Are you struggling with feelings of panic and fear? Recognizing what could be happening to you is important. Yet, when it comes to a panic vs anxiety attack, many people are not sure what is happening or why. That is why it is important to seek out help from a mental health treatment center if you feel either of these conditions. Doing so may help restore your health and wellbeing. It also gives you insight into why you feel this way.
Which Is It? Panic vs Anxiety Attack?
There is a lot of confusion about both of these conditions. Both may make you feel helpless and simply unable to deal with what’s happening at that moment. A panic attack is a recognized event in which a sudden and intense sense of overwhelming fear occurs. This creates physical symptoms, many of which are very frightening such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, and instant nausea. Some people vomit.
Anxiety attacks are not recognized in the same way. Rather, they are typically an indication of another mental health disorder. The symptoms of anxiety are also a bit different. In those moments, you may feel intense feelings of distress, worry, and fear. You may also experience some physical signs of this, including chest pain, tightness in the neck, a racing heart, and intense sweating.
So, What Is the Happening to You? Panic vs Anxiety Attack Differences
It is possible to have a panic attack and an anxiety attack at the same time. That can make it even more difficult to know what’s happening to you. There are a few key differences.
For example, panic attacks typically focus on:
- Fears of dying
- Thoughts of losing control
- A sense of detachment from the world around them
- A sense of depersonalization or feeling detached from yourself
In anxiety attacks, the emotional symptoms are a bit different. They may include more focus on:
- Worrying
- Apprehension about what’s happening
- Restlessness
- Distress
Both conditions can have the same physical symptoms, which may also include being dizzy, having a headache, feeling tingling or trembling, and experiencing either chills or hot flashes.
What Can Be Done About Anxiety and Panic Attacks?
An anxiety treatment program can help with both anxiety and panic attacks. It provides you with a way to see significant improvements in your mental health. In this type of program, you learn how to manage what is happening to you in real time. There is no doubt a panic attack is a very scary feeling, one that may seem impossible to manage. You want to stop ever having to experience it. That’s where this therapy can help.
The first component of this therapy is to help you reach a level of stability. A person with numerous attacks like this may benefit from the use of medications. Your therapist may help you to find the right combination of medications to minimize symptoms of anxiety effectively.
That doesn’t cure the disorder. For further help, most people also benefit from the use of psychotherapy. That includes talking to and working with your therapist about what you are feeling and why. It may include strategies to control negative thought processes and to give you more control over your feelings.
Some people have co-occurring disorders. That happens if they are using drugs and alcohol and also struggling with anxiety. If that’s what you’re facing, treatment through a dual diagnosis treatment program can help you. Treating both conditions simultaneously can help you gain more control over the way you feel and limit the number of panic or anxiety attacks you have.
Your first step is to reach out for help. If you are struggling with either of these conditions, now is the time to get help, so you never have to feel that way again.