You might hear people say they had a panic attack — and this very well could be the case. But there's also a chance that what they're really referring to is an anxiety attack. The terms are often used interchangeably, but there are marked differences that may be useful for accuracy, clarity, and proper mental health care. To help you distinguish between the two, we asked mental health professionals how to tell a panic attack apart from an anxiety attack .
For panic disorders specifically, patients may be prescribed medication for emergency situations . These medications are considered benzodiazepines, and work to calm you down. Due to the risk of building a tolerance, Dr. Manipod prefers that patients use these meds only in emergency situations. She adds that some people have"very severe panic disorders to the point where they are constantly feeling in panic mode and do take it more frequently and regularly.