Addiction Help: Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack

therapy group discusses symptoms of a panic attack vs an anxiety attack

People often wonder what is a panic attack vs anxiety attack. The terms are very similar, and symptoms can often look like each other. However, both often indicate the presence of an underlying mental health disorder. Left untreated, symptoms from these disorders can quickly become debilitating and affect your daily life. Treating underlying emotions with a cognitive behavioral therapy program in Kemah, TX can help you find relief from these serious symptoms.

Panic Attack Vs Anxiety Attack

First, here are the symptoms of a panic attack:

  • Chest pain, dizziness, lightheaded, and nausea
  • Racing heart, sweating, shaking, as well as numbness or tingling
  • Hard to breathe and a sudden fear of death
  • Out of body experience during the attack
  • The sensation of a loss of control

A panic attack usually peaks around ten minutes after the start. After this point, the symptoms typically begin to wear off. Panic attacks often come on abruptly with little warning and at times for no reason.

On the other hand, these are the symptoms of an anxiety attack:

  • Chest Pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and muscle pain
  • Fatigue or extreme tiredness during the duration
  • Jumpy, irritable, and insomnia
  • Racing heart
  • Dry mouth
  • Fear and worry

Anxiety attacks or symptoms can last for prolonged periods. They can start for a specific reason and sometimes not.

Some of the significant differences between the two are:

  • Event Driven: Panic attacks don’t often have a triggering event or idea while anxiety tends to center around an event or idea.
  • Time Driven: Panic attacks are usually resolved in a matter of hours, whereas anxiety attacks can persist for days.
  • Onset: Panic attacks happen abruptly while anxiety attacks can come on slowly and intensify over time.

Because panic attacks usually do not have an immediately identifiable trigger, it is hard to say what the cause could be. Anxiety attacks can occur from an everyday stressor that someone experiences in their lives. Therapy helps people with panic and anxiety disorders. Kemah Palms, a dual diagnosis treatment center in Kemah, TX, could help you to get a handle on your symptoms.

Therapy for Anxiety and Panic Attacks

If you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, therapy is a great option. With an excellent therapist, you can work to figure out the underlying causes of these behaviors and work to correct them. Thus, you find relief from the most serious symptoms. Additionally, getting help for these disorders is much healthier for you than self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. Dual diagnosis treatment targets the underlying causes of mental health disorders and substance abuse and is especially useful when the two intertwine.

Many people with anxiety or panic disorders will use substances to cover up their disorders and to find some relief. Getting better may seem like an impossible feat, but you can get there with help from professional therapists and counselors. For example, here are some other therapy programs that can help you:

How Kemah Palms Can Help

Now that your question about panic attack vs anxiety attack has been answered, Kemah Palms offers many programs for people with panic and anxiety disorders. Our counselors are specially trained to help people with PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you live anxiety and panic free today.