What Are the Differences Between Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks?

You might hear the terms "anxiety attack" and "panic attack" used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. In fact, panic and anxiety have different features, and behavioral health professionals use the terms for specific symptoms and disorders. In summary, the differences between panic and anxiety are best described in terms of the intensity of the symptoms and length of time the main symptoms occur: Panic attacks are sudden and extreme, whereas anxiety tends to gradually build up.

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Ask an Expert How Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks Differ You might hear the terms "anxiety attack" and "panic attack" used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. But panic and anxiety have different features, and behavioral health professionals use the terms for specific symptoms and disorders. The differences between panic and anxiety are best described in terms of the intensity of the symptoms as well as the length of time they occur. In short, panic attacks are sudden and extreme, whereas anxiety tends to gradually build up. READ NOW READ THESE NEXT An Overview of Generalized Anxiety Disorder READ NOW  › 7 Common Myths About Panic Attacks READ NOW  › Anxiety: How Much Is Too Much? READ NOW  › You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. A DOTDASH BRAND 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2019 Verywell.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy