Key Points
- Panic attacks usually begin suddenly and reach peak intensity within minutes.
- “Anxiety attack” is an informal term rather than an official diagnosis.
- Anxiety commonly builds around stress, fear, or persistent worry.
- Panic attacks can occur with or without an obvious trigger.
- Repeated unexpected panic attacks may be associated with panic disorder.
- Both severe anxiety and recurring panic attacks can be treated.
- How Montare helps: Montare provides individualized treatment for panic disorder, anxiety, and related mental health conditions using evidence-based therapy, psychiatric support, and trauma-informed care.
A racing heart. Tightness in your chest. Shaking hands. Shortness of breath. A sudden feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
When symptoms like these occur, it can be difficult to tell whether you are experiencing a panic attack or what many people call an anxiety attack. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they do not have exactly the same clinical meaning.
A panic attack is a recognized clinical phenomenon with specific symptoms and diagnostic criteria. An “anxiety attack” is not a formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). Instead, people commonly use the phrase to describe a period when anxiety becomes particularly intense or overwhelming.
Understanding the difference can help you better recognize what you are experiencing and determine when persistent anxiety or recurring panic may warrant professional mental health treatment.
Panic Attack vs. Anxiety Attack at a Glance
| Feature | Panic Attack | Anxiety Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Formal clinical term | Yes | No |
| Onset | Usually sudden | Often more gradual |
| Intensity | Often severe | Can range from mild to severe |
| Peak | Usually peaks within minutes | No defined clinical peak |
| Trigger | May be expected or unexpected | Often connected to worry or stress |
| Physical symptoms | Frequently intense | Can occur but vary |
| Fear of dying or losing control | Can occur | Less characteristic |
| Duration | Most intense symptoms are often brief, though effects may linger | May persist for hours or longer |
| Commonly associated with | Panic disorder and other mental health conditions | Anxiety disorders and stressful situations |
What Is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by significant physical or psychological symptoms.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, panic attacks may involve a pounding heartbeat, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, numbness or tingling, chest discomfort, and a feeling of losing control or impending doom.
A person may feel relatively calm immediately before an attack begins. In other situations, the panic attack may occur in response to something the individual already fears.
For example, someone with an intense fear of flying might experience a panic attack while boarding an airplane. Another person may wake from sleep in the middle of an attack without being able to identify an obvious trigger.
This distinction is important because panic attacks themselves do not always occur “out of nowhere.” They can be expected or unexpected.
However, recurrent unexpected panic attacks are one of the primary features clinicians consider when evaluating someone for panic disorder.
Symptoms of a Panic Attack
Symptoms of a panic attack may include:
- Racing or pounding heartbeat
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling as though you are choking
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or abdominal discomfort
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Feeling faint
- Chills or feeling unusually hot
- Numbness or tingling
- Feeling detached from yourself
- Feeling as though your surroundings are unreal
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of dying
Because these symptoms can become extremely intense very quickly, some people believe they are having a heart attack, losing consciousness, or experiencing another serious medical problem.
The fear surrounding those sensations can then increase the body’s stress response, which may make the panic feel even stronger.
What Is an Anxiety Attack?
Unlike a panic attack, “anxiety attack” does not have a standardized medical definition.
People generally use the term to describe a period of particularly intense anxiety. The experience may occur when stress, fear, uncertainty, or persistent worry reaches the point where the person feels emotionally or physically overwhelmed.
Someone might describe having an anxiety attack after:
- Worrying about an upcoming medical appointment
- Facing an important deadline at work
- Experiencing relationship conflict
- Struggling with financial problems
- Anticipating a difficult social situation
- Spending hours thinking about something that could go wrong
- Experiencing prolonged stress without adequate relief
Rather than beginning almost instantaneously, anxiety symptoms frequently build as a person continues thinking about the source of their concern.
For a broader look at how anxiety can affect thoughts, emotions, and the body, read Montare’s guide to what anxiety actually feels like.
Symptoms Commonly Associated With an Anxiety Attack
Because anxiety attack is not a formal diagnosis, there is no official symptom list.
People who use the term may be referring to symptoms such as:
- Excessive worry
- Racing thoughts
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Stomach discomfort
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Increased heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling emotionally overwhelmed
- Difficulty relaxing
- A strong desire to leave or escape a stressful situation
These symptoms can become severe, particularly when an underlying anxiety disorder remains untreated.
What Is the Main Difference Between a Panic Attack and an Anxiety Attack?
One of the most noticeable differences involves how quickly symptoms develop.
