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Thread: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

  1. #1
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    Oct 2008
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    whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on what is the difference between these?

  2. #2
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Dont think there is much diference really cheeky. Some people call panic attacks 'anxiety attacks' and vise-versa. Its the word attack that makes them different from anxiety thats just sort of there all day. Its only when the anx builds up into fear and you lose control that it then becomes an attack, because this is more than the normal anxiety...

  3. #3
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Hi the difference that i beleive is
    in a panic attack you are so terrified that you literaly run away from "yourself" e.g out of a shop or a meeting etc.

    an anxiety attack is where you are more 'quietly' terrified - you know the terror you are feeling and move away from a situation without everyone seing your terror.
    they are both equally horrible to experience.


    June
    PS i have had and do experince both.

  4. #4

    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    hi i believe june is spot on in the way she has summed up the different anxiety levels well done regards baz

  5. #5
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Hi hun,

    The hardest thing I have EVER had to learn is about panic, anxiety, it is such a complexed thing.

    THERE IS a difference between panic and anxiety, I feel, for me, knowing this was one of the things that helped me get better. When I was acute, I had both, panic, then a high lever of anxiety 24/7, BOTH can be very, very scary.

    They say, that full blown panic are 3 symptoms (with horrific fear) or more, you are sooo scared or you feel like your going to die on the spot, ALL with horrible fear and horrible symptoms. You can have the overwhelming feeling and fear to get back to your safe Zone.

    Anxiety, can be very scary too, this has many, many symptoms, ohh the list can be as long as your arm, you can have a few symptoms at the same time, you feel like there is something terrible wrong and your very scared.

    As you know, panic, is the flight, fight response, from what I know, well about myself, I did get this flight, fligh response even with highter levels of anx, not wanting to run, BUT, feeling like I was in danger all the time, feeling scared alot, looking for danger and unable to find it, put 2 and 2 togher and come up with 5, if you know what I mean, also having lots of anxiety thoughts, horrific thoughts, thoughts like these are an anxiety symptom and are very, very scary, ohh there are lots of symptoms with anxiety, not just thoughts but body symptoms too that are very scary. Dp, Dr, is very scary, if you don't know what it is and why its happening, this is another one of your protection mode, its your mind, trying to protect you from anymore symptoms, Mmmm, your supposed to welcome this feeling and it will pass, must admit, when I first got it, it frightend the bl**dy life out of me, NEVER mind porostect me, but the more I worked on my thought pattens towards this anxiety symptom, the better it got, after time and a hell of alot of hard work, it went.


    This great site has been a godsend to me, it has helped me understand, that anxiety does NOT always lead to panic.

    I was tought to number my panic, anxiety, 10 being FULL blown panic (YOUR worse) 1 being normal and anything in between are levels of anxiety, the higher the number the highter the anxiety, the lower the number the lower the anxiety.

    This helped me WHY, becasue I was in a loop, fearing panic, fearing fear, fearing all the symptoms that came with both, panic and anxiety, everytime I got an anxiety symptom ohhh boy, it would lead to panic.(my 10 ) WELL my brain told me it would and I believed it and at the time, when acute, it always did.

    Learning that panic WILL peak then drops to a level of anxiety, noticing this helped me when it full blown panic, I new it would not last, even if the higher level of anx was scary at least it was NOT my 10 (full blown panic) If I had a certain symptom, I would number it, regarding how I felt about it, learn all I could about the symptom and try my best NOT to fear it, the more, I learned NOT to fear the symptom, the lesser number it got, the lower the number got, the lesser importance the symptom was to me and in time that symptom would go, BUT, when acute, it was replaced by another and I would start the prosess all over again.

    I feel, it is important to know the difference, try to help yourself, if you suffer with both, that anxiety does not always lead to panic.

    Hope this helps,

    TAKE CARE

    LOVE JILLXXX
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    where negatives are developed.....

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    Pay attention to stuff that bring you
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  6. #6
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    I find that anxiety is generally a low-level more constant thing, whereas a panic attack is an intense rush of adrenaline that makes you feel like you are freaking out on the spot.

    Not sure which I like least; I guess a panic attack can die down but leaves me feeling exhausted, whereas the constant feeling of anxiety does the same thing.

  7. #7

    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Hi everyone, this is my first ever post i joined today so go easy . Ive sufered from anxiety for around 11 yrs now, at first i didnt have a clue what was going on. I am a taxidriver and was dropping someone off when a funny kind of fluttering occured, (i now know it was a surge of adrenalin) but from that day i cant seem to control when these feelings happen, I have cut down a lot on alcholol and chocolate but not altogether stopped, i notice the surge of adrenalin attacks occur after going out the night before even though i may have had only 2 or three drinks, this has now more or less curtailed my social life as most of my friends enjoy the social scene.I have had sessions of cognitive thereapy but to no avail. I have recently seen a physhcatrist and he and my doctor think anti depressant drugs might help, even though i dont feel particularly depressed. Any thoughts please? Thankyou for reading. Ps i do have other similar symptoms but have tried to cut this short.

