For some people meltdowns are triggered by other people. Not living up to their expectations or arguments and a lot of emotion that cannot be made sense of.
Before i was diagnosed i would have meltdowns when my parents would scream and repeat the same question over and over (mostly because of grades because i wasn't in Special Education which is what i needed) but basically when my doctor explained that i wasn't throwing fit instead it was an overload my parents stopped doing it. Havent had a bad meltdown in a few years now :)
@@samantharedacted9226 I feeel to this. I’m in a difficult relationship currently and it wasn’t until it started getting problematic that I would do similar to what you describe. I thought I was choosing to act that way until I realized I’m probably autistic and that they’re probably meltdowns
Ya I'm.nkt autistic..But have a developmental delay. I've definitely had meltdowns at the dentist. Felt so overwhelmed and had sensory issues with them touching me or putting anything near my mouth. Ya loud music makes me feel overwhelmed 😞. Or loud noises. Like fire alarms. I hate those sounds specifically 😢
I have both meltdowns and panic attacks and they are very different. With a panic attack I can remove myself from the environment focus on breathing and once it's over get back to what I was doing. With the meltdown I'm crying and people ask what's going on but I may only be able to get out parts of things that don't make much sense. I'll start saying one thing but my thought process is jumbled so it's like I'm trying to explain like three different things but none of it is coming out right. Sometimes the meltdowns will be just pure unfiltered anger...it's not fun because I feel like I'm going to be perceived like a monster if anyone can hear me. But you're definitely right about the fatigue that happens afterwards. It could take a whole day to recover and if my meltdowns start to become more frequent, I could spend three or four days in bed. I think the most concerning thing about the meltdowns is that the recovery that's needed after can be perceived by others as depression. So sometimes people will encourage you to keep moving instead of getting the rest. Long comment I know but I found this video very relatable and wanted to share.
I’m autistic and have cyclothymic disorder (which is a type of bipolar with rapid cycling between hypomania and depressive episodes) and my metldowns do trigger most of my depressive episodes but I never force myself to « keep moving » and I rest when I need too. Anybody recommending to someone to move instead of resting when they need it (either meltdown or depression) are not people I want in my life. Processing my emotions is extremely hard and I need the space for it. That’s one of the reason why I’m much more able to handle them as an adult living on my own than I was being a teenager too...
What kind of panic attacks are you having? Seriously I wish mine were like that! I think what's being described is an anxiety attack. I'm not an expert, but I do know anxiety attacks are less server and the two are often used incorrectly in place of one another. When I have a panic attack I can't move. I am utterly completely terrified, for somewhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Sometimes I cry but not always, I start hyperventilating uncontrollably. I can't will myself out of a panic attack. If anyone touches me it gets worse. It feels like I'm going to die. This is by no means a super common experience, but I even start having auditory hallucinations. The reason it gets so bad as to be a panic attack and doesn't stop at just an anxiety attack is because I'm terrified of people seeing me in this state. Due to this my hallucinations are typically footsteps, chatter noises, things along that line that signal someone is near by. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually glad people here don't seem to actually be having panic attacks on top of meltdowns and all the other sucky issues. I've had two meltdowns in my life, both while on antidepressants. Both times I stopped taking the antidepressants, because I'd rather have a panic attack then that.
@@IamJenJen101 They aren't as easy as it seems from my description. I've also had disassociating/visual distortions (seeing that the ground is too far away, not being able to read English anymore because it looks like an alien language suddenly, and seeing the walls sparkle and shimmer like it's moving.) Just in my experience, if I remove myself from the triggers or environment that causes the panic attacks, I'm able to emotionally regulate myself for the time being. It takes a lot of effort and tbh it's probably because of my CPTSD. Most likely I'm just numbing or turning emotions off completely to get through the rest of the day and masking, which I don't recommend btw. That is a temporary fix and has consequences later on, like one of my meltdowns from constantly repressing emotions. During one of my disassociative episode where I felt like I was going to pass out and float out of my body at the same time, I had to pinch my hand to stay present. I've just grown up in abusive situations where I was told that there was no excuse to not just keep going no matter how I was feeling. So I somehow instinctively know how to problem solve to push through even though doing so is unhealthy and I'm learning now that I need a different approach.
A meltdown seems to be defined by not being able to think straight. Don’t know what’s going on. Struggling to communicate needs in that moment. Can be Intense discomfort. Feeling of pressure / anger / frustration thrown into the mix. Panic attack is, as you say, all about the fear. I suppose the two can overlap. Think I’ve experienced that once. I don’t recommend it 🙂
Jethro Bradley Hey my name is Jacqueline and I experience meltdowns all the time. My mom was not even given a diagnosis of autism. But I am Visually Impaired and I can go blind.
I have also noticed that melt downs happen more frequently when a individual is in a rushed or raw state. For instance, when first waking up, overly tired, following a straining task, sudden change in physical or social atmosphere, & when not feeling well can all be heighten moments for possible meltdown.
It frustrates me when I see a kid having an Autistic Meltdown, and people think it's a temper tantrum - I get that they're similar, but don't tarnish us with the same brush as naughty kids.
@@AlleyCat-em1ih Well, except Dyspraxia, Asperger's, ADHD, Depression, traits of anxiety, and OCD... No, there's nothing 'wrong' with me, at all. Just a few wires crossed over, and not matching, and not connecting properly.
I think that I’ve had meltdowns(I don’t have an autism diagnosis). One of the things I do is flap my hands and my parent call that have a tantrum and tell me to stop acting like that because I just turned 14. Eventually I just go to my room and hit myself, cry, and jump around because my parents won’t let me cry. This may sound weird but I have to talk to pictures because I feel so uncomfortable telling anyone how I feel. I find it cool that when ever I’m around dogs and I’m able to pet them it make me feel so much better.
This is especially important for people who have more than one person with Autism in the house. Had a huge meltdown yesterday. Husband got a new TV. I had it spelled out exactly how to get it done, and wanted to wait. He however had to have it done right then even though it was late. Countdown to meltdown... 3.. He wanted me to help, but he didn't want to do it the way I'd rehearsed it in my head... 2... then something went terribly wrong, fixable but still wrong... 1... BOOM I started hooting and fussing, couldn't speak. Stimming didn't work. Ended up in the rocking chair with my head covered until long after he was done. Lasted about an hour, was sick and exhausted by the time I was done. Thing is, he wanted it done right away because he had a script in his head that he'd rehearsed and didn't want to e the one to melt down..