Imagine someone learns on Monday that they have an important presentation on Friday.
Throughout the week, they become increasingly worried. By Thursday night, they cannot sleep. Their muscles are tense, their stomach hurts, and they repeatedly imagine everything that could go wrong.
They might describe that experience as an anxiety attack.
Now imagine someone sitting at home watching television when their heart suddenly begins pounding. Within minutes, they are trembling, struggling to catch their breath, feeling dizzy, and becoming convinced that something terrible is happening.
That experience is more consistent with a panic attack.
There can also be significant overlap between the two experiences. Someone experiencing escalating anxiety may ultimately develop a panic attack.
Can Anxiety Turn Into a Panic Attack?
Yes. Severe or escalating anxiety may contribute to a panic attack, although panic attacks can also occur without a noticeable period of anxiety beforehand.
The relationship involves the body’s natural threat response.
When the brain perceives danger, the sympathetic nervous system activates physical changes designed to help the body respond. Heart rate increases, breathing changes, muscles tense, and the body prepares to react.
Those changes can be extremely useful when a real threat exists.
During panic, however, the body’s alarm response may become activated even when there is no immediate physical danger.
Someone who becomes frightened by the physical sensations themselves can then enter a cycle:
Physical sensation → fear → stronger physical response → increased fear → panic
For example, someone may notice that their heart is beating quickly. They become afraid that the increased heart rate means something is medically wrong, which causes their heart to beat even faster and increases their fear.
How Long Does a Panic Attack Last?
Panic attacks generally develop rapidly and reach peak intensity within minutes.
The most intense portion of a panic attack is often relatively brief, although physical sensations and emotional effects may continue after the peak has passed.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, panic attacks can last from several minutes to an hour or sometimes longer.
After an attack, someone may feel:
- Exhausted
- Shaky
- Emotionally drained
- Hyperaware of their body
- Worried about having another panic attack
For some people, the fear of experiencing another attack becomes nearly as disruptive as the original panic attack.
That pattern can contribute to avoidance behaviors and may eventually become part of panic disorder.
Panic Attack vs. Panic Disorder
Experiencing a panic attack does not automatically mean someone has panic disorder.
Many people experience an isolated panic attack without developing a chronic mental health condition.
Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks accompanied by ongoing concern about additional attacks or behavioral changes designed to prevent another one.
Someone may begin avoiding:
- Driving
- Crowded stores
- Elevators
- Airplanes
- Restaurants
- Social events
- Exercise that increases heart rate
- Places where a previous panic attack occurred
Over time, these behaviors can significantly limit someone’s daily life.
Learn more about panic disorder treatment at Montare Behavioral Health.
What Causes Panic Attacks and Severe Anxiety?
There is rarely a single cause behind anxiety or panic.
Several biological, psychological, and environmental factors may contribute, including:
- Genetics
- Family history
- Chronic stress
- Trauma
- Major life changes
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Certain medical conditions
- Sleep deprivation
- Substance use
- Excessive caffeine
- Stimulant use
- Certain medications
- Relationship stress
- Occupational stress
- Financial problems
Anxiety and panic symptoms may also occur alongside other mental health conditions.
Because several different conditions can produce similar symptoms, an accurate assessment can help determine what is contributing to the problem and which type of treatment may be appropriate.
What Should You Do During a Panic Attack?
Panic attacks can feel overwhelming, but certain strategies may help reduce the intensity of the body’s stress response.
Slow Your Breathing
Rapid breathing can contribute to dizziness, tingling, chest discomfort, and other sensations commonly associated with panic.
Focus on slowing your breathing instead of repeatedly taking large or rapid breaths.
Use Grounding Techniques
Direct your attention toward your immediate environment.
Try identifying things that you can:
- See
- Hear
- Touch
- Smell
Grounding techniques can help redirect attention away from catastrophic thoughts and toward what is actually happening around you.
Remind Yourself What Is Happening
If you have previously been evaluated and recognize the experience as a panic attack, reminding yourself that the episode will pass may reduce some of the fear surrounding the symptoms.
Reduce Stimulation When Possible
Moving to a quieter environment, sitting down, loosening restrictive clothing, or reducing environmental stimulation may make it easier for the nervous system to settle.
These strategies may help during an individual episode, but repeated panic attacks should not simply be managed indefinitely without identifying what may be causing them.
When Should Panic Symptoms Be Treated as a Medical Emergency?
Panic attacks can produce symptoms that resemble serious medical conditions.
Do not automatically assume that unexplained chest pain, breathing problems, fainting, severe dizziness, or other new symptoms are caused by anxiety.
