Anxiety and Panic: What’s the Difference?
In our last blog, we went over the evolutionary reasons we experience anxiety, and how it translates into modern living, today. However, did you know there is a difference between anxiety and having a panic attack?
When faced with a perceived threat, the body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, triggering physiological reactions designed to prepare us for action. However, extreme stress can push us beyond our window of tolerance and into a state of hyperarousal.
In this state, the sympathetic nervous system is dysregulated and goes into overdrive. Anxiety symptoms can escalate, leading to panic attacks or a prolonged state of distress. It's like living with a fire alarm blasting constantly, even in the total absence of smoke or flames.
But if you consider anxiety as a continuum, panic attacks would be at the higher end.
Panic attacks are characterized by a sense of dread or detachment, leading to more severe physical symptoms like difficulty breathing, dizziness, and chest pain. Unlike the usual signs of anxiety, it’s episodic, can occur without any particular triggers, and is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack. While panic attacks typically peak within 10 minutes, they can be incredibly distressing and disruptive.
Where anxiety puts you on edge about anticipated events, panic attacks are overwhelming in-the-moment crises. But these experiences exist on the same spectrum where the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response) plays a major role.
While it may sometimes feel like your anxiety is out of control, there are plenty of tools that can help you return to a centered, grounded state. But first, you have to develop present awareness of your anxiety's warning signs and triggers.
Imagine anxiety as a hill and ground zero being a calm state. When we’re triggered, our anxiety starts to go up to the peak and then plateau. But our bodies aren't built to be anxious all the time, so we stay at the top only for 10 to 15 minutes until it comes back down. When we notice the early signs that we're starting to climb up that hill, we can intervene and implement coping strategies — making it easier to "roll back down" into a state of calm.
Breathwork is one of the most potent and readily accessible tools you can use to manage symptoms of anxiety. Techniques like box breathing (inhaling for a count of 4, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, holding for 4), rectangle breathing (extending the exhale longer than the inhale to lower heart rate), and deep diaphragmatic breathing can quickly soothe the sympathetic nervous system and bring you back into a balanced state.
Managing anxiety also includes expanding your window of tolerance by slowly and systematically immersing yourself in your triggers. With guided exposures, you can practice your regulation skills and transform your instinctive reaction from fight-or-flight hysteria to measured calm.
Another thing to consider are the various devices at your disposal available to help you visualize and pace your breathing. Smartwatches and mobile apps allow you to sync your inhales and exhales to dynamic pulses or illustrations.
Additionally, apps like Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer offer extensive libraries of guided meditations and personalized programs tailored to help you manage anxiety. Reputable online resources like anxietycanada.com also provide valuable education, coping strategies, and options for professional support.
Whatever tools you choose to find your centre with, don’t be afraid to experiment. One app or strategy may work for someone else, but may not work for you — and that’s okay. In our next blog we will explore mindfulness, a core fundamental of stress management.