Panic Attack vs. Anger Attack

Key Takeaways

• Panic attacks involve sudden fear, while anger attacks involve intense anger.
• Anger attacks can happen when someone feels trapped, unlike panic attacks which are triggered by fear.
• Anger attacks often include overreactions and irritability; panic attacks don’t.

Most people are familiar with panic attacks, or sudden rushes of fear that lead to overwhelming symptoms like a racing heartbeat, rapid breathing, and shortness of breath. You might be less familiar with anger attacks, but these experiences can feel just as overwhelming and intense.

Anger attacks are characterized by intense, sudden periods of anger that resemble panic attacks—without those tell-tale feelings of fear and anxiety. While both experiences involve sudden surges in emotion and physical arousal, they often stem from different triggers and underlying emotions.

It’s not unusual for people who have panic disorder, agoraphobia, or another anxiety disorder to experience frustration because of their condition. You may blame yourself or others for your anxiety, which then escalates your sense of anger and resentment. Sometimes, this frustration can develop into anger toward yourself, your situation, or other people.

Researchers have conducted studies on what they term “anger attacks” in depressed and anxious individuals. Understanding the similarities and differences between anger attacks and panic attacks can help you better recognize the symptoms and know how to respond when they happen.

Symptoms of Anger Attacks

Researchers suggest that anger attacks are characterized by the presence of irritability, overreaction to minor annoyances, inappropriate anger and rage directed at others, and at least four of the following symptoms:

• Chest pains, tightening, or discomfort
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Excessive sweating
• Fear of losing control
• Feeling like attacking others
• Heart pounding or racing
• Hot or cold flashes
• Intense fear or anxiety
• Physically attacking others
• Shaking or trembling
• Shortness of breath
• Throwing or destroying objects
• Tingling or itching skin

At least one of these anger episodes must have occurred within the last month.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5-TR) is a handbook that treatment providers use to determine a person’s diagnosis. This manual contains valuable definitions of symptoms and disorders and diagnostic criteria.

According to the DSM-5-TR, a panic attack is characterized by four or more of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Chills or hot flushes
• Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• Dizziness, unsteadiness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint
• Excessive sweating
• Fear of losing control or going crazy
• Fear of dying
• Feeling of choking
• Heart palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesias)
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Trembling or shaking

Panic vs. Anger: Understanding the Differences

It’s easy to see the similarities between the symptoms of an anger attack and a panic attack. Both produce many of the same sudden and intense physical and emotional sensations. However, there are important differences.

Anger attacks might be more likely to occur in situations in which an individual feels emotionally trapped rather than as the result of fear and anxiety that are often associated with panic attacks. Because a person feels trapped and unsure of how to manage the situation, they lash out with anger.

Panic attacks, on the other hand, can be unexpected, out-of-the-blue, or cued by thinking about or being exposed to something you fear.

For instance, people who have a phobia (such as the fear of flying, the fear of enclosed spaces, or the fear of public speaking) often experience panic attacks.

Anger can also intensify and worsen panic attack symptoms.

Distinguishing Characteristics

In addition, there are criteria that are unique to anger attacks, including:

• Angry overreaction to small irritations
• Inappropriate anger directed toward others
• Irritable feelings in the past 6 months
• One or more anger attacks experienced in the past month

What Causes Anger Attacks?

Many things can trigger anger attacks. Stress, interpersonal relationships, financial problems, and substance use are just a few issues that can play a role.

Anger attacks can also be a symptom of numerous health conditions, including:

• Alcohol misuse: Excessive alcohol use makes it more difficult to control your emotions.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): People with ADHD often experience greater emotional intensity. This can make it more difficult to control feelings of anger that a person may experience.
• Bipolar disorder: Mania in bipolar disorder can cause extreme anger, often over even mild irritants.
• Depression: While depression is often associated with sadness, it is not uncommon for people to experience anger and irritability as well. Many people with depression experience anger attacks as a result of common annoyances.
• Grief: It is common for people to experience anger attacks after the loss of a loved one.

Recap

Many things can trigger anger attacks, including stress, financial issues, work, and social pressures, family or relationship troubles, lack of sleep, and even frustration over having panic disorder, agoraphobia, or another type of anxiety disorder.

Coping With Anger Attacks

If you feel that you are experiencing anger attacks, and they are interfering with your work or relationships, talk to your doctor or mental healthcare provider.

Use Anger Management Techniques

Together, you can work to develop an anger management plan, which might include identifying your triggers, behaviors, and reactions, and learning and practicing relaxation techniques such as the following:

Try Anger Management Therapy

Anger management therapy can help you address the cognitive and behavioral components of anger in order to better regulate difficult and intense emotions.

During therapy, you’ll learn how to identify your anger triggers and develop strategies to diffuse feelings of frustration and anger. You’ll also learn how to change the underlying negative thinking patterns that contribute to your anger. 

Consider Medication

Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help reduce your symptoms. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, that can be used to effectively treat panic attacks also work for managing anger attacks.

Practice Self-Care

Good self-care routines can also help. Self-care may include exercising, eating well, managing your sleep habits, and building a solid support network.

Join a Support Group

Attending local or online support groups and ongoing therapy are also viable options. Such groups can offer encouragement, advice, and resources that can help you better manage your anger.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. de Bles NJ, Rius Ottenheim N, van Hemert AM, et al. Trait anger and anger attacks in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders. J Affect Disord. 2019;259:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.023

2. Mesbah R, de Bles N, Rius-Ottenheim N, et al. Anger and cluster B personality traits and the conversion from unipolar depression to bipolar disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2021;38(6):671-681. doi:10.1002/da.23137

3. American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

4. Parrott DJ, Eckhardt CI. Effects of alcohol on human aggression. Curr Opin Psychol. 2018;19:1-5. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.023

5. Guaiana G, Meader N, Barbui C, et al. Pharmacological treatments in panic disorder in adults: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;11(11):CD012729. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012729.pub3

6. Vidal-Ribas P, Stringaris A. How and why are irritability and depression linked? Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2021;30(2):401-414. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2020.10.009

7. American Psychological Association. Controlling anger before it controls you.

8. American Psychological Association. Understanding anger: how psychologists help with anger problems.

Additional Reading

• Fava M, Anderson K, Rosenbaum JF. Anger attacks: Possible variants of panic and major depressive disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1990;147:867-870. doi:10.1176/ajp.147.7.867

By Sheryl Ankrom, MS, LCPC

Sheryl Ankrom is a clinical professional counselor and nationally certified clinical mental health counselor specializing in anxiety disorders. 

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