Seek emergency medical attention when symptoms could indicate a medical emergency or feel substantially different from panic symptoms you have previously experienced and discussed with a healthcare provider.
Conditions affecting the heart, lungs, thyroid, nervous system, and other parts of the body may occasionally produce symptoms that resemble panic or severe anxiety.
Medical professionals may need to rule out physical causes before symptoms are attributed to a mental health condition.
When Should You Seek Treatment for Anxiety or Panic Attacks?
Some anxiety is a normal part of life.
Professional treatment may become appropriate when anxiety or panic begins interfering with daily functioning.
Consider speaking with a mental health professional if:
- Panic attacks are happening repeatedly
- You constantly worry about having another panic attack
- Anxiety interferes with work or school
- You avoid places because you are afraid of panicking
- Your relationships are being affected
- Anxiety regularly prevents you from sleeping
- You rely on alcohol or other substances to manage anxiety
- You feel unable to control persistent worry
- Anxiety or panic significantly reduces your quality of life
Montare provides treatment for several anxiety-related conditions. Learn more about anxiety treatment at Montare Behavioral Health.
How Are Panic Attacks and Anxiety Disorders Treated?
Treatment depends on the specific diagnosis, severity of symptoms, underlying causes, medical history, and individual needs.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most extensively studied forms of psychotherapy for panic disorder and anxiety disorders.
Treatment may also incorporate:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Exposure-based therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Trauma-informed therapy
- EMDR when clinically appropriate
- Somatic or body-based approaches
- Stress-management skills
- Psychiatric medication management when appropriate
- Treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions
Treatment should address more than the immediate symptoms.
Someone experiencing panic related to trauma, for example, may require a different treatment approach than someone whose panic occurs primarily in connection with generalized anxiety or another psychiatric condition.
That is why individualized assessment and treatment planning are important.
Can You Have a Panic Attack Without Anyone Knowing?
Yes.
Panic is not always obvious to other people.
Someone may experience racing thoughts, intense fear, derealization, dizziness, numbness, chest discomfort, or other internal symptoms while appearing relatively calm on the outside.
These experiences are sometimes informally referred to as silent panic attacks.
Montare’s guide to silent panic attacks explains what these episodes can feel like, potential causes, and when treatment may help.
How Montare Helps With Anxiety and Panic
When anxiety becomes constant or panic begins controlling where you go, what you do, and how you live, simply trying to “calm down” may not address the underlying condition.
Montare Behavioral Health provides individualized mental health treatment for adults experiencing anxiety disorders, panic disorder, trauma-related conditions, depression, and other psychiatric concerns.
Treatment may include evidence-based psychotherapy, psychiatric support, trauma-informed care, holistic interventions, and structured levels of mental health treatment based on each person’s clinical needs.
The goal is not only to help someone get through the next panic attack. Effective treatment can help identify why symptoms are occurring, reduce their frequency and severity, address underlying mental health conditions, and help individuals regain parts of their lives that anxiety or panic may have taken away.
To learn more about treatment at Montare Behavioral Health, call (855) 782-5553.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911. If you are experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an anxiety attack the same as a panic attack?
No. A panic attack is a recognized clinical phenomenon with defined symptoms. “Anxiety attack” is an informal phrase people commonly use to describe periods of intense anxiety.
Which is worse, an anxiety attack or a panic attack?
There is no universal way to rank the severity of the two experiences. Panic attacks are often extremely intense and develop rapidly, while severe or prolonged anxiety can also significantly interfere with daily functioning.
Can you have anxiety and panic attacks at the same time?
Yes. People with anxiety disorders may also experience panic attacks, and escalating anxiety can sometimes contribute to the onset of panic.
Are panic attacks dangerous?
Panic attacks themselves are generally not considered life-threatening, but some symptoms can resemble serious medical problems. New chest pain, severe breathing problems, fainting, or other concerning symptoms should receive appropriate medical evaluation.
Can panic attacks happen while you are sleeping?
Yes. Panic attacks can occur during sleep. These episodes are sometimes referred to as nocturnal panic attacks.
Does having a panic attack mean I have panic disorder?
No. Experiencing one panic attack does not automatically mean that someone has panic disorder. Panic disorder generally involves repeated unexpected panic attacks combined with ongoing fear of additional attacks or behavioral changes related to that fear.
Sources
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Anxiety disorders. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Generalized anxiety disorder: What you need to know. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Panic disorder: What you need to know. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
Cleveland Clinic. (2026, March 9). What’s the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack