Is It a Panic or Anxiety Attack?

A doctor explains how to distinguish between the two

Is It a Panic or Anxiety Attack?

A doctor explains how to distinguish between the two

Is It a Panic or Anxiety Attack?
panic attack treatment

I  was eight years old when the destruction ball approached. Within a minute, I was driving my Huffy Sweet Thunder down the road, quickly picking up my long stretch, twisting the handlebars with adrenaline as I pulled it to a stop, so brave I was, like “Hell, I’m omnipotent.” And the following moment, the unrecognizable one made a search. My face was full of dirt and blood, my heart was on fire, I was shaking like a newborn baby in the freezing cold. I can still feel my t-shirt hanging on my back.

I was in the world, but not in it. My mind was screaming, “Run … run!” But my body was frozen. I couldn’t believe what I was driving. All I knew was that reality had blinded me and terror had spread through her.

Five or five minutes after the Dante fires panic spread and a sense of “normalcy” returned. I pushed myself into the dirt, stripped my shirt off, took a deep breath, and tried to make myself strong enough to roll. I rode around for a while – not just on my bike, but indoors. My thoughts, feelings and mood were all “off”.

Whether it was fear, shame, confusion, or a combination of the two, I kept this disturbing incident a secret for years, along with a few other episodes that followed.

The difference between panic attacks and anxiety

The pain I felt on my motorcycle that day was a terrible attack.

Panic attacks are short periods of intense fear that often have physical symptoms, such as a runny heart, chest pain or shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, and mental symptoms. For example, feeling like you are losing control or going crazy, being separated from yourself or your surroundings, or suddenly afraid of dying. Usually, panic attacks last less than 30 minutes and can occur once or more, sometimes without a cause. Panic attacks often send people to the emergency room because they can easily make the mistake of having a heart attack.

Also Read: What Is a Healthy Heart Rate? What Cardiologists Say Here’s

Panic attacks often send people to the emergency room because they can easily make the mistake of having a heart attack.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is basically what we think about when we think about a future event. Offer the risk of a bad outcome or stress. Although restlessness can cause a faster heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness, it can also cause muscle tension, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and a general feeling of restlessness and anxiety. Can produce

While panic attacks come on suddenly but go away relatively quickly, anxiety usually comes on slowly, becoming more pronounced within minutes or hours. Anxiety can last for days, weeks or even months and can vary in degree.

How does our body decide which response is appropriate?

Both panic and anxiety are there to help us survive. They act as an integrated alarm system to protect us from danger. This alarm system is called the autonomic nervous system, and it is on constant alert. Panic attacks are linked to the amygdala, an area of ​​the brain that is the main driver of fear. The problem mainly comes from the prefrontal cortex, which has to do with planning and anticipation.

The important thing to know here is that in the event of a panic, the body immediately declares it as a threat here, right now. “You’re not in trouble right now, but problems are coming, so you better prepare your defence.” (Although that correct assessment is another story. Anxiety often causes us to step outside of our calm and rational “window of tolerance.”) It should also be noted that the two situations can occur together. Somewhere, a person is really anxious for weeks about the next event. And when they get to festivals, a wave of panic hits them and sends them into battle/flight/freezing.

Also Read: 5 effective ways to deal with depression

Why do we have panic attacks or anxiety?

People are very worried about both panic attacks and anxiety, but there are some that are more likely to be felt. For example, those who:

  • Is a restless person.
  • There is another mental health problem, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
  • You have a family history of anxiety, panic disorder, or trauma.
  • They are more confused because they grew up with the worries that taught them to do so.
  • Have a chronic illness or life-threatening illness.
  • There are alcohol or drug use problems.
  • Stress in personal or professional life, such as family conflicts, relationship problems or financial difficulties.
  • Life is a stressful environment, such as the death or divorce of a loved one or the loss of a spiritual relationship.
  • Facing the trauma of the past.
  • Observation of a traumatic event, whether in childhood or adulthood.

Studies show that women are more likely than men to experience both anxiety and depression. Also, people who suffer from anxiety have a higher risk of having a seizure. Having said that, just because you’re anxious doesn’t mean you’re going to have a panic attack.

Hard people work hard for panic attacks and anxiety, but there are some who are more likely to be felt.

What to do if you have panic attacks or anxiety

“Acknowledge, accept and accept” that what you are feeling is real. This means that while the traumatic experience may seem frightening, it is not really dangerous. And it will pass – especially if you stop fighting it – and over time you will recover. In short, do not deprive yourself of the basics or the mess of shame. Anxiety and restlessness are natural reactions. You are only weak when you are not facing their reality. 

Try grounding techniques, so that you are firmly grounded in the present, and not lost in a dazed past or scary future.

Also Read: Causes and treatment of insomnia

Title of the exercise. Psychology In psychology, the word “titrate” is used to describe the amount of emotional “flow” that we allow into the internal resources of our system. Titling your experience is to deliberately put yourself in a position of choice and safety by turning the tap on and off your emotions. It is a process by which we slow down our internal reactions – emotional, cognitive, and physical – so that we can more effectively process the information that comes to us and come back to our rational mind.

What causes panic attacks, and how can you prevent them? – Cindy J. Aaronson

See a professional if a condition begins to affect your ability to work normally for a living. Really, there are experts who can help you. You have no interest in being a “survivor”, “victim” or “martyr”.

When I’m lying in the mud all those years ago, shaking like idioms, not knowing which way to go, lonely and confused, eager to run away from myself and myself – and even so own one is still beyond the reach of the average person, but as I have learned, as a therapist, clinical ethics, and veterinarian, I was not alone. Each year, more than 10% of Americans are afraid. About 2% to 3% of them experience panic attacks. Anxiety It’s no different. It is one of the most common mental health problems, affecting 19% of American adults each year.

Some of us suffer from diabetes or heart disease. Others include dizziness, learning disabilities, claustrophobia, migraines, irritability, swollen gums, etc. It’s true, it stinks, but luckily there are concrete, real-time solutions that can help us overcome them.