  8. #8
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    My first ever panic attack..was text book.. with absolute horror and fear that something was seriously wrong with me and that I could die..there was good reason for this however as i had overdosed on a drug and really did think it was the end for me...but after that when I experienced an attack or 'turn' ... I never really ' panicked'.. never hyperventilated or thought I was having a heart attack, even though I could feel my heart trying to beat it's way out of my chest in a un regular beat!.. it was frightening but I never really panicked.. At the time I didn't know what was happening and soon they would happen, any time any place anywhere.. no particular trigger.. whether I was quiet at home or out door shopping.. out of the blue I would have ' a turn'... .. It was only on occassion that there would be a trigger like.. getting up to quick from sitting.. you sometimes go dizzy right?.. this would bring on an attack.. talking about them would also sometimes bring one on.. so there was never any real pattern to them .. and where I found the triggers, I could be prepared for and re learn that really Mr subconscious its ok to go a bit giddy when getting up to fast..

    These days I don't like to call what I have panic attacks.. I have always thought of a panic attack happening to someone like :who is claustrophobic and is then shoved in a lift.. they would have a PA..or someone who worries about things too much etc.. and I could never relate to that..

    I can relate to Anxiety Attack.. feeling anxious about going to that party and meeting strangers !..omg.. yeah.. that would bring on one of those lol.. Anxnious about going shopping.. leaving the house.. yup!.. but then at least those I could prepare for and work on.. and for me this is the hardest.. as these can bring on the fear factor insomuch as you worry about what might happen as you prepare for the worst..

    And yet.. in tescos the other week. i am happily looking at cheese when I get the 'rush' .. and my hearing goes abit echoey.. and I think.. ok.. I'm aware of ya now bugger off lol..( sometime it will go away ) but it don't go away and I have to 'calmly' walk out side and get some air... that.. was out the blue and would be classed by most as a panic attack.. but to me I did not panic..was not anxous about being there or feel scared or worried just maybe a little anxious that me looking like i've seen a ghost has attracted some stares on the way out lol..( I tend to go quite pale when I have turn )

    Does anyone understand what I mean?.. I just think sometimes its just not so cut n dried and different for everyone..depending on their experience of it I suppose.. I just say I have panic attacks coz its easier..

    I personally thing PAttacks and Anxiety Attacks ect can be quite complex as well as making one seem like a walking contradiction when you try and explain what its all about for you to others, and thats why it is so dam hard explaining your condition to someone who does not know about them.. the amount of people who think that when I have a panic attack it means that I must start flailing about in hysteria breathing into a brown paper back.. lol.. and its not always like that for people..

    anyhoo.. thats my tuppence worth on the subject

    ~~
    Hi Tybilly

    I assume you have been checked out by a doc to make sure nothing is amiss.. and cutting back on alochol and such is a good idea to see if these are triggers.. caffeine can also cause that sort of rush too.. but if those have been dismissed then ' welcome to our world ' .. Cognitive therapy is great for helping you think differently so you dont self perpetuate thiese things happening and are good tools to learn.. same a NLP.. but if these are not working for you then it seems that you may have to try a different approach. Personally I would only rec meds as an absolute last resort, they can and do help some people.. If you have a close friend who can be with you when you go out then perhaps set a goal to socialise one eve, but no alcohol.. or maybe just a shandy .. and take it a step at a time.. don't feel pressured to stay out.. give yourself permission to leave if you don't feel you can stay.. have it so someone can take you home.. allow yourself to feel a little anxious but say to yourself that you wont put up with it..and if you get any rushes ..think ok.. I'm aware but I'm not worried .. it may go away ..if not. then think ok.. enough for tonight and go home and do again another time.. don't give up..
    __________________
    Living with an anxiety disorder and the affects it has on us and the people around us seems to be an ongoing battle to be fought. But we do win these battles and one day we will win the war...

  9. #9
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Hi - I totally am with you on this. I walked round Asda and was fine until I joined a queue

  10. #10
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    Re: whats the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?

    Ooops - pressed th4e wrong button. what I was saying is that in Asda I was fine until I joined a queue then I felt "committted to staying" that panicked me totally so I calmly remembered Id forgotten something(not really!!) and walked round until a till was empty - so silly and felt everyone was looking at me but they are not - they are all far too interested in their own shopping than looking at you !! Wenjoy x

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