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

When you have a panic attack it feels like when you miss a step that feeling in your stomach. But the feeling lasts a lot longer.

First off, you should talk to you doctor about how you are feeling. If you are feeling short of breath, get any numbness or tingling in your hands, face, or feet, or are having a really tough time breathing, it is likely a panic attack. A good "at home" remedey is breathing into a paper bag, and talking to people you trust. Try to slow your breathing. Listen to a calming song. But if it not helping... tell someone that you may need additional help.

what symptoms are you having? what happened before you started having a possible panic attack?

Having a panic attack is way different from freaking out.. When having a panick attack you find difficulties breathing and are restless and of course crying a lot.

Is your physical state changing? Is your heart racing, your chest tightening, is it harder to breathe? Are you not seeing straight? Are your thoughts racing? If you are experiencing this, you are most likely having a panic attack

Panic attacks will usually trigger involuntary bodily responses like nail biting, sweating palms, the need to use the bathroom, and leg/hand shivering. It's all of the above for me. When I freak out or simply get nervous, my reactions are more psychological with little or no involuntary body responses.

Anxiety and panic attacks happen "in your mind" and are usually triggered by a fear or thought (something that happened previously.

Panic attack is when you freak out too much.Its just a more extreme version of being freaked out hence there is not much difference.

Usually for me it involoved crying, and not being able to breate/ catch my breath. But also sometimes that could just be freaking out.

From personal experience, I can say that having a panic attacks feels like this - you feel like you're going to die, your heart is racing, you get a feeling of doom and like nothing is going right. I used to roll up into a ball while having one and staying like that for 10-20 minutes. That's what a panic attack's like.