There is one word you said that made it all click for me: despair. I used to describe my panic attacks as “despair attacks”. I would always say “it’s like a panic attack, but instead of feeling fear or anxiety, I feel despair”. At the time, a panic attack was the only thing I knew to call them, but I guess they weren’t panic attacks after all. 😉 And it really is that combo of sensory overload and a communication barrier. “I can’t brain” is usually all I can say.
I have caught each one of mine on video, both an unexpected panic attack and a meltdown. The meltdown is 100x more embarrassing and looks 10x more 'crazy' than a panic attack.
Meltdowns, for me, are usually defined by a sense of pure rage and have this feeling as though there are wires short circuiting in my head and body. I lose the ability to speak, start shaking, and feel as though I'm about to explode in this state. They're always triggered by external factors like overwhelming smells or sounds, and I feel warning signs when they're building, like irritability and twitching. Panic attacks creep up slowly and have this distinctive cold, dreadful feeling in my stomach and chest that turns into hyperventilating, etc. I've noticed that the panic attacks are anticipatory whereas the meltdowns are more reactionary. Not always, but mostly. There is a lot of overlap between the two in terms of some of the physical and emotional symptoms, and I know everyone experiences things differently. Oftentimes, I'll have a meltdown because, say, my neighbor starts to play loud music. The panic attack can (and often does) come later when I'm still recovering from the meltdown, and the panic has more to do with worrying about whether the music will start again, if my neighbor heard me crying and if they'll somehow attack me for this, etc. It's irrational and I'd prefer to have neither meltdowns nor panic attacks, but that's how I distinguish between the two. All I can say is I love my dog, my weighted blanket, peppermint tea, and my noise cancelling headphones.
Oh i feel for ya xxx i didn't realise how sensitive i am to sounds until i moved to where i'm living now. Its an orchestra of jarring noises. Your neighbour sounds like a pain. Do you have anyone who can go round there and have a word? Or are they pretty hostile?
@@karrie-ferncolfer148 Thanks! I'm fortunate in that the management at my apartment is pretty good about mediating between neighbors if there's an issue. I hate making calls but they've been helpful in speaking to the neighbor, and it's reduced the noise a lot.
I have all of ure signs too,and honestly I don't know what to do sometimes with it, especially when I ask help but they just treat me as a lyer,so coz of so many disappointment I've closed myself within myself,which are not really........ helpful......could you guys recommend something? If not, that's also fine,I feel blessed to find you guys anyways! 🌺♥️
Oh yeah the loud music ! I litterally burst to tears when i try to sleep and there's loud music. That's crazy because i want to hit those persons when i'm in that state... It happened once during the day, my neighbor played the same song over and over really really loud. I was getting crazy, so i had to get out for a walk. I couldn't confront him because he was drunk (i could hear him) and i'm just a girl all alone...
I was diagnosed with a panic disorder a long time ago (and got my ASD diagnosis finally this past December). I've since seriously questioned what my panic attacks really ARE. I've had them as long as I can remember, and the first evidence I have of one is a video of me at about age 4 or 5. I seem to have panic attacks and meltdowns simultaneously. My current thinking on it is that it feels like the meltdown state is so distressing that it triggers a panic response. It's bizarre because I don't intellectually think I am in danger. I know that I'm overwhelmed because I could feel the point where I realize that I'm going to hit my limit and not be able to avoid it, and as that point hits, I panic. Maybe I hyperventilate because of how upsetting and confusing the disoriented mental state of my meltdowns is? In action it looks like crying hysterically while hyperventilating. I also, generally, rarely express anger and doing so causes me great anxiety, so that might be why this is my pattern. Just wanted to chime in since my experience maybe is helpful to mention.
I feel very similar to you. Because my "Panic attacks" can last for hours and afterwards I'm ready to sleep for at least 12 hours. Mostly I feel very anxious and sick and also overwhelmed by everything, I can't talk anymore and I'm starting to hyperventilate, which I try to control as much as I can. But all this isn't 5/10/15 min it's at least 1.5 hours every time
@@lici5209 YES I have something very similar to this, sometimes I can drop into something almost catatonic at the tail end of it all and the recovery is a full day at least.
Im the same!! I used to think I had regular panic attacks, but as I learned more about them I got confused, cos although I have similar symptoms, mine aren't over in 15-20 minutes (I WISH). They last for hours and don't stop until my body has exhausted itself. They also arent always triggered by worry or fear. They are sometimes, but more common triggers are just being overwhelmed by stuff that's happened during the day (I normally get them after stuff has happened), processing lots of voices/memories after going somewhere new or to a party, and even just if Ive been excited about something and am having lots of thoughts. Basically its not always 'anxious' feelings that set me off, often its not feelings at all but stimuli. Feels like my body just sets off without my permission! So really questioning if I have panic attacks or meltdowns now!
I've certainly experienced both but generally called them both panic attacks because I didn't know the difference. I was at a wedding a couple years ago with flashing lights, loud music, dancing, and crowds of people around me. I called it a panic attack but I can confidently say it was a meltdown. Many of my panic attacks occurred at my previous job when I was forced to interact in a meeting, spurring my social anxiety. Always great content! Thanks :)
I had a lot of "panic attacks" throughout high school... but I realise now that they were probably meltdowns and not panic attacks. They were a response to the noise around me. I was always angry or frustrated. I'd always shake like crazy and have a hard time breathing. Then I'd become incapable of speaking. I do have meltdowns at home too, but only when it comes to my mum constantly shouting... I try to communicate this with her but she doesn't understand. Although I am undiagnosed with ASD,(diagnosed with ADHD though,) several people outside my family say that I qualify very much for the diagnosis. These people include my psychologist, counsellor and other doctors that I have. Even with their word, my family thinks that I am ridiculous and they think that I am faking all of it... This is one of the reasons why I struggle to communicate...
Wow while now reflecting I see had the same thing in high school as well. I had to often take time to sit out of class in the nurses office because I was way too overwhelmed and needed to be in a quiet darkened room.
