Is It Time To Get Some Help
Life is rarely without its challenges. There are some, however, that can be so overbearing that it seems impossible to move on.
Whether its the death of a loved one or overwhelming feelings of anxiety, its important you know that help is available for every problem life throws your way.
Learn about common reasons people see psychologists.
What Is Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by repeated panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden rush of strong fear or discomfort that is accompanied by a cluster of physical and cognitive symptoms, including heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, and fears of dying, going crazy, or losing control.
Panic attacks are common among all anxiety disorders but what sets panic disorder apart is that panic attacks are unexpected and occur “out of the blue” without an obvious trigger . These unexpected panic attacks must be associated with a significant change in behavior or be followed by at least one month of persistent worry about having another attack or about what will happen if you have another panic attack.
Panic disorder is a disorder that many people experience – roughly 2-3% of people per year in the United States suffer from panic disorder .
Myth : Panic Attacks Cause Fainting
Fact: Fainting during panic attacks is pretty rare. More often, fainting can be attributed to another health condition.
Fainting is often the result of the vagus nerve or carotid artery being compressed and the brain briefly losing oxygen, thus resulting in a loss of consciousness, better known as fainting. Fainting can be related to a number of medical conditions or situations such as:
- Drop in blood pressure
- Straining too heavily during a bowel movement
- Drugs or alcohol
- Medications
Fainting can be seen with panic attacks, though it is rare. Typically there are a variety of other more common panic attack side effects. No one panic attack is the same. The general consensus is that panic attacks feel terrible as multiple symptoms can occur at the same time in just a matter of minutes. The series of symptoms that occur are similar to the fight-or-flight response. Typically, the fight-or-flight response is a normal reaction to fear or danger that automatically kicks in when a person feels threatened or senses impending danger. It triggers stress hormones that cause specific symptoms such as increased heart rate and breathing, sweating and tensed muscles. During a panic attack, a person will have similar symptoms even though no actual danger is present. Fainting can only occur during a panic attack if oxygen levels get low enough for a person to lose consciousness, such as with prolonged hyperventilation.
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The Best Treatment For Anxiety Facing Your Fears
We know that anxiety disorders are maintained by avoidance. For example, if you are afraid of dogs, you avoid them. While this keeps you safe in the moment, it also feeds your fear because it takes away any opportunities you may have to learn more about dogsthat while some bite, others are cuddly, empathic, and silly.
If you are experiencing anxiety that has been prolonged, causes you significant distress, or impairs your ability to function, it may be time to seek help. The good news is that effective treatment is available in a variety of forms.
Although there are different ways to approach anxiety treatment, we know that exposure therapy has proven to be incredibly helpful. At the heart of the approach is tackling problematic avoidance and increasing willingness to experience discomfort.
Sometimes medications are used to augment exposure-based treatment for anxiety. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other antidepressants may be useful here to help individuals better engage in exposure-based work.
Newer treatments, like mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, meditation, and acceptance-based approaches, like acceptance and commitment therapy, have also been shown to be effective.
Finally, maintaining healthy behaviors, such as regular physical exercise, good sleep hygiene, and avoiding the use of alcohol or caffeine, can also be helpful.
Is Panic Attack And Anxiety Attack The Same Thing
January 8, 2015 by Jenny
Hi. Its Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today is from Nicole in McClung, Virginia. Is panic attack and anxiety attack the same thing?
The short answer is no. Panic attacks and anxiety attacks are not the same thing. There are, however, many similarities between the two. The key difference is that anxiety attacks are provoked by a specific stressor or trigger whereas, a panic attack is unprovoked or the trigger is unidentifiable and unpredictable.
The similarities and the physiological symptoms experienced during anxiety and panic attack is what makes people question whether they are the same thing. However, the differences are best identified by the intensity and duration of the predominant symptoms experienced.
In both panic and anxiety attacks, the symptoms may include dizziness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. During a panic attack, these symptoms occur suddenly and unpredictably. They increase in intensity over a short period of time. In addition, you may experience additional symptoms of feelings of deep personalization or being detached from yourself, fear of dying, numbness, trembling or feeling of choking. Symptoms associated with panic attack usually subside as suddenly as they occur.
