Panic attack vs anxiety attack: Where the difference lies?
"I've survived this before; I'll survive now." Understanding the Difference Between Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks The terms anxiety attack and panic attack are often used interchangeably, but they are distinctly different experiences. Their confusion arises because they share overlapping symptoms, yet their causes, intensity, and duration vary significantly. A panic attack is characterized by a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort, typically accompanied by a range of physical and psychological symptoms. Panic attacks are episodic in nature, often peaking within minutes or, in some cases, lasting up to an hour. Anxiety , on the other hand, is a natural emotional and protective response inherent to the human body. It becomes problematic when it is persistent, overwhelming, and disrupts daily life, at which point it is diagnosed as an anxiety disorder . Although episodes of severe anxiety can feel like an "attack," the term anxiety attack is no...