What’s the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?
Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are terms that tend to be used interchangeably but there are differences. The key difference between the two comes down to what triggers it. Symptoms of a panic attack can include rapid heart rate, dizziness, sweating, shortness of breath and numbness. Panic attacks come on more rapidly and don’t have an identifiable trigger, which increases feelings or thoughts of impending doom. Derealization (feeling detached from your surroundings) and depersonalization (feeling detached from yourself) can also occur during a panic attack. Anxiety attacks tend to be accompanied by a sense of worry or apprehension. Anxiety attacks occur after days, weeks, or even months of building anxiety and somethings happens that triggers an attack. It tends to be less severe in terms of intensity but longer in duration than a panic attack. Both take a huge mental and physical toll, and can leave you feeling depleted. The good news is with the right support and tools, both can be manageable.
How do I cope with an anxiety or panic attack?
The first step is identifying if it’s a panic or anxiety attack. If you notice that you’ve been increasingly anxious lately, preventative steps can be taken to reduce the severity or avoid an anxiety attack from occurring. This can mean increasing self-care, trying to rest whenever possible, and getting mindful movement in. Panic attacks can be trickier, as they come on rapidly and often unexpectedly, but practicing stress management and self-care regularly can reduce the intensity and frequency. During a panic or anxiety attack, thinking clearly isn’t always feasible as our mind goes into fight or flight mode. Practicing breathing techniques, noticing your environment, and gentle movement can decrease feelings of doom enough to help you get into a place where you can begin to think more clearly. I have found that focusing on calming my body down through deep breathing, guided meditations, and very gently yoga to be helpful in slowing my thoughts down, which in turn can help with the intensity of a panic or anxiety attack.
