Panic Attacks (Part 1): Panic Attack? or Anxiety Attack?

What IS a Panic Attack?  A panic attack is a sudden increase in intense fear, anxiety, or discomfort that peaks within minutes and includes a minimum of four symptoms.  Most of the symptoms are physical and include tachycardia (rapid heart rate), palpitations, derealization, dizziness, light-headedness, nauseous, numbness or tingly sensations, and difficulty breathing. However, symptoms may include fear of dying, fear of going crazy, or other fears like having a heart attack or being embarrassed. Often the attack feels like it came “out-of-the-blue” but it can occur during a stressful situation like getting a traffic ticket, exposure to a phobia, or having an argument. Most of the time there is a fear of the physical symptoms and often these symptoms trigger the sudden surge. In order to be a true panic attack there must be a sudden surge of anxiety.

What is NOT a Panic Attack? Some people believe they are having a panic attack when they are experiencing intense anxiety stemming from worry. The key difference is that the individual worries their way into a panicked state vs a sudden surge of fear. The anxiety may be equally intense and even include more than four symptoms. However, these “anxiety attacks” don’t typically include a fear of the physical symptoms, unless the person has Illness Anxiety Disorder (formerly known has Hypochondriasis).

Why is it Important to Differentiate Between a Panic Attack and an “Anxiety Attack?” It is very important to differentiate because the treatment is usually radically different. In short, treatment for true panic attacks focuses primarily on systematically facing ones’ fears and understanding the causes of the panic while “anxiety attacks” are treated by addressing worry. In short, worry is addressed by learning to catch it early, nip it in the bud so to speak, and applying a variety of coping strategies like relaxation and cognitive therapy. It isn’t unusual for people to experience both types of attacks. Details to come shortly in future blogs.

What Causes True Panic Attacks? While a chemical imbalance might contribute to panic attacks, contrary to popular belief, it is not responsible for causing panic attacks. Tune in to the Panic Attacks Part 2 soon to learn more about the nature of panic.