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Are meltdowns and panic attacks different, similar?

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Mum2ASDboy
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28 Feb 2008, 2:22 am

When Damo has a meltdown it is normally frustration. He will usually crys ALOT. Things may get thrown or he will just slump and cry.
With a panic/anxiety attack he says he can't breath and feels sick and he gets so worked up he cries a really 'break your heart' cry. After he is calm he is shaky and might be still sobbing.
I don't like either.



IsThatAFact
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28 Feb 2008, 6:24 am

For me meltdown is about frustration and anger (and expressed in those terms), whilst panic attacks are about internalised hopelessness.



Wolfpup
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28 Feb 2008, 10:46 am

Thanks so much much guys! After reading gbollard's description and everyone's comments about it it sounds like I *definitely* have meltdowns...although I think I also can sometimes breath faster during them...and maybe I sort of have them mixed together at the same time. But it sounds like I probably have at least as many meltdowns as panic attacks.



ebec11
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28 Feb 2008, 9:38 pm

Mudboy wrote:
For me a meltdown is like a headache with nausea. It is like I get motion sickness. A panic attack is where I feel like I cant breathe, my heart beats real fast, and my stomach feels like it just got punched.
They are both caused by different things. My panic attacks are from being scared of something, or feeling something bad is going to happen. Being overwhelmed by to much input, causes me meltdowns (shopping, long repetitive worksheets that will take forever).
I just panic (badly) and can't focus and want to cry and pace and my thought go everywhere (I'm getting nervous just thinking about it) when I'm stressed out. What is it then?



Mudboy
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29 Feb 2008, 10:03 am

ebec11 wrote:
Mudboy wrote:
For me a meltdown is like a headache with nausea. It is like I get motion sickness. A panic attack is where I feel like I cant breathe, my heart beats real fast, and my stomach feels like it just got punched.
They are both caused by different things. My panic attacks are from being scared of something, or feeling something bad is going to happen. Being overwhelmed by to much input, causes me meltdowns (shopping, long repetitive worksheets that will take forever).
I just panic (badly) and can't focus and want to cry and pace and my thought go everywhere (I'm getting nervous just thinking about it) when I'm stressed out. What is it then?
For me, it feels different than a panic attack or meltdown. I don't get the same physical symptoms. When that happens to me I say "My brain locked up". My thoughts either go everywhere or I get stuck in a "thought loop error". I just want to curl up in a ball and cry, or escape and can't. My body feels slow like I am stuck in molasseses, and can't focus on things because "all the inputs to my brain are foggy".


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kleodimus
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29 Feb 2008, 4:59 pm

i rarely have meltdowns but they cause vomiting