4 Things to Know About Panic Attacks
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2020), 6 million Americans have been diagnosed with Panic Disorder. If you have experienced a panic attack, this does not mean that you meet criteria for Panic Disorder, but it can be helpful to know that others have experienced (and survived) panic attacks, too. Like many things in mental health, there are misconceptions about panic attacks. If you've ever confused an anxiety attack for a panic attack or thought that there has to be a trigger for someone to have a panic attack, you are not alone. This blog post will help dispel some of those misconceptions and improve understanding about panic attacks.
Panic attacks are not the same as anxiety attacks.
Sometimes the terms panic attack and anxiety attack are used interchangeably, but they are not the same.
An anxiety attack usually happens as a result of a trigger that is perceived as stressful or threatening. Anxiety attacks can be mild, moderate, or severe and can build gradually. They can involve a feeling of fear, physical symptoms (the bold symptoms listed below), and additional emotional symptoms, including worry, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
On the other hand, a panic attack can happen without a trigger, is typically severe, and can come on suddenly. They can involve a feeling of fear and all of the physical and emotional symptoms listed below (both bolded and not bolded). With a panic attack, the physical symptoms are typically more severe than the emotional symptoms.
Anxiety attacks are not diagnosable, while panic attacks are diagnosable when they meet the required criteria. Someone can be diagnosed with Panic Disorder or they can be diagnosed with another disorder with a ‘Panic attack specifier.’
Panic disorder is diagnosed when someone experiences recurrent, unexpected panic attacks (without any trigger) and experiences worry for at least one month following the panic attack about experiencing another panic attack or a significant “maladaptive” change in behavior. The ‘Panic attack specifier’ may be used when someone experiences an expected panic attack.
For example, someone would be diagnosed with Phobia Disorder with panic attack specifier when they meet criteria for Phobia Disorder and experience a panic attack when they are triggered by something related to the phobia, like someone with a phobia of spiders having a panic attack when they are in the same room as a spider.
The symptoms.
As defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders 5 (DSM-V), a panic attack is a sudden surge of fear or intense discomfort that reaches its peak quickly (within minutes), along with four or more of the following symptoms:
Palpitations, pounding heart, or rapid heart rate
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath
Feeling of choking
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or abdominal distress
Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
Numbness or tingling sensation
Chills or heat sensations
Feelings of detachment from the world (derealization) or from oneself (depersonalization)
Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
Fear of dying
They are often a “perfect storm” of physiological responses.
This was said in a recent training that I attended, and I thought it was helpful. The presenter shared an example of a former client who experienced an unexpected panic attack and, after talking through the days leading up to the panic attack, they discovered that the client had not gotten enough sleep or food, had a stressful situation going on, was dehydrated due to drinking a significant amount of coffee and not drinking any water, and had a large amount of caffeine in their system (due to the coffee). The combination of all of those physiological responses was the “perfect storm” for the panic attack that the client experienced.
If you have experienced panic attacks, it is helpful to know that your physical state may be a contributing cause. To help reduce the chances of experiencing panic attacks (along with many other benefits), it is important to take care of yourself by getting adequate sleep, nourishment, and water and regularly managing stress in other ways, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and other relaxation and mindfulness techniques.
You cannot die from a panic attack.
Although fear of dying is a common symptom of panic attacks and they are extremely uncomfortable, you cannot die from a panic attack.
Panic attacks feel scary. Both the physical and emotional symptoms of panic attacks combine to former a scary and uncomfortable experience. Key points to remember: anxiety attacks and panic attacks are unique experiences from one another, the physical symptoms are more severe than the emotional symptoms with panic attacks, taking care of your physical and emotional needs is important with managing panic attacks, and you cannot die from a panic attack. With the facts in this blog post, I hope some of the misconceptions about panic attacks can be cleared and you can benefit from the information shared here. Find more information in the books below. These books have been recommended by myself, my clients, or colleagues.
Mindfulness Workbook for Panic Attacks
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