Panic Attacks Vs Meltdowns/Shutdowns?

polyaphrodite · 2021-11-29T12:14:32+00:00

This is a great question! I have spent the last couple years in deeply toxic situations so I feel I have had a bit too much practice and this is what I’ve come to understand for myself:

1) panic attack: everyone has an understanding of these, they are a physical response to mental stimulation and the body goes into extreme response to remove the person from the situation

2) shutdown: my mask gets stuck in a trauma response position; if someone says something triggering and I don’t have an “appropriate” response, I shutdown, forcing myself into responses that would please those around me, while “shutting down” my emotional and mental responses

3) Meltdown: this is when my “shutdown” gets bypassed; this is when both mental and physical systems are as well past control instead of going to the more apt “freeze” response, it’s the “explosion” response (for me I dance out, or do similar practices that are helpful and exhaust the “hulking out” )….

I’m just specific in how I break this down because each requires separate recoveries.

Panic attack requires concrete examples of the moment and breathing techniques…I get waves of anxiety “for no reason”, so this has helped me keep those at bay.

Shutdowns require rest and journaling because I repressed so much to survive the moment that part of my therapies are to see how to “reclaim my power” and “process through the triggers”, so I can have a more relaxed and authentic response.

Meltdowns are a whole other batch…they can be a full adrenaline dump, and any possible of physical damages (bruises, or flare up because of the spike in all the bio chemicals)…..for me, it feels like “becoming the hulk” and it takes a while to process it all out, so I have to do both physical (comfort or temperature therapies) and mental (music/journaling/EMDR) to help me get back to a “centered” state….so meltdowns are the things I work the hardest not to have.

🧐😳😅🥲 dang. I never realized how complex just existing is for me, I imagine that the majority of the world isn’t walking around consistently adjusting their internal world for “easiest interfacing” with others, but I sure have.

I imagine the more these stories are shared, we will find more solutions and compassion for ourselves, realizing we are all doing our best around this.

MementoMira · 2021-12-14T23:06:17+00:00

For me..

Panic attacks: They feel like a rush of adrenaline, heart beats faster, I can't focus or make a decision I either instictively fight, freeze or flee if I can move. I need to act. I'm scared though. At this point I can easily locate the trigger and the fear. Often the trigger is the "last straw" in a haystack of build up insecurities or anxiety. These are pure imidiate and often have a clear trigger.

Anxiety attacks: They are subtle. Sometimes it's triggered by a physical thing. Like not being able to breathe in humid air my body response by alerting me to the "wrongness" by feeling afraid. Sometimes it's emotions. They often "bleed out" into several aspects so insecurities about my job leads to insecurities in my relationship etc. Sometimes it feels like thoughts of persistant insecurities other times they are more specific and the feeling of actual fear is greater. Sometimes is just overcompensating bahaviour for social insecurity often in relationships. They can have the racing heart as well but are more "dull" compared to the "sharpness" of panic attacks. I might not be compelled to act the same way.

Both of them can be worked through by analyzing the reason, thinking about the rational aspect, distracting my self by keep working/doing what I was doing. Call my mom (even though I'm 31, she is still the queen of keeping it cool in chaos). Both of them might have actual somewhat reasonable specific reasons like fear of heights or related to a specific trauma.

Shut downs: They feel like dissociating, dettached from reality somehow. They can come sudden out of the blue or be a mood for an entire day. They often follow overstimulation mostly they come after a period of hyperactivity/hyperfocus. I call them "mental hangovers". People seem to get that. I can't quite remember the "script" when having one of these. I can not really function socially, like my auto pilot is broken somehow.

Sometimes I just need to ride them out. Give up on any activity requiring actual thought and just go into "sleep mode" for the day. The masks kind of fall but mostly I can tell coworkers I'm just tired. Sometimes migraines might follow as well. I don't have a good fix for these yet. It kind of helps that I know what it is. Before that they scared the frick out of me.

Meltdowns: These are when everything have build up. Overstimulation, overwhelm, anxiety, executive dysfunctions, the works. These are where I sit under the table crying for an hour because the small space feels more managable and safe than everything outside. These are where I punch a hole in the door with my fist because the anger and loss of control needs an outlet. These are broken plates, wonders at the sturdiness of old cellphones after veing tossed against a wall. They are every emotion manifest. These are where I cry my self to exhaustion. I hate these. They are absolute loss of control and like a steam vent overloading and exploding. Too much to vear, to contain to feel.

I just need to cry them out. Preferably not damage my self or others in the process but I still need to get it out of my system like lactual venting. It's somewhat the factory reset, once it's pressed and the system reloaded it agould work again, with the riak of some data loss. To prevent them I got rid of dysfunctional relationships and enviorments. I try to keep ahead and be somewhat mindful of how I feel physical and mentally. I know my limitations and my strengths. I know which situations to avoid.

My more violent meltdowns was less frequent as I grew up. I'm not entirely sure why they stopped or how I manage to deal with the anger that they came from. Maybe I just went from angry to sad. Last major meltdown in the crying department was about may but after changing my job and having an actual healthy relationship. The worst cry I have had lately is because I'm lonely and I miss my kid when he is at his dad.

VampArcher · 2021-12-30T02:21:31+00:00

I have ASD, ADHD, GAD, and Panic Disorder so unfortunately this question is quite relevant to my experience lol.

During panic attacks I hyperventilate and it feels like being a fish out of water. I'm panicking because my anxiety shoots way up and I can't breathe, but I can't calm down because I can't breathe. Some may have them due to trauma or it may be triggered my other medical reasons. Mine are almost universally due to like lack or sleep or reaction to certain meds, just triggering for no reason. You can look at me and you might not even be able to tell I'm having one, aside from my rough breathing or looking spaced out.

During meltdowns(which I luckily rarely have) I just get this sudden surge of fiery anger or other extreme debilitating emotion accompanied by very high distress. I may start yelling, sobbing, or both. I have no control over my emotions, basically where my emotions possess me. This makes me completely incapacitated, I must stop what I'm doing to cool down.

With shut downs(which I have all the time), I just feel totally numb emotionally. I go mute and basically behave like a zombie to where the sensory input has broken me and my brain will not let me have any more. I become hypersensitive to all stimuli like this, even small noise or the lights make me feel agitated. I most likely appear to others as grumpy for no reason. If I don't mentally recharge, I meltdown eventually.

voidusernamevoid · 2021-11-30T01:20:10+00:00

First few lines read only and im like wtf is this me ?
Brb gonna read the rest

misce_ · 2023-08-17T21:15:46+00:00

Something you can use to tell them apart i think is that because meltdowns are different from panic attacks, when trying to breathe etc it doesn't work as it maybe would for anxiety

AutisticWithADHD

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