Just wanted to thank you for making this video! I'm 23year old woman I have been diagnosed with adhd, dyslexia, anxiety, and depression but have never felt like I have found the core of what was going on with me. I always felt different and have had a really hard time understanding people around me. I've spent the last few weeks doing research into autism (after I watched an autism in women video that hit way to close to home) and have had a hard time understanding the difference between panic attacks (which I was told I had been having) and meltdowns. Understanding the difference between these has opened my eyes a lot. I've worked as a server for years and have had many instances where I would get incredibly overwhelmed at work when it was busy and loud, it would cause me to cry and have chest pains, and bring on really bad head aches but I didn't feel panicked, just felt incredibly overwhelmed by everything around me to the point that I felt like I might explode. I definitely experienced panic attacks in other situations but I think these may have been meltdowns. Your videos have helped me a lot to understand what autism feels live for those who have it and I really appreciate that. I have an appointment with my therapist next week to talk about this and see what steps I need to take in getting a diagnosis.
Hey! This comment is 2 years old now and if you’re willing to share, I’m wondering if you ended up being diagnosed? I’m 20 and in the same situation right now. I too deal with anxiety, depression, ocd, dyslexia and have been diagnosed with a “panic attack disorder” since age 6. This video is giving me the same sort realisation that my “panic attacks” as well as many other symptoms possibly align with being on the autism spectrum. This video, as well as a woman who makes videos specifically about autism in women are making me rethink everything about my life and honestly an autism diagnosis would be really relieving as I feel my my lack of understanding of others and difficulty socialising goes deeper than just social anxiety. I want to go through the diagnostic process but it’s difficult as It’s such a long and expensive ordeal that I cannot afford right now. Anyway, as our situations seem to be quite similar I’d love to know how everything worked out on your end!
I have been binge watching your videos like mad. Because I recently had the inclination, or epiphany, that I may have Asperger's syndrome. 😧 All the signs point towards it... It has shaken my foundation to the core. It also had dawned on me that I am extremely OCD. I began with leveling up my understanding of my emotions and standing up for myself at work, and to my wife and in laws, unfortunately with all the information I've learned in such little time and the stress and bullying I've experienced at work and home has now lead me to a divorce as I write this, and I am now living in my car. But I wouldn't change any of my choices for anything. Coming to a deeper understanding of myself is helping me love myself more and more. I scored a 38 on the AQ test, not mention PTSD, OCD, or ADHD (if that still counts) that I've lived with and believed was the only issue all this time. I always wondered why I couldn't tell cohesive stories or speak succinctly. Or why I abhor small talk or never understood innuendos or jokes. I am so grateful right now despite the Florida heat and rain I won't let this be the end of me. Now I know my devil's name.
Though rare, panic attacks can last over 12 hours if you don’t know your trigger or can’t escape your situation. This is especially the case with Panic Disorder (where the person has no trigger and the body sends them into fight/flight anyway). It seem like you were referencing General Anxiety Disorder and I just wanted to clarify that. I think Autistic meltdowns can also last a lot longer than 30 minutes, depending on age and level of functioning (in our neurotypical world). Also you gave some really great distinctions between the two! :3 I had no idea what classifies a meltdown, and assumed they were just very similar to panic attacks. Good job!
As a person with autism I tend to have autistic meltdowns a lot due to stress or overwhelming feelings, thank you so much for explaining this! Many people don’t understand about why people tend to have Meltdowns. Most people think I have meltdowns for attention which I never would do. Everytime I’m scared or nervous I tend to start to have a meltdown, I began shaking and crying and if it gets worse I tend to scream and rock back and forth, repeating words and tending to hit myself sometimes too..
I’m recently learning, as an adult, that I’m a lower needs autistic person, Formerly known as Aspergers, and I’m just now discovering that what I thought were “giant panic attacks” have been meltdowns . I experience both and I knew there was a difference between them but I thought the difference was just varying levels of panic. Now that I type that, I guess there’s just one level of panic: panic. So many things in my life are all making so much more sense to me…thank you so much for this video.
Wow..... this is so eye opening. I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety almost my whole life. I got diagnosed with autism earlier this year at 34 and looking back I can see that most of my “panic attacks” were actually meltdowns.
So that’s the difference. So I don’t think I had meltdowns but I do get a lot more panic attacks now that I am an adult. I feel like there were times where I might be close to a meltdown but I learned to just leave the place as quickly as possible. Also, snacks. Snacking helps me
I've had both. I must disagree on one thing: I have had panic attacks that lasted half of a day! I have also had meltdowns that the explosive, anger outbursts lasted about Five minutes, but the after affects lasted 4 or 5 days! In states where it's legal, medical Marijuana can help for meltdowns and panic attacks.
Thank you! I've had both, but have absolutely had MUCH longer panic attacks than that! Now I'm curious- wonder if the similarity makes it last longer for us?
I’ve had both too. They are totally different but create a similar anxiety. For me, meltdowns are externally driven. Panic attacks come out of nowhere for no apparent reason. Cbd oil, baths, weighted blankets and when needed, zanex are my go-to tools!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for explaining sensory processing overload like this. I’ve tried and tried and I can’t seem to articulate it. I struggle a lot with my husband not understanding why sometimes things are just too much for me and why it seems to happen so suddenly. He doesn’t see my internal struggles and I feel like his expectations of me are sometimes much more than I can handle.
Its so great to see people with asd advocateing for themselves. As someone with level 1 ASD ADHD and anxiety I often feel a responsibility to advocate for my fellow neurodivergent people so it's always amazing to see other people doing the same thing.
For me it’s an increasing thing , accumulation of stressors I can stand so much and then.... bom ! And meltdowns can be a bom or catatonic where I just shut off . Sometimes I loose my ability to speak. Often start hitting around myself in fear, panik. Or hit myself . Try to avoid hitting myself in the head because concussions ain’t fun. Basically for me what often triggers it as I have a disibility and If I have staff which I’m not comfortable with or are educated about autism and they touch me in ways that are scary to me or hurt me or come to close do stuff without asking first. It’s horrible. Even worse because a lot of people within homecare think that just because you have a disability and autism you are not intelligent. Not so have a 143 in IQ , speak 5 languages and have lived in 5 countries and got sick... panic attack is what I get when I hear that they’ve changed staff again since then I know I will have more meltdowns which will also make me more sick as stress is not good for my diseases. Lovly! NOT! As I will then need more help which will lead to...
I’m telling my doc I think I could be on the spectrum today and this helped me realize how many of my “panic attacks” where potentially meltdowns tysm :)
I used to have Meltdowns in my old job at factory when operating machiene and the content coming out wrong, it didn't help with people laughing at me and even getting angry. I wanted to walk away and 'recharge' and calm down but could only carry on and put a brave face on otherwise everyone would have patronised me or maybe even put me on the 'hit list', since the factory didn't ever think of disability or mental health, it was ultimately survival of the fittest, it was a traumatising experience.
