anxiety attack does. While you may feel like fear is also a symptom of your own personal anxiety attacks, that could possibly also be described as distress and worries. Another big difference is that panic attacks are sudden and typically pretty short. Anxiety attacks can build up over time and like said before, can later lead to a full-on panic attack. One other difference to note is that panic attacks can be diagnosed by therapists as they are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). On the other hand, the DSM-5 doesn’t use the term anxiety attack and therefore it’s not something a therapist can “diagnose.” Although anxiety attacks are not technically diagnosable, you can still receive anxiety therapy. When you’re looking for a therapist for panic attacks, it’s important that you see a professional that really specializes in working with this type of really intense anxiety. At Aspire Counseling, we have several mental health clinicians who specialize in anxiety treatment and provide evidence-based anxiety treatment to help you find real relief. Our therapists offer online anxiety treatment in Missouri or in-person in Columbia.
What You Can Do in an Anxiety or Panic Attack
Anxiety attacks or panic attacks are scary and can interfere with your day-to-day life. Because they’re brought on by specific triggers, you may not always be prepared. A therapist can help you reduce the frequency of these attacks. However, in the short term, you may still have some. So, what do you do when that anxiety comes on?
Some at-home remedies to try and treat or even reverse the feelings of anxiety or panic attacks are:
Belly Breathing - Taking control and bring awareness to your breathing. If you feel your heart racing, try to take a slow, deep breath in and count to yourself as you breathe in and out. Try to bring your breath all the way down into your stomach. Feel your stomach and chest fill with air. This will help you become more in tune with your own body and mind and help you think more clearly to work through those worrying emotions.
Practice mindfulness - Actively observe what is going on around you. Think about what is making you feel so worried. Can you do something to control it? Look around and see what your senses are making you feel, and try to withhold the strong reactions from that and instead make changes to what you can control.
Use Grounding -Grounding means directing your awareness to the present moment and what is going on right here and now. This is helpful because anxiety often stems from thoughts about the past or future. Try using grounding rocks or the 5 senses method for grounding.
Try to relax - If your muscles are tense, which is a very common sign of anxiety setting in, relax them. Unclench your jaw, let down your shoulders, and release your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Try closing your eyes if you are seeing something fearful. Or even try to take a hot bath to stimulate your senses and shift your focus onto something else. It can also be very powerful to do progressive muscle relaxation if you can. I like to search for progressive muscle relaxation on youtube and listen to a couple until I find one that the voice and pace seem to work for me.
Looking for an Anxiety Therapist in Missouri?
If you feel like your anxiety or panic-related symptoms are affecting your everyday life, it’s time to reach out for help. Many of our therapists here at Aspire are trained in counseling for panic attacks. We would be happy to help you work on this. It is possible to heal and move on.
While our counseling office is in Columbia, MO our counselors can treat anyone in Missouri through online therapy. This means that whether you are in Kirksville, Rolla, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, or anywhere else in the state, we are here to help. In fact, it’s important to state here that anxiety responds really well to online treatment as our therapist can virtually meet you where you are experiencing anxiety.
To get started with anxiety treatment:
Contact our client care team & get matched with a therapist!
Meet with your new therapist for a free consultation to make sure it’s a good fit.
Start facing your anxiety treatment & regaining control of your life!
Other Blog Posts About Anxiety & Panic
Other Therapy Services in Columbia, MO
You are more than your anxiety. And truthfully, your mental health struggles may go beyond your anxiety as well. Our team of skilled therapists specializes in providing anxiety treatment. However, we also offer a wide range of other services as well including counseling for depression and grief counseling. Additionally, counseling services are available for trauma therapy and PTSD treatment with children and teens as well as survivors of sexual assault. We are able to meet with you at our counseling office in Columbia, MO. However, we know sometimes you aren’t able to make it to our office, so we also offer online counseling to anyone physically located in the state of Missouri. Our team is committed to supporting you through your tough times and helping you celebrate your successes.