How do I know if I'm really having a panic attack or if I'm just freaking out?

The idea of "Freaking out" seems to be more self destructive (banging head against a wall, etc) whereas a panic attack makes you feel "cramped," or trapped with no way out, but you don't beat yourself up. Think of it as being frozen in place and unable to catch up with your heart or your lungs. Panic attacks have a series of very specific symptoms leading from a build up of anxiety, whereas freaking out is often related to pent up anger.

There's no concrete way to know for sure because both have similar symptoms. Panic attacks, though, generally have more dramatic symptoms and as they are spurred on by a rush of adrenaline, you'll usually have a wild, racing heartbeat, jagged breathing, shaking, no rational thoughts, fear, and often (but not always) a need to move (from the fight or flight instinct). Freaking out is generally more in your mind than anything - you might cry or have some symptoms of a panic attack but panic attacks are usually on a much different scale.

A panic attack can consist of chest pains that feel like heart attacks. If you're just freaking out, you normally won't feel like that.

Panic attacks can cause you to have chest pains, dizzyness, difficulties breathing, and shaking. Freaking out may or may not consist of having a panic attack. If you feel like you're going to pass out, or worse, when you're feeling anxious I would see a psychologist and they can help you from there.

What I have found is that panic attacks usually come on without any real indication that you're about to have one. Freaking out is something that is gradual and continuously grows higher and more intense the more you dwell over the thoughts that are freaking you out. But that is only in my experience.

I've had years of experience with panic attacks. My most severe and frequent attacks happened in my late teens and early twenties. When I had a panic attack I would usually have a sense of foreboding followed by a weak feeling and rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and sometimes I would get clammy. Often my senses would be hyper sensitive - my vision seemed super sharp, and I could hear and feel everything in a heightened way. I would often walk around with my hands on my pulse checking that my heart was beating, somehow thinking that it was helpful (when actually it was helping to perpetuate the attack). I made lots of trip to the ER when I first started having panic attacks, fearing that I was having a heart attack. Panic attacks could hit at anytime and I began to avoid going places where I though I could not get medical attention quickly. I didn't know what was happening to me until I started in therapy and began to understand how my panic attacks worked. Even though it feels like something is going terribly wrong, I'm able to take steps to reduce the intensity. The frequency of the attacks has dropped dramatically, but when I feel a panic attack coming on I generally am able to be mindful of it without getting carried away by the panic. Panic attacks can be exhausting. After an attack I would often shake all over even though I wasn't cold, and then my body would be so spent I would need to sleep. I think the main difference between a panic attack and just freaking out it that there is a major mind+body component that can include, for example - feelings of dread, rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, sweating, vision disturbance, muscle tension, light headedness, stomach ache, etc. These symptoms are generally not present when just freaking out.

I think you know because it feels different your breath starts to go wierd you start to feel really hot and sweaty and it's like you feel sick

Typically when you are having a panic attack you experience a sense of disorganization within your thoughts. While symptoms vary for different individuals, common ones are hyperventilation, shakiness, sweating, shivering, and confusion. Sometimes there is no specific source of distress regarding panic attacks but other times there can be. Its easy to confuse a panic attack and a freak-out but likely if you feel like it is a panic attack then it probably is.

You can look up the symptoms online :) I also found that anxiety attacks and panic attacks to be slightly different, so its important to identify which one it is before it happens again.

I know I'm having an attack when I can't catch my breath. If i'm just nervous, my hands will get sweaty and i might shake a bit. but when my breathing gets all messed up, that's when i know it's an attack. I feel like I can't catch my breath at all and I have to focus hard on taking deep breaths.