what is the difference between a anxiety attack and a nervous breakdown?

Answer 1

As I see it, a panic attack is immediate, and actually short-term in nature. A "nervous breakdown" really signifies long-term inability to cope with everyday life.

Below is some more detailed information.

From Wikipedia for Nervous Breakdown:


Mental breakdown (also known as nervous breakdown) is a non-medical term used to describe a sudden, acute attack of mental illness such as depression or anxiety. When used in common social discourse, the term often has pejorative connotations.

Specific cases are usually described as a "breakdown" only after a person becomes unable to function in day-to-day life due to mental illness. At that point the person's condition is advanced, and seeking professional aid is likely advisable.

Like the term “sanity,” the terms "nervous breakdown" and "mental breakdown" have no medical definition and are not used in a clinical sense. However, the medical or personal problems precipitating a sudden breakdown may well benefit from professional medical or psychological treatment.

A mental breakdown is not the same as a panic attack, though mental breakdowns can trigger panic.

Causes of breakdown might include:

* chronic and unresolved grief
* unemployment
* academic problems
* career burnout
* social stress
* sexual identity
* post-war trauma
* chronic insomnia and other sleep disorders
* serious or chronic illness of a family member
* divorce
* death of a family member
* pregnancy
* a traumatic, violent, or near-death experience
* deception by a loved one.

The sudden, acute onset of the following mental illnesses might be classified as breakdowns:

* clinical depression
* bipolar disorder
* psychosis
* dissociation
* post-traumatic stress disorder
* severe stress
* anxiety.


Taken directly from Wikipedia for Panic Attack:

Panic attacks are sudden, discrete periods of intense anxiety, fear and discomfort that are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms[1]. The onset of these episodes is typically abrupt, and may have no obvious trigger. Although these episodes may appear random, they are considered to be a subset of an evolutionary response commonly referred to as fight or flight that occur out of context, flooding the body with hormones (particularly adrenalin) that aid in defending itself from harm. [2]

According to the American Psychological Association the symptoms of a panic attack commonly last approximately ten minutes. However, panic attacks can be as short as 1-5 minutes, while more severe panic attacks may form a cyclic series of episodes, lasting for an extended period, sometimes hours. Often those afflicted will experience significant anticipatory anxiety in between attacks and in situations where attacks have previously occurred.

Panic attacks also affect people differently. Experienced sufferers may be able to completely 'ride out' a panic attack with little to no obvious symptoms. Others, notably first time sufferers, may even call for emergency services; many who experience a panic attack for the first time fear they are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown.(Wilson 1996)

* Long-Term, Predisposing Causes- Heredity. Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance genes plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it.[1]. Various twin studies where one identical twin has an anxiety disorder have reported an incidence ranging from 31 to 88 percent of the other twin also having an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Environmental factors such as an overly cautious view of the world expressed by parents and cumulative stress over time have been found to be causes (Bourne 2005).

* Biological Causes- Generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, Wilson's Syndrome, mitral valve prolapse and inner ear disturbances (Labyrinthitis). (Bourne 2005) Vitamin b deficiency from inadequate diet or caused by periodic depletion due to parasitic infection from Tape worm can be a trigger of anxiety attacks.

* Phobias- People will often experience panic attacks as a direct result of exposure to a phobic object or situation.

* Short-Term Triggering Causes- Significant personal loss, significant life change, stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, particularly in overuse, can act as triggers (Bourne 2005).

* Maintaining Causes- Avoidance of panic provoking situations or environments, anxious/negative self-talk ("what if thinking"), mistaken beliefs ("these symptoms are harmful and/or dangerous"), withheld feelings, lack of assertiveness. (Bourne 2005)

* Medications-Sometimes panic attacks may be a listed side effect of medications such as Ritalin (methylphenidate). These may be a temporary side effect, only occurring when a patient first starts a medication, or could continue occurring even after the patient is accustomed to the drug, which likely would warrant a medication change in either dosage, or type of drug. Nearly the entire SSRI class of antidepressants can cause increased anxiety in the beginning of use. It is not uncommon for inexperienced users to have panic attacks while weaning on or off the medication, especially ones prone to anxiety.