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Ways To Manage Anxiety Attacks And Panic Attacks
In 2013, an estimated three million Canadians aged 18 years or older reported that they had a mood and/or anxiety disorder. Though each type of anxiety requires its own treatment path, many may respond to steps that include the following:
- Accepting a certain lack of control
- Learning your stress and anxiety triggers
- Daily exercise, adequate sleep, and balanced meals
- Taking breaths and breaks
Dont ignore these silent signs of stress!
Panic Attacks And Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by repeated, unexpected panic attacks, as well as fear of experiencing another episode. Agoraphobia, the fear of being somewhere where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack, may also accompany a panic disorder. If you have agoraphobia, you are likely to avoid public places such as shopping malls, or confined spaces such as an airplane.
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How Can I Learn More About Anxiety
These organizations offer information about and resources for anxiety disorders:
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to advocacy and education about anxiety disorders. This link will take you to its website:
American Psychological Association
Get information on anxiety and help finding a psychologist. This link will take you to its website:
American Psychiatric Association
Learn more about childrenâs anxiety disorders and other mental health problems. Get help in finding a psychiatrist. This link will take you to the website:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Learn more about panic disorder, phobias, and treatment that helps. This link will take you to the website:
Do I Have An Anxiety Disorder Or Just Anxiety
Everyone experiences some manner of anxiety in everyday life. However, if you believe that your anxiety is constant and is impacting your ability to complete your tasks and live without interruption, consider seeking a medical opinion.
A disorder is severe enough to cause interruption to your life, whereas normal anxiety will arise and subside around events like a job interview or class presentation.
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Intervene In The Moment
Anxiety is like a snowball: Once it starts rolling downhill, its very difficult to stop it. Body awareness, breathing, and knowing my symptoms are only one side of the coin. The other is actually changing my anxious behavior, which in the moment is extremely difficult to do because the momentum is so powerful. Whatever need is driving the anxious behavior feels urgent and dire and, for me, that is usually an underlying fear of rejection or not being good enough. Over time, I have found that I can almost always look back and see that choosing the perfect dress wasnt so important in the grand scheme of things. Oftentimes, anxiety isnt really about what we are anxious about.
These are a few tools that help me intervene with myself in the moment:
Just walking away. If I am getting sucked into indecision and keep checking, researching, or going back and forth, I gently encourage myself to drop it for now.
Setting a timer on my phone. I give myself 10 more minutes to check different options, and then I need to stop.
Keeping lavender oil in my purse. I pull the bottle out and smell it at moments when I feel the anxiety rising. It distracts me and engages my senses in a different way.
Talking to myself, sometimes out loud. I recognize that I am feeling scared and ask myself what else I can choose to do to help me feel safe.
Anxiety Can Lead To A Panic Attack
Though technically panic attacks come from out of the blue, they occur to sufferers in all the different anxiety disorders. You can think yourself into a panic attack, says Farchione. If Ive made a mistake at work and I have the thought, Im going to lose my job, and I truly believe thats the case, my body might react as if theres a threatsimply because I think there is. This kind of anticipatory anxiety can set the conditions for a panic attack.
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Myth : Deep Breaths Will Calm A Panic Attack
Fact: Deep breathing helps some people to cope during a panic attack, but it doesnt stop the attack.
When a panic attack strikes it feels like a wave of emotion that is no easier to control than an actual wave in the ocean. Being thrown about by intense emotions and physical symptoms can make anyone feel out of control. Some have found certain coping mechanisms to be effective when a panic attack strikes, including:
- Focused breathing
- Focusing on other senses
- Touching or holding something soft
These particular coping methods encourage thought outside the frightening experience of panic. Practicing breathing exercises, having something that smells strong, or having something soft to hold on to can act as a sort of distraction for some people until the worst of the experience is over. These methods may not work for everyone, but are worth trying, especially for those who are having frequent panic attacks.