I was diagnosed with a panic disorder at a very young age, depression soon after - 7 years later, I’m diagnosed as autistic It makes quite a but more sense now, thank you, my friend
I just got diagnosed today with asd! Yay! Anyway, I have more panic attacks than meltdowns. I don't remember a lot of my childhood. I think I had more meltdowns as a kid though. As I got older, the more I masked and saved them for home. I have generalized anxiety, so I have meds to help with the anxiety, but Covid has certainly brought on new and different challenges. The night I went to the grocery store and the shelves were nearly empty...I nearly had a meltdown in the store. I made it home first, but barely. Sorry, rambling. Anyway, I wonder (to myself) if getting older changed the meltdowns or if it was masking. Hmm. Great video Dan.
I think that with age and the amount of time spent masking I have learned to better cope with things and keep the meltdowns to a minimum. I, too, had more meltdowns as a child because I didn't have the coping skills that I have now.
@@ericalachappelle3008 yes, I agree. And thinking back, I didn't have a lot even as a child. I had a big one at daycare around 8 or so. It was huge. The lady was awful, they created it, epic showdown, and she was fired. I was generally a "good kid" as my mom put it. Not every adult that works with kids with asd should be fired for causing a meltdown. There was abuse in my case. I just want to clarify about that.
breathofrane Do not get mad at me but I have meltdowns when I am left in the car alone. That is the only thing that freaks me out. It freaks me out because for over a year I smelled something fowl. Like illegal drugs and yes they were illegal drugs. I am allergic to the smells of crack and cocaine.
It takes me a week to recover from a meltdown, having a job makes it difficult to recover properly. I had five meltdowns in two days when I first started my job.
i’ve had frequent intense emotional meltdown pretty much my entire life, and i always just assumed they were panic attacks because of my anxiety diagnosis that i got at a fairly young age. more recently though, when i brought up the possibility of me having asd with my therapist, she told me that she’s always been confused by my panic attacks because apparently panic attacks don’t usually cause hysterical crying, and mine literally always do, as well as the aftereffects usually lasting several hours at least. so uh. perhaps i have some things to reevaluate.
I have undiagnosed autism and have worked all my life, l have meltdowns at work but cant show it. This is driving me crazy, thanks for the info l might be able to help myself now.
This is such a helpful video. Although, I am not currently diagnosed with autism, I have a regular suspicion that I do have autism, as my brother does. I’ve been so confused with whether my meltdowns were either, meltdowns, panic attack, anxiety attack, or just being sensitive. I really do think this video helped me figure out which one it is. I have overwhelming meltdowns very often, when in school they were either everyday or sometimes a day later. While not in school, it’s not as often, but does still occur. With the overstimulation and overwhelm in school, causing a meltdown makes so much more sense to me, as I do get very overwhelmed in school with everything. I can’t take a test without crying that I think I’m going to fail it, text to speech reading to me, teachers talking, pencils tapping, me figeting, all while just trying to understand a simple question is just too over stimulating and overwhelming that I just sit and cry while trying to stop the pain I feel. I am hoping to go to my primary doctor about this soon, and am trying to also gain the courage to do so aswell. Thank you for helping me understand.
I just want to thank you for making this resource and getting it our there. Having info about autism online can save so many people the anxiety of knowing something's wrong with them, but not knowing exactly what. Scientific resources are helpful, but sometimes what really helps are resources like this video (as well as the rest of your channel), first hand experiences explained.
This helped me out a lot... I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder but I'm now realizing that I am autistic and this really made a lot of sense to me and how much different autistic meltdown is.... Now that I am starting to understand the real causes of my issues it's getting easier to cope with them. Thanks so much!
Dan. I just want to say thank you. These meltdowns were falsely misinterpreted as symptomatic to schizoaffective disorder, manic depression, bipolarity and ODD. I've spent months in psychiatric wards, now I no longer hold contact with my own family. I was horribly taken advantage of and me lashing out at things was sort of a reflex, being this angry, suburban teen even without the prospect of Asperger's. It took loads of professionals to erase or dismiss the misdiagnoses. Hopefully I'm in a much better place but I just want to say, thank you for informing me I wasn't out of my mind at all. There is so little support that exists in my circle, so you don't know how much this means to me.
imagine having a panic attack in front of many people, it's horrible, I had some of them outside in public and I just need to escape to somewhere isolated
I had one in a small post office during Christmas season... I was trapped in there for about 20min until enough people had left and there was a clearing toward the door and I took off running out of there after being frozen in one spot
Sometimes when I get de ja vous and try to remember it, it triggers a panic attack. Now I try to ignore the de ja vous. Other times it just hits me by surprise when nothing is happening. I'm not upset, anxious or anything and suddenly a sense of fear and forboding literally rolls through my body as if my fight or flight instinct is taking over and I can't control it. I have to run to someone or someplace that makes me feel safe again. Afterwards I have no memory of what I was doing or thinking right before it hit. The memory comes back eventually, but it takes a while of doing relaxation and deep breathing for my memory to start coming back. Even my loved one's names are lost for a few minutes. I'm always so glad to get them back.
For me personally, depending on what triggered the meltdown, mine can include hyperventilating amongst all the other meltdown feelings and experiences you described. Its the most horrible feeling in the world. You feel like your head is imploding and you feel so trapped in that moment that you struggle to communicate that pain and what you need to others. And what's worse, if it happens in public, people stare and judge you for it.
I have a small meld down the other day. I usually have major ones, but the changes of routine was quickly remedied. I have small meltdowns regularly when I cannot find something. Especially if I have had a exhausting day with to much physical or social stimuli. I feel it start to build & I try to hold it back, but then .... the flood gate breaks. I freaked out the other day cuz I couldn’t find a simple dice 🎲. I dumped out the trash on the floor believing my wife tossed it out. I through it all over the place. Screaming “I had to find it!!! Now”!!! I needed it! I had to have it in my pocket for work! It’s my constant. I just have to know I have something of my own, concealed, that no one at work can touch, & that is only mine. Today was the only time I have ever taken it out of my pocket, but that was just to make sure it hadn’t fallen out. I was worried that I lost it again. If I had, then I would have freaked out at work! I didn’t want to dump the trash on the floor but I couldn’t stop myself. After flipping out by screaming, yelling, trying to explain to my wife I needed it in my pocket, I proceeded to throw the trash all over the floor looking for it, but I discovered that I had it in my pocket that entire time. 😫I felt horrible making my wife feel bad... I don’t even fully remember putting it back in my pocket. I remember telling myself to do it. Telling myself don’t forget it! You need it! However, I have no memory of physical picking it up. I remember visualizing that I needed to pick it up, but I don’t remember touching it. I was on high alert the rest of the day & felt really bad about it
Hey, thank you so much for this video! I experience these… situations almost every day and wanted to find out if they are panic attacks or maybe autistic meltdowns (i‘m 90% sure i am autistic, not diagnosed though). Now i‘m sure that i have both and i can see some differences that you‘ve pointed out in the video. That helps me very much with knowing what i need in the panic attack/meltdown. Thank you!
Had plenty of both of those in my lifetime, one time I did have a psychologist but it didn't last long so for a while I did these two things to help me, it may not work with everyone. 1) Be your own friend. For those that talk to themselves this can help, like talking to an imaginary friend. Also an example of this is like the movie Matilda, especially when she was up she learned to be like her own friend and it helped cope with her problems. 2) creating a friend. Ever have stuffed animals or toys then take advantage and play with them, it's odd but trust me it works just fine and dandy. There are also many other ways to cope with meltdowns, and panic attacks from watching meme videos to video games to drawing to pretty much anything that interests you.
I used to have chronic panic attacks that honestly would last me hours, this was when I was 14/15 (I'm 17 nearly 18 now). I'd be at school, start to have a panic attack, (luckily I had a place where I could sit for the duration) and it'd come in waves. There have been times where I've nearly passed out because I've been so overwhelmed and I'm hyperventilating so much. It'd sometimes get to the point where I couldn't move, so I'd just have to be there all school day, and by the end of it I had usually stopped hyperventilating and was just so drained and it'd just take me days to recover from that, provided it didn't happen again for the next couple days. So yeah idk, some would be short though so yeah idk.
My issue was learning the difference between a regular melt down and an autism melt down. I can feel the difference between a melt down and panic attack. I had a meltdown over having work planned and my mom called to get assistance from me. My parents need help right now but I’m trying to work also so that shift threw everything off and I broke into tears uncontrollably. I don’t hit myself but I do get a feeling of unable to function at all during it. Yes very exhausting I don’t feel ok again until the next day.
I wish I found this out years ago. It would have given both me and my son a ton of perspective. My son has meltdowns when he's getting in trouble and getting talked to about what he did. It was super bad during his teen years. In his early 20's, it comes more in the anger outbursts versus crying.
When i have a meltdown.. Which doesnt happen very often at this point.. I have no warning time. Just a minute where i know i need to exit what im doing before i lose my cool and end up in tears. With panic attacks i live in the panic and anxiety space so a panic attack isnt far away from any overwhelming experience.
Just learning that hitting yourself in the head is a KNOWN ASPECT is making me cry a little, in a good way. I KNEW I wasn't just "crazy"! Honestly, learning that meltdown is a THING has helped immensely! Feeling like I'm outside my body and unable to control what I can SEE is not helpful, but in no way can STOP, is painful. Being told by your parents that it means you're crazy makes it worse. (To be fair: I was born in the late 70s, grew up in the 80s, when this stuff was NOT understood. Shoot, I remember when science finally said, maybe... 20 years AGO? "oh wait, they DO have emotions, they just have too MANY to deal with!" which cinched it for me. My sticking point had been "I DO have emotions, just a LOt of them." so I assume they never fucking ASKED. but anyway, I'm glad channels like this exist now!
Me as a late diagnosed ASS ( probably also ADD )(not diagnosed yet) I am aware what happened to me in the past. Thank you for sharing. These kind of information is helping me a lot to understand myself and also other ( like my children that are also on the spectrum) ( not completely diagnosed). But I am sure about their condition and understand them so well.
It frustrates me that someone tries to treat me as if I'm having a panic attack when in actual fact I'm having a meltdown and then I'm left with having to explain the difference during the meltdown.
Thank you so much! This explains a lot of my experiences that weren’t quite a panic attack but something was still very wrong. I hope I can share this with my family members so they can better understand that it’s not always the anxiety. Often during a meltdown I’ll find myself lashing out at other people and hurting their feelings without meaning to. How can I better handle my emotions in the middle of a meltdown?
This is exactly me ! Everyone blames it on me being a mom but idk . I feel so overstimulated by noise ! Multiple noises going on triggers me so bad . If the TV is on , kids screaming , toys playing music , dogs barking , it’s too much and I start to panic and cry . It’s physically draining .
I have panic disorder and got agoraphobia so sometimes I get panic attacks unexpectedly if I feel trapped no easy escape or somtimes without no obvious trigger almost every day to point you feel like your dying
I have been diagnosed with ASD, OCD, ADHD, and dyslexia. I have both panic attacks and meltdowns. The difference seems to be this. My panic attacks exhibit vomiting with nervousness. My meltdowns happen when i am triggered. For example, since I live with PTSD, when someone else tries to control me, manipulate me, of even just tries to confuse me, I react like a scorpion. I strike to kill verbally. This is just a reaction that isn't good. And I have learned that anyone that makes me feel this way, need to be away from me.
Thanks for this video. I haven't read all the comments. Thinking about my latest meltdown, I feel like I went from anxiety overthinking } panic attack } meltdown. Not sure there was even more than 30 seconds of panic attack. I don't know I've seen a lot of people describe meltdowns caused by sensory stuff but not so much meltdowns caused by anxiety. I have ADHD too, with the RSD that comes with that. I find that RSD episodes seem to trigger meltdowns too. I feel like I've got the rest of myself pretty "set" I'm quite capable and so on, but meltdowns bring my self esteem down so much.. so, sorry my point was, sometimes My meltdowns are triggered by the sensation of a panic attack, and sometimes it's triggered by anxiety. This latest time I knew there was going to be a major change to my routine the next day and I lost it even before the Change happened. Usually for me it's a reaction but sometimes is a prediction. I had a meltdown because my anxiety thought I'd end up having a meltdown the next day. 😔 I wonder if that makes sense to anyone. Meltdowns are the single worst thing in my life. Sorry if that sounds dramatic but when it's so fresh in my mind It really feels like it.
It can take an entire day to recover from a panic attack too. It’s all encompassing and exhausting! And usually comes before and or after anxiety problems which can make it a long nightmarish process.
