Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack: What Is the Difference?

If you have experienced a racing heart, breathlessness, intense fear, or overwhelming worry, you may wonder whether you are having a panic attack or an anxiety attack. The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is an important difference: panic attack is a recognised clinical term, while anxiety attack is an informal phrase commonly used to describe intense or escalating anxiety.

For individuals and couples going through fertility treatment, these feelings can be particularly difficult. IVF, ICSI (a fertility treatment where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg), pregnancy uncertainty, previous treatment experiences, and relationship pressures can all contribute to emotional distress. Understanding what you are experiencing can be the first step toward getting appropriate support.

Key Takeaways

• A panic attack usually involves a sudden, intense surge of fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes.
• An anxiety attack is not a formal medical diagnosis and commonly describes gradually increasing anxiety or overwhelming worry.
• If anxiety or panic is interfering with your relationships, fertility treatment, sleep, work, or daily life, speaking with a psychologist can help.

Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack: What Is the Difference?

The biggest differences involve how quickly symptoms develop, what triggers them, how intense they become, and how long they tend to last.

Feature	Panic Attack	Anxiety Attack
Medical term?	Yes	No, informal term
Onset	Usually sudden	Often gradual
Trigger	May happen with or without an obvious trigger	Usually linked to ongoing stress or worry
Intensity	Often very intense	Can range from mild to severe
Physical symptoms	Often prominent	May be present but can be less intense
Duration	Often peaks within minutes	May continue for a longer period
Common thoughts	Fear of dying, losing control, or something being seriously wrong	Persistent worry, uncertainty, or feeling overwhelmed

It is important not to use this table as a way of diagnosing yourself. Similar symptoms can occur with different mental health conditions and some physical health problems. A healthcare professional can help determine what is happening.

What is an anxiety attack?

“Anxiety attack” is a phrase people commonly use when anxiety becomes overwhelming. It is not a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, the diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals. 

For example, you may have been worrying about your fertility treatment for several days. You might be waiting for test results, concerned about an upcoming IVF cycle, or thinking constantly about whether treatment will work.

The worry gradually builds until you feel unable to cope.

You may experience:

• Constant worrying
• Feeling restless or tense
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Racing thoughts
• Muscle tension
• A racing heartbeat
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling overwhelmed

These symptoms can feel very real and distressing even when there is no immediate danger.

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort. It can happen when you are already stressed, but it can also appear unexpectedly when you believe you are safe.

During a panic attack, your body’s threat-response system can become highly activated. Your heart may race, your breathing may change, and you may suddenly feel that something terrible is happening.

Panic attacks typically reach their peak within minutes.

Common panic attack symptoms

A person experiencing a panic attack may have several symptoms, including:

• Rapid or pounding heartbeat
• Chest discomfort
• Shortness of breath or a choking sensation
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Chills or hot sensations
• Numbness or tingling
• Feeling detached from your surroundings
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying

Because some of these symptoms can resemble serious physical conditions, it is important not to automatically assume that chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, fainting, or other concerning symptoms are caused by anxiety.

If symptoms are new, severe, unusual, or concerning, seek appropriate medical assessment.

Can a panic attack happen without a trigger?

Yes. Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly, without an obvious trigger. They can also be associated with a particular situation, such as flying, crowded places, medical procedures, or another feared situation.

This unpredictability can itself become a source of anxiety.

You might start thinking:

“What if it happens again?”

That fear of another attack can lead some people to avoid certain places, activities, travel, social situations, or medical appointments.

How Can You Tell if You Are Having a Panic Attack or Anxiety Attack?

If you are trying to understand your symptoms, consider how the experience started and what was happening beforehand.

1. Did it come on suddenly?

A panic attack often appears suddenly and can become intense very quickly.

Anxiety tends to build more gradually, particularly when you have been worrying about a situation for hours or days.

2. Is there a specific source of worry?

Anxiety is commonly connected with a perceived threat or ongoing concern.

