What is the difference between anxiety and a panic attack?

What is the difference between anxiety and a panic attack?

Having anxiety in itself is often confused with being the same as having a panic attack. They are two separate things (and two separate disorders) however anxiety can also cause a panic attack.

Anxiety is a an emotion that has mental and physical symptoms such as racing thoughts, fast heart beat, feeling nervous and scared. Anxiety can often increase or decrease over time and can last for days, months, or years. Anxiety often has a stressor that brings on feelings of worry or dread.

A Panic attack can happen out of heightened anxiety, and it can also happen suddenly out of nowhere. Panic attacks make you feel intense fear and many people feel like they are having a heart attack. Panic attacks come with a sudden rush which activates the body’s natural trauma response of fight, flight, or freeze. You may start shaking, feel out of body, and feel the need to leave immediately. Panic attacks are usually 5-20 minutes, with an intense peak. You may feel exhausted afterwards and need to rest.