Panic and Anxiety Attacks

I have a trifold in my diagnosis, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. Both Anxiety and Depression can be treated with medications that are similar, antidepressants. That is a weird name to me, since depression is when you are down, and they treat it with medications that also make you feel down (commonly called downers). I would think antidepressants would be more of a upper, to get you going, not slow you down. Oh well, I am not the scholar nor the doctor, so I take it as is.

Anxiety is one of the symptoms of PTSD, but Panic is not. That can be just as confusing as the antidepressant word. Because Panic attacks and Anxiety attacks are commonly interchanged in today's culture, most think it is the same. But that is not true, it is different and the treatment is different for both.

Panic attacks come on suddenly and without warning. Anxiety attacks build up and there are triggers that can be avoided to keep anxiety in check. Let's try to discuss the differences.

Panic attack is a reaction to what is happening right now. It can be something that concerns your mind or your body. You can think you are dizzy, shaky, feel like you are about to vomit, feel like you are about to pass out, feel like you can't breath etc. Or you can think you are losing control, going crazy. It usually comes on within 10 minutes of starting to worry or stressing out and lasts from a few minutes to maybe a few hours, no longer. So it is from something that is effecting you now, not in the past or future.

Anxiety attack is a reaction to worrying about something in your life, relationship or work. It is something that you think will happen so you stress about that possibility. It is not happening right now, but you worry so much that it is about to happen. It does not come on suddenly, since you are thinking about it happening in the future. Anxious is your heart racing, you are sweating, you are dizzy, you are having trouble breathing, you may take a heart attack or stroke because of anxiety. So it is real symptoms, not thoughts of symptoms happening. like in panic attacks. It builds over time with stress, once it starts it can last for a few minutes or it can last for days and weeks.

Panic attacks can bring on Anxiety attacks, but the reverse is not that probable. And the means that both are treated are as different as the symptoms. You can treat both with behavioral therapy and/or with medications. The dosage is stronger for anxiety than with panic. A lower dosage of antidepressants are used for panic so as not to effect the body in a way that triggers panic attacks (remember, panic is a result of something happening to your body or mind now). A higher antidepressant dosage is used for anxiety because you want the mind and body to slow itself down, or relax more.

It is confusing since they are so much alike, but I suffer from anxiety because I worry about what can happen, but I do not have panic attacks because it is not happening yet. Anxiety is more over time or takes more time while panic is now and then it's over with.

I have antidepressants for both my mood and for sleeping. It all gets tangled in the web of PTSD, so it can be a blur at times.

Anyone can take a panic attack, but you need a reason to experience an anxiety attack.

It will all become clearer as we go into more symptoms of the PTSD, but for now just remember anxiety is part/symptom of PTSD and panic is not.

It's a weekend again, so time to relax. I might post another letter or poem over the weekend, but no discussions on PTSD. So sit back and relax, enjoy it while you can.