Can you have both panic attacks and an anxiety disorder?

Yes. Many people experience both conditions at the same time. Panic disorder can co-occur with generalized anxiety disorder. A thorough psychiatric evaluation identifies both so the treatment plan addresses everything.

How does a psychiatric provider diagnose panic disorder?

A provider conducts a full clinical interview covering symptom timing, triggers, duration, and frequency. They also screen for other conditions that mimic panic attacks, such as thyroid issues or heart problems, before confirming a diagnosis.

What are the physical symptoms of a panic attack?

Common physical symptoms include racing heart, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, sweating, nausea, and a feeling of losing control. At least four symptoms typically occur during a single episode.

Do panic attacks always require medication?

Not always. Some people respond well to targeted therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy alone. Others benefit from a combination of therapy and FDA-approved medication. The right approach depends on severity and individual needs.

Can telehealth help with panic attacks and anxiety?

Yes. Telehealth psychiatric visits are effective for both evaluation and ongoing treatment. Adelson Behavioral and Mental Health Services offers telehealth across the entire state of Texas for patients who prefer care from home.

Panic Attacks vs Anxiety and How a Psychiatrist in Arlington TX Spots the Difference

Moe | Scarlet Plus
23 hours ago
4 min read

Your heart starts pounding. Your chest gets tight. You can't pull in a full breath. And your first thought hits hard. Is this a panic attack or just really bad anxiety? I hear this question every single week. I'm Adeline Abam, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with DNP, PMHNP, and FNP credentials. And I'm here to break down panic attacks vs anxiety in plain language. Because the answer changes how you get help. And getting it wrong can cost you months of the wrong treatment.

A psychiatrist in Arlington, TX, takes notes during a session to differentiate between panic attacks and anxiety.

What Anxiety Feels Like Day to Day

Anxiety is your body's alarm system getting stuck in the on position. It's a persistent sense of worry, dread, or unease that lingers for weeks, months, or even longer. You might lose sleep, feel irritable, or notice your muscles stay tense all day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 1 in 8 U.S. adults regularly deal with feelings of worry, nervousness, and anxiety. And it doesn't always hit loud. Sometimes it hums quietly in the background, draining your energy and stealing your focus.

Anxiety builds slowly. A work deadline. A health scare. Money stress. These triggers creep in and stick around. You usually know what you're worried about. Most of the time, anyway.

The National Institute of Mental Health notes that anxiety disorders rank among the most common mental health conditions in the country. But common doesn't mean easy to live with. It just means you're far from alone.

What a Panic Attack Actually Feels Like

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that peaks within minutes. It hits without warning and brings overwhelming physical symptoms like a racing heart, chest tightness, and dizziness. Many people describe it as feeling like a heart attack or losing control.

And here's the thing. Panic attacks often show up with no obvious trigger. You can have one while watching TV. Or in the middle of the night. One moment you're fine. The next, your body is in full emergency mode.

Research indexed in PubMed shows that panic attacks involve a sharp spike of fear reaching its peak within ten minutes . That's fast. And the physical symptoms can mimic a heart problem, which sends plenty of people to the emergency room before they ever see a mental health provider.

Full-text studies available through PubMed Central describe panic attacks as distinct episodes of intense fear paired with at least four physical symptoms . Four. That's a key number. Anxiety might give you two or three symptoms at a lower level. Panic cranks them all up at once.

Panic Attacks vs Anxiety and How a Provider Makes the Call

The key difference comes down to timing, triggers, and intensity. Anxiety builds slowly and ties to specific worries that persist over time. Panic attacks strike suddenly, peak within minutes, and often have no clear trigger. A thorough clinical evaluation examines all three.

At Adelson Behavioral & Mental Health Services, I start with a full evaluation. I ask about timing, triggers, symptom patterns, and how long episodes last. Anxiety tends to be ongoing and tied to specific worries. Panic attacks are sudden, intense, and often come out of nowhere.

I also screen for panic disorder, which means recurrent unexpected attacks plus persistent worry about having more. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 2.7 percent of U.S. adults had panic disorder in the past year. That's a specific diagnosis supported by research in NCBI databases. And it changes the treatment plan significantly compared to generalized anxiety.

You can learn more about our approach on our anxiety and panic page.

Why the Right Diagnosis Changes Your Treatment

Anxiety and panic disorder respond to different treatment approaches. Getting an accurate diagnosis means you receive the right combination of therapy, medication, or both for your specific condition. A misdiagnosis can lead to months of ineffective treatment and unnecessary frustration.

If you're dealing with ongoing anxiety, your treatment might center on therapy techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps you spot thought patterns that keep the worry cycle spinning. Sometimes medication management is part of the picture too. Medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can help rebalance the brain chemistry involved in chronic anxiety.

Panic disorder often needs a slightly different path. Targeted therapy for panic, sometimes combined with medication, can reduce how often attacks happen and how intense they feel. The treatment works really well. But only if the diagnosis is right.

That's why a thorough psychiatric evaluation matters so much. You can explore our full range of psychiatry services to see how we tailor care to each person.

Getting Help in Arlington and Across Texas

Professional help is available both in person and through secure telehealth video visits. Whether you're in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield, or anywhere else in Texas, you can connect with a psychiatric provider who truly understands what you're going through.

I see patients in person throughout Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield, and the surrounding communities. Prefer to talk from home? I also offer telehealth visits across the entire state of Texas for evaluations and treatment. Same care. Same attention. Just through a screen.

Whether you're an adult managing work stress or a parent worried about a teen, our adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry programs can meet you where you are.

If you or someone you love needs immediate direction, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs a free, confidential helpline available around the clock. It's a solid starting point.

And if you want to see if we're a good fit, my provider profile and Psychology Today listing have more details. Or just reach out. The first step is the hardest part. You don't have to figure it out perfectly. You just have to take it.