Panic disorder and Generalized anxiety disorder are the common types of anxiety disorders in the United States. Although they share some common symptoms, still there are major differences between them. These anxiety disorders are more commonly seen in adolescents and adults. However, children can also suffer from these mental disorders. 

This article provides a comprehensive guide to panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. You will also understand the major similarities and differences between both mental issues. Understanding the key differences and similarities helps get the early intervention or treatment of mental conditions. At the end of the article, you will also get familiar with the best treatment or coping strategies to live a stress-free life. So, let’s get started.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are common but complex mental conditions that are characterized by an extreme sense of fear, worry, and strong feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. 

 Various recent studies have reported that approximately 33.7% of US adults suffer from anxiety disorder at any point in their lifetime. Moreover, women are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorder as compared to men. 

What are the types of Anxiety disorders?

 There are several types of anxiety disorders which include:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Specific phobias
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Separation anxiety disorder
  • Agoraphobia 

Below, we will explain the two major types of anxiety disorders, panic disorders and generalized anxiety disorders.

 What is Panic Disorder?

 Panic disorder is a mental illness and the most common type of anxiety disorder. This involves sudden and intense episodes of panic and fear. Due to panic attacks, individuals lose control over their minds and body. Although panic attacks occur in the presence of any danger, in most cases, the onset of panic attacks occurs without any apparent danger or unpleasant situation. The onset of panic attacks usually occurs in late adolescence or adulthood stages.

There is a direct link between panic attacks and fear. Whenever a person is reminded of any traumatic life situation or feels any danger, panic attacks occur. So, whenever that fear or danger element comes, panic attacks also appear. This led to agoraphobia, a condition in which individuals usually avoid people or situations that they think can trigger panic attacks. 

What is the prevalence of Panic Disorder?

Approximately, every 1 in 20 US individuals are suffered from panic disorder in their life. Among all, women are more likely to suffer from panic disorder as compared to men. 

 Symptoms of Panic Disorder

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a panic attack is a sudden episode of extreme fear or panic attacks. To get diagnosed with panic disorder, individuals must have any four symptoms. There is a diversity in the symptoms of panic disorder and individuals also exhibit different responses to panic disorder. Some common symptoms of panic disorder are as follows:

  • Elevated heart rate
  • Chills
  • Chest pain
  • Increased respiratory rate
  • Reduced control over thoughts, emotions
  • Sweating
  • Trembling or shaking of hands 
  • Feelings of getting detached from the reality 
  • Dizziness
  • Feelings of choking
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue or tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Fear of dying
  • Intrusive thoughts

Although these symptoms appear immediately then get a hike. However, after a few minutes, approximately 5 to 10 minutes, the intensity decreases and subsides. If the necessary treatment or preventive measures are not applied then the duration of panic attacks can increase and acquire more severe forms. 

Symptoms of Panic disorder

What are the causes of Panic Disorder?

The most common causes of panic disorder include:

  • Any traumatic life event or experience such as personal and professional loss
  • Any family member having a panic disorder
  • Biochemical changes 
  • Environmental stressors 
  • Substance abuse
  • Cognitive factors
  • Physical conditions

How is Panic disorder diagnosed? 

Only professional mental health experts can make the complete diagnosis of panic disorder. They utilize psychological or physical evaluation to identify the symptoms. Moreover, different checklists and rating scales are also useful in diagnosis. 

What are the diagnostic criteria for a Panic disorder?

Individuals diagnosed with panic disorder must meet the following criteria:

  • The onset of intense or recurrent panic attacks
  • The occurrence of at least four to five symptoms of panic disorder
  • At least one of the panic attacks is followed by one month or more

What is the impact of panic disorder on life?

Panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety disorder that impacts the multiple aspects of each individual’s life such as: 

Social isolation

Individuals always feel fear of having panic attacks anytime and therefore they prefer to stay alone and avoid engaging in any social activity. They always have a fear of facing the same situation again. Due to social isolation, they also face the issues of loneliness and anxiety or depression.  

