Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack: Is There a Difference?

Written by the Clinical Team at BHSI
BHSI’s therapists and psychiatric providers help Minnesotans understand and manage panic and anxiety with practical, evidence-based care.

Updated: 10/08/2026

A panic attack vs. an anxiety attack can feel similar, but there is an important difference. A panic attack is a clinically defined event: a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes, with physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, or trembling. “Anxiety attack” is not a formal diagnosis and is often used to describe either a panic attack or intense anxiety that builds more gradually around a worry or stressful situation.

Both experiences can feel frightening and disruptive. If you recently had an episode that left you wondering what happened or worried it could happen again, understanding the difference can make it feel less confusing.

Key Takeaways

• Panic attacks come on suddenly and involve intense physical and emotional symptoms.
• “Anxiety attack” is an informal term, not a specific diagnosis.
• Anxiety may build gradually around a worry, while panic can seem to come out of nowhere.
• Panic symptoms can resemble heart symptoms, so new or concerning chest symptoms should not automatically be assumed to be anxiety.
• One panic attack does not mean you have panic disorder.
• Therapy, medication, or both can help with recurring panic and anxiety.

Table of Contents

• What does a panic attack feel like?
• What do people mean by an “anxiety attack”?
• How can you tell a panic attack from an anxiety attack?
• Could it be a heart attack instead of a panic attack?
• How do you stop a panic attack while it’s happening?
• When are panic attacks a sign of panic disorder?
• How are panic attacks and anxiety treated?
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?

A panic attack feels like a sudden wave of intense fear or discomfort that can quickly take over both your body and your thoughts. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes symptoms that can include a pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, dizziness, tingling or numbness, chest pain, nausea, and a feeling of being out of control.

You may also have an overwhelming sense that something terrible is about to happen. Some people fear they are having a heart attack, dying, fainting, or losing control, even when there is no obvious danger around them.

The speed and intensity of the experience can be part of what makes it so frightening. The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that panic attacks involve an abrupt surge of overwhelming fear, and symptoms may appear without warning or an obvious reason.

A panic attack can also happen when you are otherwise feeling fine. You might be driving, sitting at your desk, shopping, resting at home, or even sleeping when the symptoms begin.

What Do People Mean by an “Anxiety Attack”?

An “anxiety attack” usually means a period when anxiety becomes especially intense, but the term does not have one formal clinical definition. People often use it to describe feeling overwhelmed by worry, fear, tension, racing thoughts, or physical anxiety symptoms.

Unlike a panic attack, intense anxiety may build gradually. You might spend hours worrying about work, health, money, relationships, travel, or another stressful situation before realizing how physically anxious you have become.

Anxiety can still cause very real physical symptoms. A rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, stomach discomfort, dizziness, sweating, restlessness, and shortness of breath can all accompany anxiety.

The difference is not whether one experience is “real” or more serious than the other. The distinction is mainly about how the symptoms begin, how quickly they intensify, and whether they fit the clinical description of a panic attack.

How Can You Tell a Panic Attack From an Anxiety Attack?

The clearest difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack is usually the sudden intensity of panic compared with anxiety that may build around a recognizable concern. Panic attacks typically surge quickly, while what people call anxiety attacks may develop as worry and tension increase.

For example, you might spend most of the day worrying about an upcoming presentation and gradually notice tense muscles, a nervous stomach, difficulty concentrating, and a faster heartbeat. You might describe that experience as an anxiety attack.

A panic attack can feel more abrupt. Your heart may suddenly race, your breathing may change, and you may become intensely afraid within minutes, even when you cannot identify what triggered the reaction.

That does not mean every episode will fit neatly into one category. A mental health professional can help you look at what happens before, during, and after these episodes and determine whether they are panic attacks, another form of anxiety, or something else.

Could It Be a Heart Attack Instead of a Panic Attack?

Panic attacks and heart attacks can share symptoms, so you should not try to diagnose a new or concerning episode based on symptoms alone. Both can involve chest discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.

Panic attacks can feel remarkably physical, which is why some people first seek emergency medical care when one occurs. 

If you are experiencing new, severe, persistent, or otherwise concerning chest pain or difficulty breathing—or you think you could be having a heart attack—seek emergency medical care rather than assuming the symptoms are panic. Once physical causes have been evaluated, a mental health provider can help if panic or anxiety appears to be part of what happened.

How Do You Stop a Panic Attack While It’s Happening?

You may not be able to stop a panic attack instantly, but you can take steps to move through the surge without adding more fear. Start by reminding yourself that the sensations are intense but temporary if you already recognize them as panic.

Try slowing your breathing instead of taking repeated, quick deep breaths. Notice your feet against the floor, the chair supporting your body, or specific things you can see and hear around you. Bringing your attention back to your immediate surroundings can give your mind something concrete to focus on.

It can also help to change the message you give yourself about the physical sensations. A racing heart can feel frightening, but interpreting every sensation as proof that something catastrophic is happening can add another layer of fear.

If panic attacks keep happening, coping skills during the attack are only one part of treatment. Working with an anxiety therapist at BHSI can help you understand your patterns, identify what may be maintaining the fear, and develop strategies for responding differently when symptoms appear.

When Are Panic Attacks a Sign of Panic Disorder?

Panic attacks may be part of panic disorder when they are recurrent and unexpected and are followed by ongoing worry or changes in behavior. Having one panic attack by itself does not mean that you have panic disorder.

The fear of the next attack can sometimes become almost as disruptive as the attacks themselves. You might stop driving alone, avoid crowded stores, skip social plans, exercise less because a faster heartbeat feels frightening, or stay close to places where you believe help would be available.

Those changes are worth talking about with a mental health professional. Treatment can address both the panic itself and the growing fear of having another episode.

How Are Panic Attacks and Anxiety Treated?

Panic attacks and anxiety can be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of approaches based on your symptoms and needs. Treatment is not simply about making yourself “calm down.” It can help you understand the cycle behind panic and change how you respond to the thoughts, sensations, and situations connected to it.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) identifies cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a commonly used treatment for panic disorder. CBT can help people develop different ways of thinking, behaving, and responding to the physical sensations associated with panic.

Medication may also be part of treatment for some people. A psychiatric provider can evaluate your symptoms, health history, preferences, and other factors to determine whether medication should be considered alongside therapy.

Treatment can also look at the bigger picture. Sleep, ongoing stress, other anxiety symptoms, difficult past experiences, and patterns of avoidance may all be relevant to understanding what is happening.

For some people, unresolved experiences may contribute to ongoing anxiety or heightened reactions to certain triggers. BHSI also offers EMDR therapy for anxiety in Minnesota as one therapeutic option that may be considered based on a person’s history and treatment needs.

You do not have to wait until panic controls your life to ask for help. If you have started organizing your days around avoiding another attack, or you want to understand why the episode happened, that is enough reason to start a conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

About BHSI

BHSI’s clinicians look at panic and anxiety as part of the bigger picture, since sudden attacks can be connected with ongoing stress, sleep, other anxiety conditions, difficult experiences, or physical health factors worth ruling out. Through therapy such as CBT, medication management, or both, BHSI’s therapists and psychiatric providers can help you understand what’s driving the episodes and build a plan to feel more in control.

If panic attacks or intense anxiety are starting to shape where you go and what you do, you do not have to keep organizing your life around the fear of another episode. BHSI provides behavioral health services in person at five Twin Cities locations and through telehealth in Minnesota.

Contact BHSI to get started.