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

If you're having a panic attack your symptoms will last longer than if you are just freaking out. You will experience manic shaking, sweating and nausea. Whereas if you're freaking out you will find yourself able to calm down yourself by deep breathing as panic attacks require more attention. Usually, freaking out can lead to panic attacks so be careful to calm yourself down as soon as possible before it exaggerates into something worse.

just step yew legs on ground take a deep breath.. feel the energy flwoing from yewr body to the ground ! yew will come to reality

In my experience, a panic attack involves being tight chested and you feel like you are suffocating as you can't catch your breath. Freaking out is more frantic, pacing, ranting, your mind goes a mile a minute.

You know the symptoms, such as headaches, breathing, itching. Maybe you should see a specialist who speaks on topic.

When I experience a panic attack I feel my chest tighten and my breathing quickens. Sometimes I even break into a cold sweat. All of my thoughts race at once and I just need to get out of wherever I am. I just have to escape what's making me panicky. That's how I know I am having an attack. When i'm just freaking out, I cry and get over it within 5 minutes. Panic attacks usually last longer than 10 minutes for me and it takes a while to calm down. To diffuse the situation I just walk outside to get fresh air and take a few deep breathes (in through my nose, out through my mouth) and eventually I start to feel better.

in my experience, freaking out was just me being worried. I could still make conscious decisions and I was fully aware of what I'm doing. on the other hand, with panic attacks, I lose sight of everything, my throat closes up and I do stuff that I'm not fully aware of. people who have witnessed my panic attacks said I start to shake and cry and scratch at my arms. the most important thing to remember in both these situations is to breathe.

Personally speaking, panic attacks make you get this feeling like you are closed in. Like you cant breathe.

A panic attack is short of the worst feeling in the world. When you're having a panic attack, you experience a lot of physical symptoms, and not just mental. On top of having racing thoughts, feeling like you're about to die, feeling helpless and terrified; your heart races, your mouth dries, you sweat, you have uncontrollable rocking or fidgeting, and I personally sometimes pass out. Everyone experiences panic attacks differently. Just know that even if you are just "freaking out", your panic is no less than anyone else's. If you feel scared, or panicked, or even just a little freaked out, it is still justified and you shouldn't belittle how you feel because you don't think it classifies at a panic attack!

When you have a panic attack, generally there are more physical symptoms, like nausea, numbness, shaking, and a really strong heartbeat.

Panic attacks can initiate physical responses from your body to what you are feeling, whereas "freaking out" is completely emotional. There are many common physical symptoms of panic attacks, such as shortness of breath, pounding heart/quicker pulse, stomach aches, nausea, trembling or shaking, and feeling detached from your surroundings.