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Today's topic is on the difference between anxiety and panic disorder.
If you are struggling to know the difference, then this topic is for you
Although it can be distracting and distressing, anxiety is a completely normal part of life
Everyone will experience bouts of anxiety at some point in their lives, usually surrounding a stressful event such as an exam or job interview
But only 18% of Americans are truly diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder or G.A.D
According to Kathleen Roblyer,
a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing,
"anxiety is a common experience"
When the presentation of anxiety meets certain criteria,
such as in generalized anxiety disorder, it becomes a disorder
The same relationship
distinguishes individual panic attacks from panic disorder, a chronic and distressing condition that affects two to three percent of adult Americans
recurrent panic attacks can be considered panic disorder when the individual begins to live in fear of
experiencing more attacks thus interfering with everyday life and often triggering more attacks
Just as anxiety and JD are used interchangeably despite being different
experiences, panic disorder is often misunderstood as being severe anxiety
While the two are very related, panic disorder falls under the category of anxiety disorders
they are not interchangeable, because of the distinct ways each affliction presents itself
Here are five of the most significant differences between anxiety and panic
1: anxiety can last much longer
Fortunately for those who suffer from panic attacks,
episodes are usually short-lived
While a lot of attacks and within 10 minutes of beginning, according to the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania,
multiple rolling attacks can come and go for several hours at a time
Of course the frequency of panic attacks varies from person to person, so no two experiences will necessarily be the same
Anxiety on the other hand is much more long-term
You can think of it more like a change in one's everyday behavior rather than a sudden onset of severe distress
Symptoms can last for years, even with treatment but, just like panic disorder, no two cases of anxiety are the same
2: panic is specific while anxiety is more general
Kathleen Wobblier PM HNP of texas a-and-m explains: 'a panic attack is a specific event that occurs with defined
characteristics and involves feelings of intense fear danger or doom, where anxiety is a more general term
related to stress and worry'
Neither an anxiety or panic attack needs a specific trigger to cause it, but anxiety can also cause
generalized stress and worry about the future past and even hypothetical events
Panic attacks often occur out of the blue, without any triggers present
This doesn't mean that triggers for panic doesn't exist, but the lack of casualty can make these seemingly random attacks more distressing
Anxiety attacks though typically occur in relation to a specific event, situation
or thought that triggers the unwanted response while anxiety disorder can disrupt a person's life,
even when the triggers are not present
3: they have different symptoms
Although both disorders are based in a severe sense of worry or fear, they express themselves in different ways
According to dr Ted Wander,
inpatient psychiatry medical director at Intermountain LDS Hospital, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder
include more generalized emotional symptoms such as irritability,
Feelings of worry or dread, trouble concentrating, and feeling tense or jumpy
The symptoms of panic attacks on the other hand are more severe and come on more abruptly than symptoms of GAD
They can include sweating, shaking, chest pain, a rapid heart rate, and even numbness or sensations of choking
For a more thorough list of symptoms and information about panic and anxiety, check out dr. Wander's article
4: panic attacks are more sudden.
Symptoms of anxiety attack tend to show themselves gradually when exposed to a trigger
When anxiety disorder becomes long-term though, symptoms can become so constant that it can be hard to tell when they begin and end
Anxiety may also begin to cause more intrusive symptoms, that occur more frequently when stressors are not actually present
A psychologist would likely consider this to be a symptom of anxiety disorder
According to the anxiety and depression Association of America,
panic attacks are much more distinct. Symptoms come on suddenly and noticeably rather than building up gradually over time
The acute nature of panic symptoms, such as chest pain and shortness of breath, have led many to mistake their symptoms for a heart attack
Luckily, panic attacks are not life-threatening and will often resolve on its own in a fairly short amount of time
5: panic attacks can leave you feeling unreal and out of control
For many, the scariest symptoms of a panic attack aren't the physical sensations but the mental unrest
In an article for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, writer Jenny Mary recounts her own personal
experiences with these symptoms
She describes the realization as feeling withdrawn from one surroundings, as if the world isn't real
Depersonalization on the other hand is closer to an out-of-body experience
In which a person feels separated from his own self
Jenny, didn't learn that this disorientation was also part of panic disorder until she had worked through her symptoms
But once she learned that her
experiences were not as unusual as they felt, she began to have the peace of mind that allowed her to share her
experiences in this article and throughout her life
To summarize the main difference between anxiety and panic disorder are:
Anxiety last longer
Panic is specific while anxiety is more general
Panic and anxiety have different symptoms, with anxiety involving symptoms like irritability,
while panic attacks can include shaking, chest pain, and increased heart rate and even numbness
And lastly panic attacks are more sudden
Hopefully you found this video helpful
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Panic attacks are terrifying the best way I can describe
My panic attacks is one of those heart attack scenes from every single medical drama
there is. It's much worse than sweaty palms, your entire body starts sweating
Sometimes things become cold, whenever I'm at my worst, my breathing becomes so rapid that my throat hurts
Noises come out of your throat without your permission and you don't even recognize them