According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, about 40 million women and men experience at least one significant episode of anxiety in a given year. Almost one in three experience clinically meaningful symptoms.
Panic disorders are a type of anxiety that’s relatively rare. Only about 2.7% of the population experience panic disorders, which have physical symptoms as well as emotional ones.
When you find yourself in a panic about a stressful situation, you may wonder if you’re having a panic attack or if you’re “just” suffering from anxiety. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell one from the other.
At The Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling, our expert counselors start your treatment with a thorough evaluation. We then customize your treatment plan based on whether you have anxiety, a panic disorder, or another issue.
Can you tell the difference between anxiety and panic attacks? The following guide may help you.
When you have anxiety, you generally know what’s triggered an episode of worry and fear. Maybe you’re faced with having to make a presentation at work or school. Or you’ve been invited to a party where you don’t know anyone.
If you feel anxious, you may avoid those situations that provoke uncomfortable feelings. You might cancel events with family or friends. However, the more you avoid the situations that cause your anxiety, the more likely you are to feel anxious.
When anxiety becomes more than a passing emotion, you could benefit from treatment. Through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other supportive therapies, you learn to reframe your scary or worrying thoughts to help you manage them better and live a fuller life.
One key difference between anxiety and a panic disorder is that you don’t always know what triggered your intense fear and symptoms if you have a panic attack. Seemingly out of nowhere, you get an attack that can last for minutes at a time. Panic attacks have physical symptoms, such as:
The symptoms can be so intense that you may even fear that you’re having a heart attack. If you’re anxious, but don’t have physical symptoms, then you didn’t have a panic attack.
You don’t need to know whether you have panic attacks or an anxiety disorder. Both can be treated and both improve with therapy. We may recommend a variety of therapies to help you learn to manage your fears and feel more comfortable in day-to-day life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you how to identify unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. Gradually, you replace dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors with those that are more beneficial to you.
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is another form of CBT. However, DBT incorporates mindfulness techniques and also helps you navigate your outer world as well as your inner one. For instance, in DBT you may benefit from group therapy, where you can practice the concepts you learn.
In addition to supportive therapies, if you have panic disorders you may benefit from medications that control symptoms. Choices may include beta-blockers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.
Don’t panic about your diagnosis: Find out if you have anxiety or a panic disorder and get the help you need by calling or using our online form to contact our helpful office staff for an in-person appointment at our Greenwich Village offices in New York City, New York. You can also request secure teletherapy sessions.
