A collection of questions and sharing by our readership community about a wide variety of aspects of social anxiety. Dive in and receive practical insights and advice.
QUESTION BY:
Anonymous
Panic Attacks vs. Social Anxiety
I have just read purchased and read your book “Work Makes me Nervous”. One of the first examples in it are of a 40 year oldish executive giving a presentation that was well prepared and presented only to suffer a paralysing panic attack on stage, where he was unable to speak when his mind went blank and he walked off the stage. It was not disclosed that this person prior to this event had suffered from ‘social anxiety’. Had he in fact suffered from social anxiety prior to this episode. Do you think there is a difference between a ‘panic attack’ and an ‘anxiety attack’ (brought on by social anxiety?
Jonathan Responds:
A panic attack is the same thing as an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks vary in their intensity. The word “panic” describes a high intensity anxiety attack or episode. The executive you mentioned did experience social anxiety before his episode. His “walking off stage” due to the intensity of the anxiety was a trauma, as he experienced a loss of control, associated with acute levels of embarrassment and shame. This scenario made him obsessively hyper-vigilant.
