Whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?
Panic attacks are caused by nothing. They come completely out of the blue, and are WAY more intense than anxiety attacks.
Anxiety attacks are caused by something. Like if you’re scared or nervous or under a lot of stress, you could have an anxiety attack. They’re not as severe as panic attacks, but are still really intense. There’s more control involved in anxiety attacks. Sometimes it’s just shaking and feeling extremely afraid… Panic attacks are completely wild. Sometimes you stop breathing all together, can’t feel certain limbs, some people choke on their own tongue because they can no longer control it. Very scary.
They are NOT the same thing, and I’m so glad you asked this question. People really need to learn that they’re NOT the same.
Comments
Comment from Mattias J
Time June 25, 2010 at 11:32 am
Just two different names for the same condition.
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Comment from CB
Time June 25, 2010 at 11:44 am
They are different. They are very much related though and have almost all the same potential symptoms. Except that panic attacks not only happen more suddenly but it is also defined by an intense feeling of impending doom. It feels like you just know that any second you will die and you become really really really afraid. Anxiety attacks are also scary especially for people who havent had one before, but they are not the same as a panic attack. So if intense fear accompanies snxiety symptoms then its a panic attack…if not its anxiety. really only someone who has experienced both multiple times can tell the difference. 
Also there are different severities in panic attacks and not everyone experiences the same symptoms. But the feeling like your going to die and everything is just wrong i think is pretty universal..people might just describe ti differently.
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I have panic disorder and other anxiety disorders.
Comment from So far from where you are
Time June 25, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Panic attacks are caused by nothing. They come completely out of the blue, and are WAY more intense than anxiety attacks.
Anxiety attacks are caused by something. Like if you’re scared or nervous or under a lot of stress, you could have an anxiety attack. They’re not as severe as panic attacks, but are still really intense. There’s more control involved in anxiety attacks. Sometimes it’s just shaking and feeling extremely afraid… Panic attacks are completely wild. Sometimes you stop breathing all together, can’t feel certain limbs, some people choke on their own tongue because they can no longer control it. Very scary.
They are NOT the same thing, and I’m so glad you asked this question. People really need to learn that they’re NOT the same.
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Personal experience of both, though anxiety attacks come much more often.
Comment from MeAgain
Time June 25, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I am going to try and describe the feelings very simply.
Anxiety attack: feels like when you were young and you had done something wrong and were waiting to see what your punishment was going to be.
Panic Attack: Feels like someone has just come up behind you and yelled BOO! the first feeling of fear and not knowing where it came from.
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Me, this is how I have explained to family and friends.
Comment from Sophie
Time June 25, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder. I do not know that there is any difference between them, but when I have a really bad one, I call it a panic attack, and tend to refer to the smaller ones as anxiety attacks. It’s really just a way of me being able to differentiate to my doctors and loved ones how bad the experience is for me.
It’s like I carry the anxiety with me all of the time, but sometimes it escalates into something much more severe.
References :
http://www.my-panic-attacks.com/generalized-anxiety-disorder.html
Comment from U N I
Time June 25, 2010 at 2:31 pm
They are same. Panic attack was caused by:
1. Worried of one thing more than 6 months, and follow by anxiety.
2. Worried = Anxiety
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Comment from La Lulu
Time June 25, 2010 at 2:40 pm
None at all.
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Comment from chg_randy
Time June 25, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Big different.
Anxiety attack is happen when you are being first time to give a speech and the moment of waiting with full of inferior complex for your turn to go up stage. The feeling is fear or stage afraid and worried of making mistake.
This may be avoided if you are prepared and confident to deliver your speech.
Panic attack is happen when you are in a happy mood while driving your car cruising along the city and out of sudden a lorry ram across in front you with a near accident. This moment of sudden scared or near death shocked is panic.
No way you can avoid this or be careful or predict about it.
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It may happen to everyone in daily life.
Comment from Chipmunk
Time June 25, 2010 at 10:55 am
They’re the same thing just different names. They are treated the same, such as giving the same drugs (like ativan).
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