Question:
Do you mean an anxiety attack versus a panic attack? I believe they are
synonymous terms. They mean the same thing. And panic attack is the more
modern and preferred term since it has a precise definition in the DSM-IV.
Answer:
I was told an anxiety attack was related to a situation such as driving,
stores, etc. And a panic attack was from out of the blue. I would love to
hear other's opinions about that........
I differentiate the two as anxiety being the state or arousal that
may lead to a panic attack-using a 10 point scale anxiety happens all
along the way and panic at 9 and 10
If you insert the term "attack" then the terms are interchangeable
LM
That's more like the type of answer I was looking for. Like they are
both the same thing, just an "attack" is a higher degree of it. So on
your scale, 1 to 8 are levels of anxiety and 9 & 10 are attacks.
In that respect, today was a big long 6 for about 8 hours with no
breaks. When I first woke up, I did something I very rarely do, I
canceled an appointment. It was a job that could have lasted between 1
and 6 hours and I just didn't want to go especially with the uncertainty
of how long I would be there. Still, here at home, I shook all day long
and was also feeling very tired, but I had 8 hours sleep. I finally did
a little workout, then I shook VERY badly for another half hour. Waited
to cool down, took a shower, now I'm at maybe a 2, which except for on
rare occasions, is about as good as it gets.
I am just as confused as you on this so I just started to differentiate
between the two myself to better understand my own thoughts, which can be
difficult:-)
panic attacks are sudden high surge of anxiety that is basically short
lived, anxiety is excess worry that leads to physical and mental symptoms
I have a high anxiety related to panic attacks ( the fear of the fear) so my
anxiety builds ups before I come to a trigger that sets off a panic attack
(bridges,ect...)