This is very validating. I've definitely had panic attacks before but sometimes I wasn't sure if I just had one or if it was something else because it looked a lot like a panic attack and I hyperventilated but it just felt different. I almost felt like I was overreacting and just pretending to have a panic attack even though I was alone in my room lmao My guess is that those were meltdowns I got from being overwhelmed by my thoughts and worries. After these I'm exhausted, I've at least gotten to a point where I don't punch my walls/closet/myself anymore although it can be difficult when I can't stop certain noises, those really get to me.
Seroulsy the best description ever. My child was diagnosed with retnoblastoma this year and I experienced my first panick attack and it took a few hours to stop the overwhelming dread like fealing. Im learning I may be on the spectrum through research that has landed me here looking for ways to stop or describe my anger outburst from the family all talking at once. Thank for sharing this. It really means it alot to me.
I have been having so many meltdowns since a new diagnosis od ASD, like finding out i have it - i feel like my defenses are gone and im struggling to mask. Knowing i percieve everything, seems to make me percieve everything more - like i cant block out. Went to wimpy, and all the sounds were too much, and then the smell of the paprika and whatever they put on the bacon as it was cooking, and the fact i didnt want to be there to begin with - pushed me over. i rarely cry though...but that feeling lingers, and im tired...and have to keep going, and it build and builds, until last night when i saw how messy the house was...and i was like - crumble. and i cant stop my stims and try talking muselfs down and get so worked up i wanna cry and scream and tell myself not to feel that way and it goes on til i was so exhausted i just went to bed fully dressed... but the mess is still there in the morning and its like it startsa again, and i dunno what to do.
This is something I've wondered about a lot. I have meltdowns when there's too much input from the environment, but also when there's too much input from inside either due to my ADHD brain or due to all the negative feelings I have and the pain that causes... So it's pretty confusing which is which. I actually still don't know after this video. Because if I have a panic attack I tend to get a meltdown and the other way around... But I think the final result is a meltdown, whether it starts with a panic attack, with an emotional overload or with sensory overload.
Dan, thank you so very much for your videos. My grandson, 6 years old, is autistic. I have taught children with SEN but you have taught me how to relate to my darling grandson, and we understand each other. Thank you again for your invaluable help and insight into his mind. xx
Could a bad argument cause a meltdown? Like, I'm trying to set up compromises and expectations with a person and they're against that idea and make me feel like I'm not very important and I can't understand how they aren't willing to do that, and just freak out, heavy breathing, crying, screaming, hitting things, hitting myself, with virtually no control over my actions,
My husband and I are both on the spectrum. We will say we are overstimulated because it helps the other person know whats going on, and we do what we can to help. We understand what that means so we usually know how to help before it turns into a meltdown. Like if I'm in the car and I'm getting overstimulated I'll tell james and he will either turn the music down or the blower down. It usually helps immediately. I'm the driver in the relationship lol so its really important to be able to prevent the meltdown from getting bad. Communication is key ♡♡
I've suspected ive been on the spectrum for years now. I have only recently finally come to terms with it and spoken to my doctor. But i think this may be why i still keep have anxiety meltdowns and such bad anxiety in public. Ive tried 3 anxiety medications now this new one has stopped the panic attacks FINALLY but i still have awful meltdown. Thank you for explaining it a bit better, I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow thankfully.
I have much better control over my meltdowns. I can handle much easier some situations that caused them before, the only problem is that's because I have no other choice. I have to find ways to control myself because Bulgaria still needs to learn and it's even more frustrating to force myself to be "cool" because it's almost confirmed that I have Borderline Personality Disorder. My abusive childhood made me hide most of my traits so I'm masking too much. I know how to handle most of my meltdowns or at least how to hide them as much as I can.
I have 2 TBIs, PTSD, Aspergers, dyslexia, and a major anxiety disorder. I train service dogs for autistic kids under the age of 14 and yeah its very difficult tryna explain to family members especially parents whats actually happening to their child. Most of the time they dont care and it makes me feel terrible for the kids.
Tell me if these three stories count as meltdowns. I started taking an entirely different medication in 5th grade and it would make me cry for no reason. After lunch one day in school, I put my head down for a nap and started crying when I woke up. It was bad enough I had to go to a separate classroom that's meant to help deal with people like me to help wait it out. I was literally crying for hours, but it gradually subsided. The same happened to me (not after taking a nap) and I had to go see my mother (who worked at the school I was at) to help me calm down. She had to stop a class she was teaching and show me a bit of compassion to help calm me down. Then I went back to the same classroom until I was ready to go back to my regular class. Fast forward a year later in 6th grade of middle school and I start crying in the middle of language arts class. The reason being that I was thinking about how the therapist I had at the time and how I thought I treated him with excessive disrespect. So, in middle school they had a similar thing as they did in my elementary school; and an adult from that building had to be called to the classroom to talk to me about it. Yet each time this happened, it was less severe than the last. Like I said, tell me if these seem like meltdowns to you.
There is actually a specific experience I remember experiencing both at the same time. At the time, I thought it was just a panic attack. My main symptom for when I had panic attacks was chest pain. But I not too long ago got diagnosed with ASD and with that context I knew I was overwhelmingly crying before but I also realised I was rocking and doing different repetitive behaviours with my hands. Which I now know as stimming. I have never focused into it before. I actually thought I was an autistic person who didn't rock but when when waiting to get the results for my ASD assessment, I literally started hitting my knee then rocking and I just went 'Oh'.
My meltdowns, which are rare now, are just a sort of lock up with one loud curse word usually, can't think, can't talk, can't focus. Then the guilt comes and the guilt is worse than the meltdown. Some day I won't feel guilty for something I can't control. I totally get the thing about the sandwich, I do that. I actually like being autistic, it's part of me and makes me a really good athlete and scholar. I don't like it when I'm judged to be weird because of it though, so I limit my interactions outside of my family circle and work mates. I'm ok with that most of the time, it's comfortable.
As undiagnosed but really smart in school all this slipped by and my mom or dad completely misunderstood me and these help me so much knowing I’m not crazy it’s just apart of who I am with autism
thank you for your videos!! growing up in the late 70s to 80s was quite challenging for me and my parents with seriously no resources. i'm on the spectrum as well and wish we had anything like there is today for kids and young adults. i too still suffer from meltdowns and panic attacks, luckily the panic attacks are more infrequent; as for the meltdowns i can recognize them pretty quickly and extricate myself from the situations or have the foresight to not place myself in said situations. again, thank you, it's nice to hear from another adult about these things. we are some beautiful unicorns and i now choose to embrace my superpowers.