* Hyperventilation Syndrome- Breathing from your chest may cause overbreathing, exhaling excess carbon dioxide in relation to the amount of oxygen in one's bloodstream. This syndrome often involves prominent mouth breating as well. This causes a cluster of symptoms including rapid heart beat, dizziness, and lightheadedness which can trigger panic attacks. (Bourne 2005)

* Situationally Bound Panic Attacks- Associating certain situations with panic attacks, due to experiencing one in that particular situation, can create a cognitive or behaviorally predisposition to having panic attacks in certain situations (situationally bound panic attacks). It is a form of classical conditioning (Bourne 2005). See PTSD

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Anxiety Attack Wiki

Answer 4

There’s always a turning point when a person moves from general anxiety into a panic attack, and that happens with public speaking when you think to

yourself:

I won’t be able to handle this in front of these people.

That split second of self-doubt leads to a rush of adrenaline, and the extreme anxiety arrives in a wavelike format. If, however, you feel the initial anxiety

and react with confidence that this isn’t a threat to you, you’ll process the anxiety rapidly.

Using this new approach is a powerful ally because it means it’s okay to feel scared and anxious when speaking. That’s fine-you’ll feel it, and you’ll move

with and through the sensations in your body and out the other side.

Because people are often very anxious before the talk has begun, they may feel they’ve already let themselves down. Now you can relax on that point.

It’s perfectly natural to feel the anxiety.

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Answer 5

If you are a natural person you should try cognitive behavioral therapy. It was the only thing that has helped me with my horrible health anxiety. Read here https://tr.im/NaturalRemediesForAnxiety

Your thinking determines your quality of life. Your thinking is what causes you these feelings:

Anxious, fearful, stressed or depressed
Constantly worried, or angry about something that is happening in your life
Struggling to overcome obsessive and negative thoughts.

If you change your thinking, you will change your life. This is the basic idea behind CBT for anxiety. The Cognitive part is where you learn nee methods and ways to change your same old habits and thinking patterns. If you keep thinking and expecting the worst – You will continue to suffer.

Answer 6

The duration .. one can have an anxiety attack when entering into an elevator, but nobody has a nervous breakdown over it!

Answer 7

I am single mum. I have been suffering for panic attacks for some 15 years now, though it was not until recently I understood what they were. They were progressively getting stronger and more frequent, stopping me from some days even leaving my house. I read this book and it all made perfect sense.

I am not saying I was not terrified of putting theory to action, I was more scared of that than the next attack! But I decided to view it as a game, one I had control of and could therefore not lose!

Answer 8

Not beeing able to deal with the anxiety is a nervious breakdown pretty much, if you or anyone else is experiencing this you should see a doctor, as much as people are afraid of anti depressants, there are other medicines that set your hormones into their correct ballances.. I know, I had to use them at one point in time a couple of years back.... if you dont like the ones they give you let them know and the will give you something that better suits you... Good luck hope I didnt give too much info...

Answer 9

A nervous breakdown is when you freak out FOR A REASON. (Eg. you worry abou bills, tests, homework, work, etc.) and are typically emotional. In other words we bring them on ourselves through negative affect and thought processes (E.g. OMG I'm gonna fail this test and I'm not gonna pass the course and I can't afford to take it up in the summer so I'm never going to graduate...AHHHH!")

Anxiety, or panic, attacks come on for no apparent reason (most of the time). Someone could just be sitting down doing nothing and then BAM your sympathetic nervous system (flight-or-fight) kicks in to over drive. They show more physical impairments than nervous breakdowns including: increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry throat, old sweats, nausea, and dizziness. Many people who have anxiety attacks say that they feel as though they are having a heart attack.

Nervous breakdown are extremely common with those with Generalized Anxiety Disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder...well pretty much Anxiety disorders in general. Whereas panic attacks, although experience by those with anxiety disorders, are more often associated with those will (who knew?) panic disorders. People will panic disorders do not feel anxious or panicked like those with anxiety disorders do, rather, they are the people who experience out of the blue panic attacks.

Answer 10

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Answer 11

An anxiety attack is a short period of severe anxiety. Usually you feel short of breath, rapid heart beat, etc. Anxiety can "come out of nowhere", or can be brought on from fear of a situation.

A nervous breakdow on the other hand is when a person just breaks down mentally and usually requires some professional help in the way of counseling or medication. It lasts for more than a mere few minutes and it more than just a panic attack.