For example:

• “What if my IVF cycle doesn’t work?”
• “What will happen if my pregnancy test is negative?”
• “I’m worried about my fertility results.”
• “I’m concerned about my partner’s reaction.”
• “I can’t stop thinking about my future.”

These worries can accumulate and create significant emotional and physical symptoms.

3. Are the physical sensations extremely intense?

A panic attack can involve a sudden combination of physical symptoms such as racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness and shaking.

The intensity can make you believe that something medically dangerous is happening, even when the episode is related to panic.

4. Does the worry continue for a long time?

Anxiety can persist because your mind continues to anticipate possible problems.

Unlike a brief panic episode, anxiety may remain in the background throughout your day and affect your sleep, concentration, relationships and ability to enjoy normal activities.

Why Can Fertility Treatment Increase Anxiety and Panic?

Fertility treatment is not only a series of medical appointments. It can involve uncertainty, waiting, financial considerations, hormonal treatment, procedures and emotionally significant decisions.

For some people, this can increase anxiety.

At Almond Blossoms, fertility care and psychological wellbeing are considered together because emotional distress can affect how you experience treatment and cope with uncertainty. The clinic’s fertility service includes IVF and ICSI, while its Well-being Centre provides psychological support for fertility-related emotional challenges. 

Common fertility-related anxiety triggers

You might experience increased anxiety around:

• Receiving a fertility diagnosis
• Waiting for test results
• Starting IVF or ICSI
• Egg collection
• Embryo development
• Embryo transfer
• The “two-week wait”
• Previous treatment failure
• Miscarriage or pregnancy concerns
• Fear about fertility decline
• Decisions about genetic testing
• Communication with your partner
• Pressure from family or social expectations

For example, a person may feel relatively calm before an IVF appointment but become increasingly anxious as the appointment approaches.

Another person may experience a sudden panic episode while waiting for an important result.

Neither experience should be dismissed as “just stress.”

When Should You See a Psychologist for Panic or Anxiety?

You do not have to wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming before seeking psychological support.

A psychologist can help you understand patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and develop appropriate strategies for managing them.

Consider speaking with a psychologist if anxiety or panic:

• Happens repeatedly
• Is affecting your sleep
• Interferes with work or relationships
• Causes you to avoid places or situations
• Makes fertility treatment difficult to cope with
• Creates persistent fear about having another panic attack
• Leaves you feeling emotionally exhausted
• Makes it difficult to concentrate on everyday activities

At Almond Blossoms, the Well-being team includes clinical and counselling psychologists who work with individuals and couples experiencing anxiety, stress, relationship concerns and fertility-related emotional challenges.

What can a psychologist help with?

Psychological therapy can help you:

1. Understand what may be triggering your anxiety.
2. Recognise patterns that make fear worse.
3. Develop healthier ways of responding to distressing thoughts.
4. Manage anxiety associated with fertility treatment.
5. Improve communication with your partner.
6. Build coping strategies for uncertainty.
7. Reduce avoidance behaviours that may be limiting your daily life.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), for example, is a form of talking therapy that helps people identify unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns and work toward more helpful responses. Psychotherapy is commonly used in the management of anxiety and panic-related conditions.

Panic Attacks During IVF: What Should You Do?

If you experience panic symptoms during fertility treatment, it does not automatically mean that you should stop treatment.

Instead, discuss your experience with the appropriate healthcare professionals.

Your fertility specialist can assess any physical symptoms and treatment-related concerns, while a psychologist can help you address the emotional and psychological aspects.

This integrated approach can be particularly useful because fertility treatment often involves both medical and emotional challenges.

For example, if you are preparing for IVF or ICSI, you may benefit from discussing your emotional concerns with a psychologist before treatment begins rather than waiting until distress becomes severe.

What if you are considering genetic testing?

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a laboratory test performed during an IVF cycle to screen embryos for certain genetic or chromosomal conditions before transfer. The decision to pursue genetic testing can sometimes bring additional questions and emotional pressure.

Psychological support can help you process uncertainty and communicate openly with your partner while you make treatment decisions with your medical team.