Impact on academic life 

Children with GAD do not take an interest in the process of learning and engaging in any productive activity. This in turn affects their academic performance. They do not meet their academic requirements and are unable to get the grace marks.

Emotional distress 

GAD children or adults also face difficulty in regulating their emotions. Moreover, they exhibit anger outbursts. Their fear of panic attacks increases their anxiety. If the condition persists then it can also cause the development of other common mental issues such as depression. 

 Avoidance behavior

 Individuals always try to avoid those situations, objects, or places that they think can trigger their anxiety or panic attacks. For example, some people avoid hanging out with friends ,and some start to avoid going to new places.  

What is Generalized anxiety disorder? 

Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental illness that involves a persistent state of stress or worry about everyday life activities. Individuals feel difficulty having control over their thoughts and emotions and therefore face difficulty in each aspect of their lives. As they do not feel at ease, they do not communicate with their friends and family in a better way. This then affects their relationships. 

What is GAD

 Always remember that becoming anxious is quite normal. Stress is a body’s natural response that is generated by the activation of the body’s sympathetic system. When the brain receives the environmental stimuli, then this system gets activated which in turn results in the fight or flight response. However, if you ever feel that your stress period is getting prolonged and each normal day worry is transforming into a mental illness then you need to consult the mental health professionals. 

 The onset of GAD occurs in childhood or adolescent stages, However, the mental condition can persist to adulthood stages. Moreover, affected children do not pay attention in their classroom and face difficulty in learning. Likewise, adolescents and adults also face complexities at their workplace and fail to achieve excellence. The untreated GAD symptoms directly interfere with life functioning and negatively affect the quality of life. 

What is the prevalence of GAD?

According to multiple recent searches, the lifetime prevalence of GAD in the United States is 5.7%. Just like other anxiety disorders, women are more prone to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder as compared to men. 

 Symptoms of GAD

 There is a range of psychological and physical symptoms of GAD that exert a negative impact on the lives of individuals. 

Symptoms of GAD

1. Psychological symptoms 

  • Excessive stress
  • Extreme overthinking
  • Blurred thoughts 
  • Difficulty in learning
  • Difficulty in making decisions
  • Fear-based thought patterns

2. Physical symptoms

  • Fatigue or tiredness
  • Irritability
  • Sense of restlessness
  • Issues in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Difficulty in the sleep-wake cycle
  • Headache
  • Muscle ache
  • Muscle stiffness

How is GAD diagnosed?

Just like other common anxiety disorders, GAD is also diagnosed by mental health experts. They consider the results of psychological evaluation to make future treatment plans. 

What are the diagnostic criteria for Generalized anxiety disorder? 

Mental health professionals can better diagnose the mental condition. The diagnostic criteria of GAD involve the following:

  • Individuals are unable to control their excessive worry.
  • Individuals are taking stress for at least six months or more. 
  • Individuals are exhibiting at least three to four symptoms of GAD.
  • The persistent phase of stress is wrestling with the impairment in daily functioning.
  • The person starts taking alcohol or any other drug

What are the causes of Generalized Anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder is caused by multiple factors which are as follows:

  • Genetic factors
  • Environmental factors
  • Brain changes
  • Neurotransmitter imbalance
  • Medications
  • Substance abuse 
  • Personality traits
  • Presence of any physical illness

What is the impact of GAD on life? 

Generalized anxiety disorder is also harmful to the mental stability of individuals. Moreover, it also imparts major negative changes in different areas of life such as: 

 

1. Daily life functioning 

Individuals suffering from GAD do not easily carry out their daily responsibilities. They do not focus on the things that they do daily and also fail to pay attention to their academic and professional life. 

2. Relationships 

Due to prolonged stress, individuals do not express their emotions and whenever they speak, they exhibit negativity. This in turn results the conflict between them and negatively affects their relationships.  

3. Physical health issues 

Due to GAD symptoms, physical health is also affected. If the anxiousness persists then multiple physical changes appear in the body such as increased heart rate and breathing rate physical discomfort etc.  

What are the major differences between Panic disorder and Generalized anxiety disorder?

 Several factors in both panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are distinct. This table highlights the major differences between both mental illnesses.

