Is There a Difference Between Panic and Anxiety Attacks?

There exists much confusion, even among experts, concerning the words panic and anxiety when it comes to what is commonly referred to as a "panic attack". Is that the same thing as an "anxiety attack"? Are they the same thing? Or is there a difference between panic and anxiety attacks?

A "panic attack" is the inappropriate emergence of the human "fight or flight" response at an inopportune time. Physically, panic attacks are characterized by sweatiness, racing pulse, dizziness, hot flashes, and discoloration of the skin. And these are only the physical attributes. The most oppressive aspect of a panic attack is resident within one's thoughts.

In the midst of one of these attacks, those who suffer from them claim to experience a sense of sheer terror beyond anything which they've previously felt. During an episode, many insist they are going to die even though all the objective facts point to them being completely fine and safe. These feelings aptly prompt the word usage of both "panic" and "anxiety". The pathology as described above is correctly described as either a panic attack, or an anxiety attack.

However, the word "anxiety" is also present within another disorder which is a wholly different animal from a panic attack. Societal Anxiety Disorder, which goes by the apt acronym of SAD, is a disorder where sufferers are afraid to engage in any social situation. This can be as simple as shaking a stranger's hand all the way up to fear of public speaking.

Also, "anxiety" is often used to describe a more attenuated version of panic. Whereas panic can be said to be a full boil, anxiety can be said to be a slow simmer. A panic attack most often fully freezes those it afflicts. One is not functional in the midst of a full fledged panic attack.

However, a sense of "anxiety" can be resident while still allowing one to go about the activities of everyday life. Granted, this underlying persistent anxious feeling is far from a positive one. However, it is not debilitating to the degree of a panic attack and sufferers from general anxiety are often able to hide it from those around them.

This is not to say general anxiety is harmless. It has been long established that anxiety and stress can contribute to a diverse palate of undesirable maladies. It can be just as important to treat chronic general anxiety as it is to address outright panic attacks. Many treatments are actually applicable to both.

So, remember that SAD is not a panic attack. Anxiety is a more tame version of panic. When it comes to an "attack", both words are general interchangeable before it. It may seem like extreme parsing of words, but it is helpful to understand the difference between panic and anxiety attacks.