Signs And Symptoms Of Panic Disorder
While many people experience just one or two panic attacks without further episodes or complicationsand theres little reason to worry if thats yousome people go on to develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is characterized by repeated panic attacks, combined with major changes in behavior or persistent anxiety over having further attacks.
You may be suffering from panic disorder if you:
- Experience frequent, unexpected panic attacks that arent tied to a specific situation
- Worry a lot about having another panic attack
- Are behaving differently because of the panic attacks, such as avoiding places where youve previously panicked
While a single panic attack may only last a few minutes, the effects of the experience can leave a lasting imprint. If you have panic disorder, the recurrent panic attacks take an emotional toll. The memory of the intense fear and terror that you felt during the attacks can negatively impact your self-confidence and cause serious disruption to your everyday life. Eventually, this leads to the following panic disorder symptoms:
Anticipatory anxiety Instead of feeling relaxed and like your normal self in between panic attacks, you feel anxious and tense. This anxiety stems from a fear of having future panic attacks. This fear of fear is present most of the time, and can be extremely disabling.
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A Panic Attack Is A Frightening Experience And Can Be A Singular Or A Frequent Struggle Learn About The Facts And Myths Associated With Panic Attacks
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Panic disorder is characterized by having frequent and unexpected panic attacks with associated anxiety and fear of another panic attack occurring. People with anxiety disorders can also experience panic attacks. Even individuals who dont have a panic or anxiety disorder may experience a panic attack due to specific anxiety triggers or certain stressful situations.
Its estimated that 4.7% of adults in the U.S. will experience panic disorder at some point in their life. It is important to understand the facts about panic disorder and the myths associated with this condition.
What Is The Difference Between A Panic Attack And An Anxiety Attack
Dr. Cathy Frank answers the question: ‘Panic Attack Versus Anxiety Attack?’
— Question: What is the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
Answer: There are similarities and differences between anxiety and panic attacks. An anxiety attack often comes in reaction to a stressor. You’re walking down a dark alley and hear footsteps, or you’re at even the top of a rollercoaster and looking to go down that large hill.
An anxiety attack, people may feel fearful, apprehensive, may feel their heart racing or feel short of breath, but it’s very short lived, and when the stressor goes away, so does the anxiety attack.
Panic attack on the other hand doesn’t come in reaction to a stressor. It’s unprovoked and unpredictable. And during a panic attack the individual is seized with terror, fear, or apprehension. They may feel that they’re going to die, or lose control or have a heart attack. They have a host of physical symptoms which may include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea. And in addition to these terrifying panic attacks, people start worrying about having the next one. So there’s a lot of what’s called anticipatory anxiety.
Also, they start avoiding places where they have a panic attack. So if they had one in a grocery store for example, they may stop going to the store. The good news is even though this is a very common disorder, it is very treatable.
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What Is The Difference Between Anxiety Attack Vs Panic Attack
The terms anxiety attack vs. panic attack are often used interchangeably, but they are two very different things. While they can have some of the same symptoms, there are distinct differences in how they come on, how long they last, how they are triggered, and how they are treated.
There are some similarities between the two as well, such as risk factors, physical symptoms, and how to handle an attack. However, it is important to understand the difference between anxiety attack vs. panic attack so that you can accurately report symptoms and problems to your doctor. They are often treated in different ways, so it is important to know whether you are having anxiety attacks or panic attacks.
Onset Differences
One of the biggest differences between anxiety attack vs. panic attack is how they come on. An anxiety attack usually has a gradual onset. Other symptoms of anxiety usually precede it. It is also usually caused by a specific situation that can be pinpointed as the cause for the anxiety attack.
On the other hand, panic attacks are spontaneous. They have an immediate onset, usually out of the blue, with no gradual build up. They can come on at any time, regardless of the situation going on around you. Most frequently no cause can be pinpointed as the reason for the panic attack.
Differences In Symptoms
Anxiety Attack
Panic Attack
Physical Symptoms Of Both
- Palpitations
Anxiety Attacks