Anxiety Attack vs. Panic Attack: What's the Difference?
Have you ever experienced a sudden onset of fear, dread, racing heart, difficulty catching your breath – all for no obvious and immediate reason?
If you’re like most people I speak with everyday, the answer is a solid yes. So what was it? I’m sure you’ve heard people suggest that it was either a panic attack or an anxiety attack but weren’t sure which applied to you, or even if there is a difference at all.
Well, there is, although they have many overlapping qualities. We’re going to break that down, but first I’d like to introduce you to a little book called the DSM-5.
The DSM-5 is not “little” at all. In fact, it’s a very thick manual that mental health professionals use for identifying and diagnosing various disorders and conditions. The title is short for: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. It describes mental health disorders, provides a comprehensive list of symptoms and conditions that must be met for diagnosis and that help distinguish one diagnosis from another, and it outlines how common the disorders are.
The reason I bring this up is because some of the things we commonly hear about in everyday conversation are actual disorders that we tend to casually generalise, whereas others are more simply situations or more brief experiences. And herein lies the primary difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack.
Let’s look at what an Anxiety Attack is first:
Anxiety attacks are not officially recognized as a clinical term in the DSM-5, but the phrase is widely used to describe periods of intense worry or fear that build up gradually.
Some common triggers might be:
Work stress
Relationship issues
Health concerns
Financial pressure
I think we can probably all relate to most of those areas of worry. These are things we deal with everyday and they can have a huge impact on our overall sense of wellbeing.
When we’re experiencing these stressors at intense levels, the stress can manifest in our experience as:
Muscle tension
Restlessness
Fatigue
racing thoughts
trouble sleeping
You know the drill. You’re worried, you can’t stop thinking about it, you get tense and short with people, and you lay awake all night thinking without finding solutions.
Given the fact that it’s a slow build-up, these feelings of anxiety can last for anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
A Panic Attack on the other hand…
… is in fact recognized in the DSM-5. It is considered an actual clinical event. It comes on fast, sometimes after a triggering experience, sometimes with no warning at all. And they can be extremely intense.
What might it feel like? Common symptoms include:
rapid heart rate
inability to catch your breath
sweating
chest pain
nausea
dizziness
a sense of losing control, or overwhelming impending doom.
Not difficult to understand why people sometimes take themselves to the emergency room during a panic attack, thinking they are having a heart attack. It can be that scary and that intense.
Thankfully, that intensity does not last as long as the sensations of an anxiety attack. Most panic attacks only last from 10-30 minutes, although they can go on longer and the emotional aftershocks can take a while to subside.
So, essentially, if it comes on fast and intense, out of the blue, and is accompanied by overwhelming physical symptoms, there’s a good chance it’s a panic attack, as outlined in the DSM-5. If it’s a gradual build-up, lasts for days, and the symptoms are milder, it’s likely to be an anxiety attack and not considered a clinical event in the DSM-5.
It’s important to note that neither of these is uncommon or abnormal, and it does not mean that you have a disorder per se. What it does mean is that your plan to deal with it may differ.
When dealing with anxiety, you may benefit from therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medication.
When dealing with a panic attack, or especially frequent panic attacks, you may benefit from a more targeted treatment plan. If you’re curious about what that might look like, please stay tuned for more information on how to work with a professional, utilizing different therapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychoeducational assessments, and perhaps medications.
Either way, if you find yourself frequently overwhelmed by anxiety or suffering from panic attacks, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to go through it alone.
Here are some first steps:
Talk to a mental health professional
Keep a journal of your symptoms and triggers
Practice grounding techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness
Seek support from trusted friends or support groups
Final Thoughts
While anxiety and panic can feel similar, recognizing their differences is the first step toward managing them effectively. Whether it’s ongoing stress or a sudden wave of fear, remember: both are valid, and both deserve attention and care.