I've had both several times and I would add that a panic attack can also suddenly come out of nowhere whereas a meltdown always has an identifiable cause.
I have a lot more panic attacks. Meltdowns seem to happen less as an adult for me anyways but they do happen. I tap my leg on the ground rapidly and move my hands in different ways. With panic attacks I write out my emotions on my iPod touch in the notes. Or I do breathing exercises.
I've learned to avoid risky situations, so most of my meltdowns happen when I'm low on spoons and then there's that one little thing that is the tipping point into losing control and yelling or generally being unpleasant, or, if possible, extracting myself from that situation before I do any damage. These can last like 15-30 minutes till I calm down and then I need time to rest in a safe space. I rarely have panic attacks, but when I do, they can last for hours and are extremely unpleasant and draining. It takes a lot of time and sleep to recover from that. Sometimes I can have relatively short anxiety attacks, when my anxieties overwhelm me for a short period, but those are not nearly as sever as a full blown panic attacks.
Omggg I was wondering about this because I’m analyzing my whole life ever since I got confirmation for my diagnosis. I always thought my meltdowns were panic attacks before and I was thinking about how my « attacks » are very violent and how much I don’t think everyone responds to that like that. Like after my sister’s death I could not process her death it didn’t make sense to my brain, I kept having huge meltdowns where I was banging my head in walls and SCREAMING and I thought those were panic attacks. But they were not. They were terrifying. But I’ve had meltdowns for smaller stuff like sensory overload, or lack of stimulation like being bored or trapped in a situation where I can’t respond to my needs makes me have huge meltdowns. And I cannot speak afterwards for like hours, I just lay down dead inside, exhausted, and it triggers huge depressive episodes for days afterwards. It happened when I went to grocery stores at the beginning of the pandemic and with the mask and my glasses and gloves (yeah I used to that) I couldn’t see anything my whole body felt suffocated and everything was too much I had so much violence inside and I became agressive and then burst into tears and then... incapable of talking or moving for hours. While panic attacks are definitely different. Panic attacks occur when I’m scared someone is dead when they don’t answer my messages, I’ll start crying and my whole being starts being extremely shaky all I can feel is terror and my blood becomes cold and when I finally know that the person is alive and safe it stops and I have to take some time to catch my breath, and it also can trigger depressive episodes afterwards but I realize that it’s not the same. The difference lies in panic attacks for me respond to irrational fears, or overthinking of what might happens, but meltdowns respond to actual facts or things happening/not happening in the exact moment that completely overwhelms my brain and I can’t deal with them, I cannot process the facts, or the things that trigger my sensory overload. Whilst the panic is I can’t process the fear of something. But sometimes they intertwine too. It’s weird to analyze.
Am I happy stimming in my living room because of how much validation realizing I’ve had meltdowns my all life brings me ? yes, yes I am. (I’m 22 and I’ve been struggling for 6 years to get a diagnosis it was hell, being confident in my autism diagnosis means the world to me)
I can kinda see it this way: panic attack = one of those sudden showers, going from drops to rain to 'is this a waterfall coming down on me?' and quickly back down to calm weather vs Meltdown = 'I have been thrown up in the middle of a thunderstorm, there are tornadoes, is that hail WRF?!?!' to being dropped on the ground. At least, it seems like how I experience them.
I've got a slightly awkward issue: I'm atrocious at identifying my feelings... So the overwhelming sense of anxiety vs being overwhelmed by sensory input ect is hard to distinguish for me since I just feel overwhelmed but can't distinguish anything more then that most of the time. On top of that I'm timeblind at the best of times
I think I've had more panic attacks than meltdowns, but I almost had a meltdown the other day at the store, cause there was so much going on. I think for me they may go hand in hand. Thanks for the video.
My meltdowns feel a lot like panic attacks actually, and I used to call them those pre diagnosis. A hysteric urge to flee, bursts of anger, difficulty speaking, not regulating myself (not masking), crying, throbbing headache, shaking, and so on. I stim like crazy and try to breathe but I end up hyperventilating. I think it's because I try holding a meltdown but it feels like a broken dam and the emotions flow nonstop. I feel ashamed after. But the thing about taking days to recover is real.
I’ve had tons of panic attacks in my young adult life. I’ve only had a handful of meltdowns in my life, most of them in my childhood. The worst still triggers me to this day. It’s awful.
My brother isn't diagnosed with autism, and I never thought of this before. But he gets overcome and really lashes out verbally. I've come to understand that it's not who he is, it's just his brain goes off. But he says incredibly hurtful things. Then we don't talk for two years and try again. I will always start over with him, I love him so much. We had a great thing going, but it happened again. I'm not really able to forget the things he said. I help him a lot with his son and he said his life is terrible because I don't help him enough. The things he says are just not real. He's super antisocial and gets stoned so that makes him more withdrawn and then more irritable. It's so frustrating. He has ADHD and I guess maybe he has autism, or this trait of autism is similar to something he experiences. I am totally helpless. Hopefully he is resting and recharging and...it is really hard to get past the super hurtful things he says even though I know they aren't true. Thanks for the video
For some people meltdowns are triggered by other people. Not living up to their expectations or arguments and a lot of emotion that cannot be made sense of.
I have meltdowns whenever other people don't do what I told them to do, specifically if we've been planning it and then they still don't do it.
@@samantharedacted9226 I hope you're doing better today
Before i was diagnosed i would have meltdowns when my parents would scream and repeat the same question over and over (mostly because of grades because i wasn't in Special Education which is what i needed) but basically when my doctor explained that i wasn't throwing fit instead it was an overload my parents stopped doing it. Havent had a bad meltdown in a few years now :)
@@samantharedacted9226 I feeel to this. I’m in a difficult relationship currently and it wasn’t until it started getting problematic that I would do similar to what you describe. I thought I was choosing to act that way until I realized I’m probably autistic and that they’re probably meltdowns
Me too. I had one today for those reasons 😔
i now I realize how many meltdowns I've had and how few panic attacks I've had! Thanks, Dan!
Same :)
i was just thinking about that, i do have panick attacks but...meltdowns are way more frequent and i didn't realized it was that.
