Shutdown/meltdown vs. sensory overload vs. panic attack?
Hello anon! I’m going to break these down the best I can.
Panic Attacks
First up is panic attacks. The following information is taken from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America:
“A panic attack is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and includes at least four of the following symptoms:
- Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
- Feelings of choking
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or abdominal distress
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint
- Chills or heat sensations
- Paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensations)
- Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself) Listen to this podcast.
- Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
- Fear of dying”
Sensory Overload
A sensory overload is the result of too much sensory input. A person’s threshold for sensory stimuli can vary from day to day so what’s too much one day might not affect the person another day. The following are some common traits of sensory overload, though there will be variance in experience:
- Irritability
- Touch aversion
- Lights seem brighter
- Sounds seem louder
- Increased stimming
- Reslessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Unexplained anger
- Getting annoyed by every little thing
- Nausea
- Headache
Meltdown/Shutdown
A meltdown or shutdown is often what comes of sensory overload if the overloading stimuli is not able to be avoided. The following is taken from our FAQ:
“Shutdowns and meltdowns are what happens when your system becomes too overloaded, whether due to sensory overload, too strong emotions, or too much stress. It is a “fight or flight” type response that is activated by our systems becoming overloaded.
A shutdown is an internalized reaction to the overwhelm. A person may lose the ability to talk if they are normally verbal, may be unable to move or have great difficulty moving, and retreat inwards. A shutdown typically lasts until the cause of the meltdown has been removed or resolved and enough time has passed for the system to recover.
A meltdown is the externalized reaction to overwhelm. A person may yell, shout, hit or kick, throw things, cry, or other outward signs of aggression and distress. However, while a person may seem aggressive during a meltdown, typically they are just trying to get away from whatever is causing distress. Once a stressor is gone, a meltdown will typically begin to alleviate. However, for both meltdowns and shutdowns, a person may need several hours or several days to recover from the experience.”
I hope this helps you figure things out!
-Sabrina
