I'm going to try to explain myself as simply as I can, but it's tricky, bear with me :(

About a year and a half ago I had the first episode of this thing I'm not sure it's anxiety or not. I felt nervous, the kind of nervousness you feel before an important exam... Only it lasted days and I couldn't pinpoint an specific cause. My heart seemed to beat in a quick and shallow way, and I felt this kind of weight in the center of my chest, as if something was pulling it inside. I also felt really tired and weak, and every second felt like a minute. It was terrible, and to be honest I started having suicidal thoughts, because it felt unbearable. I went to the doctor, she prescribed me escitalopram 10 mg for a while, and I got much better. Still, I wanted to stop the medication because I felt numb, like I didn't really care about anything - which, paradoxically, in a way was also good because I'm frequently anxious around people.

Fast forward to nowadays, and a few weeks ago I felt that terrible feeling creeping back, though thankfully it never reached the same degree. This time I went to a psychiatrist and he prescribed setralin (25 mg for one week, now 50 mg, I'm currently on my third week), and propranolol 10 mg for specific moments of anxiety. 

For now I'm not feeling very well, to be honest. I've spent a few days with palpitations and weakness, and today I  felt more social anxiety than usual. On my worse days, like today, I feel like my throat is tight and even speaking normally is kind of difficult, which makes me feel like drowning. 

Sorry for the rambling and confusing message, I basically would like to ask you if what I have is indeed anxiety, how to differentiate it from a panic attack and if you think setralin will help me with the general and social anxiety, and when to expect it to start working. Thank you!