What's the difference of Anxiety and Panic Attacks?

Question

I think I've been having panic attacks for the last three weeks. I had a bad one at work and I took a week off. But yesterday was my first day back at work and it was hard. I kept thinking I would have another one and be embarrassed. But I didn't and after work I felt sooo good about it. Then I worked today and I fought through it and I felt even better about it. It's REALLY hard but I refuse to be controlled by this.

Also, if anyone knows of any good Discussion Groups or Website on the subject, could you post it?

Answer 1

Anxiety and panic attacks have similar symptoms, but anxiety is more general and panic attacks are more intense. See your doctor or a mental health professional to discuss your symptoms.

Here's what Web MD had to say:

Anxiety is an unpleasant complex combination of emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

A panic attack is a period of intense, often temporarily disabling, sense of extreme fear or psychological distress, typically of abrupt onset. Symptoms may include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain (or chest tightness), sweating, nausea, dizziness (or slight vertigo), hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), vomiting, and sensations of choking or smothering.

Answer 2

An anxiety attack would come after a stressful situation whereby a panic attack is unpredictable and is not from a stressful situation. People often avoid places where they've had panic attacks before such as the store or school.

Answer 3

Same thing. You can go to the doctors and get diagnosed. Many people read on the computer or think they have something. Only doctors can make this diagnoses.
By saying you refused to be controlled by panic attacks is a slap in the face for those who truly have them. Go get diagnosed then and if you can get the diagnoses you can say you controlled them with your mind or what not.

Kind of like saying one controlled there seizure because they refused to be controlled by them....
I do take offense to people who say I have this or that and I can control them with no help, when they just read the symptoms off the computer....

Answer 4

anxiety is what causes panic attacks. i used to have severe panic attacks about school every night and i would start violently shaking and i couldnt stop and my throat would close up. anxiety is normal but dont let it overcome what u want to do. u really need to figure out a reason for the attacks because it will help if u try to resolve it. u need to change the way u think and believe me i know how difficult that is but the first thing that needs to be found out is a reason.

Answer 5

Here's a web site. You can find many more by typing "panic anxiety attack" into a search engine. They are the same thing basically. You can compare your symptoms to those listed to see if you were having panic attacks or just feeling stressed.

Answer 6

anxiety attacks are when you're driving down the road and your heart starts racing like a cop just got behind you doing 75 in a 35.... can't say what panic does.

Answer 7

When anxiety builds up it can cause panic attacks.

Go see a psychologist or psychiatrist, It really does help a lot. There are lots of low cost or free ones if you look into it.