Panic disorder Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder involves recurrent and intense panic attacks GAD individuals take excessive stress on daily life activities
Increased heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain sweating, and shaking of hands Fatigue or tiredness, sleep difficulty, muscle stiffness, gastrointestinal issues
The onset of panic attacks is rapid The onset is gradual
Affected individuals lose control over their mind The most often occurrence of intrusive or undesired negative thoughts that affect mental stability
The duration of panic attacks is shorter Symptoms can persist for six months or more
Individuals exhibit avoidance behavior Individuals perform excessive testing or checking to become aware of future situations
They also have fear of future panic attacks or getting exposed to any distressing situation Excessive worry and irritable behavior
This involves depersonalization
Panic disorder does not involve persistent worries GAD involves the long-lasting worry
Symptoms are more physical Symptoms are more emotional and mental than physical
The common co-occurring disorders include agoraphobia and other common anxiety disorders GAD coexists with other types of anxiety disorders and depression

 

Treatment for Panic disorder and GAD 

Although both panic disorder and GAD are complex mental issues, the right effective treatment can help. Each type of anxiety disorder is treated with the help of psychotherapies and medication. Moreover, additional coping strategies are also helpful in preventing the development of both mental health disorders.  

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a talk therapy that involves communication between mental health professionals and mental health patients. Affected individuals share all their mental issues with experts to manage their symptoms of mental illness. Among different types of psychotherapy, the following are most commonly used by the experts: 

2. Cognitive behavioral therapy

 Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common type of psychotherapy used to treat mental illnesses. Any individual dealing with any kind of anxiety disorder can be recovered with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy. Experts conduct different therapy sessions in which they create a friendly and supportive environment where each affected individual speaks their heart out without any fear of judgment. Considering the mental health needs of each individual, experts develop customized treatment plans. 

3. Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy

 Exposure and response prevention therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that involves the exposure of individuals to situations or objects that they think can trigger their anxiety. Individuals first list down their fears based on the instructions of the mental health experts. Then individuals face their fears one by one and stop themselves from exhibiting the response. After repeating this in a few sessions they become adapted to this and do not exhibit a response to their fear. 

Medications 

Experts recommend different types of recommendations to treat anxiety disorders such as:

1. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the type of medications that are primarily used for the treatment of anxiety disorders including panic disorder and GAD. The main role of selective serotonin uptake inhibitors is to increase the serotonin levels in the brain. 

2. Other types of common medications used for anxiety disorder treatment include:

  • Atypical antidepressants
  • Atypical antipsychotics
  • Beta-blockers  

Coping strategies for Individuals with Anxiety disorders 

In addition to treatment options, multiple coping or preventive strategies help individuals manage the symptoms of their anxiety disorders such as: 

1. Relaxation techniques 

Relaxation techniques are ideal for achieving mental calmness. By regularly practicing relaxation techniques, individuals can feel calm, relaxed, and focused. Most common relaxation techniques include mindfulness techniques, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises.

2. Lifestyle changes

If you want a positive mindset then change your lifestyle. Focus on your diet and try to take healthy food products. Moreover, also make a schedule of your sleep and try to sleep and wake up early on time. Furthermore, don’t forget to stretch your muscles if you want a good blood supply to your brain. Regularly perform a physical workout or any strenuous activity to feel mentally calm and relaxed. 

3. Support Groups

Getting the emotional support is also the best way to deal with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. There are different support group therapy sessions that you can join and get the support of your friends or family members can also join the support groups and provide you with the desired emotional support. 

Reach out to Advanced Health Preference Group for professional help today!

We are highly concerned with your mental health. We have a team of mental health experts who provide the best mental health services for the treatment of all common mental health issues including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, etc. Our experts first perform the complete psychological evolution to determine the actual mental illness and the severity of the symptoms. Based on the assessment results, they develop a treatment plan that tailors the needs of each individual. So, whether you are battling with GAD or panic disorder, we are here to provide you with professional mental health assistance. So, schedule a consultation with our experts and get the best mental health solutions today. 

Send us a message or call us today to initiate your mental health journey.