Exactly! Same
Ya I'm.nkt autistic..But have a developmental delay. I've definitely had meltdowns at the dentist. Felt so overwhelmed and had sensory issues with them touching me or putting anything near my mouth. Ya loud music makes me feel overwhelmed 😞. Or loud noises. Like fire alarms. I hate those sounds specifically 😢
I have both meltdowns and panic attacks and they are very different. With a panic attack I can remove myself from the environment focus on breathing and once it's over get back to what I was doing. With the meltdown I'm crying and people ask what's going on but I may only be able to get out parts of things that don't make much sense. I'll start saying one thing but my thought process is jumbled so it's like I'm trying to explain like three different things but none of it is coming out right. Sometimes the meltdowns will be just pure unfiltered anger...it's not fun because I feel like I'm going to be perceived like a monster if anyone can hear me. But you're definitely right about the fatigue that happens afterwards. It could take a whole day to recover and if my meltdowns start to become more frequent, I could spend three or four days in bed. I think the most concerning thing about the meltdowns is that the recovery that's needed after can be perceived by others as depression. So sometimes people will encourage you to keep moving instead of getting the rest. Long comment I know but I found this video very relatable and wanted to share.
Oh wow... you just described a lot of my experiences
I’m autistic and have cyclothymic disorder (which is a type of bipolar with rapid cycling between hypomania and depressive episodes) and my metldowns do trigger most of my depressive episodes but I never force myself to « keep moving » and I rest when I need too. Anybody recommending to someone to move instead of resting when they need it (either meltdown or depression) are not people I want in my life. Processing my emotions is extremely hard and I need the space for it. That’s one of the reason why I’m much more able to handle them as an adult living on my own than I was being a teenager too...
What kind of panic attacks are you having? Seriously I wish mine were like that!
I think what's being described is an anxiety attack. I'm not an expert, but I do know anxiety attacks are less server and the two are often used incorrectly in place of one another.
When I have a panic attack I can't move. I am utterly completely terrified, for somewhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Sometimes I cry but not always, I start hyperventilating uncontrollably. I can't will myself out of a panic attack. If anyone touches me it gets worse. It feels like I'm going to die. This is by no means a super common experience, but I even start having auditory hallucinations. The reason it gets so bad as to be a panic attack and doesn't stop at just an anxiety attack is because I'm terrified of people seeing me in this state. Due to this my hallucinations are typically footsteps, chatter noises, things along that line that signal someone is near by.
Don't get me wrong, I'm actually glad people here don't seem to actually be having panic attacks on top of meltdowns and all the other sucky issues. I've had two meltdowns in my life, both while on antidepressants. Both times I stopped taking the antidepressants, because I'd rather have a panic attack then that.
@@IamJenJen101 They aren't as easy as it seems from my description. I've also had disassociating/visual distortions (seeing that the ground is too far away, not being able to read English anymore because it looks like an alien language suddenly, and seeing the walls sparkle and shimmer like it's moving.) Just in my experience, if I remove myself from the triggers or environment that causes the panic attacks, I'm able to emotionally regulate myself for the time being. It takes a lot of effort and tbh it's probably because of my CPTSD. Most likely I'm just numbing or turning emotions off completely to get through the rest of the day and masking, which I don't recommend btw. That is a temporary fix and has consequences later on, like one of my meltdowns from constantly repressing emotions. During one of my disassociative episode where I felt like I was going to pass out and float out of my body at the same time, I had to pinch my hand to stay present. I've just grown up in abusive situations where I was told that there was no excuse to not just keep going no matter how I was feeling. So I somehow instinctively know how to problem solve to push through even though doing so is unhealthy and I'm learning now that I need a different approach.
And I do have hyperventilating and sit on the floor with my panic attacks. I just get up and leave the room when I can.
A meltdown seems to be defined by not being able to think straight. Don’t know what’s going on. Struggling to communicate needs in that moment. Can be Intense discomfort. Feeling of pressure / anger / frustration thrown into the mix.
Panic attack is, as you say, all about the fear.
I suppose the two can overlap. Think I’ve experienced that once. I don’t recommend it 🙂
Jethro Bradley
Hey my name is Jacqueline and I experience meltdowns all the time. My mom was not even given a diagnosis of autism. But I am Visually Impaired and I can go blind.
I have anxiety and have not been diagnosed with autism, but my anxiety attacks align with how people describe autism meltdowns.
@@toasta8342 Most people with autism have anxiety and C-PTSD because they've been abused.
I have also noticed that melt downs happen more frequently when a individual is in a rushed or raw state. For instance, when first waking up, overly tired, following a straining task, sudden change in physical or social atmosphere, & when not feeling well can all be heighten moments for possible meltdown.
Yeah, chronic insomnia here and being rushed or bright lights etc
I cannot function at all in the mornings… one change to the routine and I’m done 😭
It frustrates me when I see a kid having an Autistic Meltdown, and people think it's a temper tantrum - I get that they're similar, but don't tarnish us with the same brush as naughty kids.
Usually it’s because the person on the receiving end wasn’t trying to understand where we were coming from and now we’re the mad ones🙁
@@chelsears yeah and because they don't bother to learn, we get shtick for it
There's nothing wrong with you
@@AlleyCat-em1ih Well, except Dyspraxia, Asperger's, ADHD, Depression, traits of anxiety, and OCD... No, there's nothing 'wrong' with me, at all. Just a few wires crossed over, and not matching, and not connecting properly.
I think that I’ve had meltdowns(I don’t have an autism diagnosis). One of the things I do is flap my hands and my parent call that have a tantrum and tell me to stop acting like that because I just turned 14. Eventually I just go to my room and hit myself, cry, and jump around because my parents won’t let me cry. This may sound weird but I have to talk to pictures because I feel so uncomfortable telling anyone how I feel. I find it cool that when ever I’m around dogs and I’m able to pet them it make me feel so much better.
This is especially important for people who have more than one person with Autism in the house. Had a huge meltdown yesterday. Husband got a new TV. I had it spelled out exactly how to get it done, and wanted to wait. He however had to have it done right then even though it was late. Countdown to meltdown... 3.. He wanted me to help, but he didn't want to do it the way I'd rehearsed it in my head... 2... then something went terribly wrong, fixable but still wrong... 1... BOOM I started hooting and fussing, couldn't speak. Stimming didn't work. Ended up in the rocking chair with my head covered until long after he was done. Lasted about an hour, was sick and exhausted by the time I was done. Thing is, he wanted it done right away because he had a script in his head that he'd rehearsed and didn't want to e the one to melt down..
There is one word you said that made it all click for me: despair.
I used to describe my panic attacks as “despair attacks”. I would always say “it’s like a panic attack, but instead of feeling fear or anxiety, I feel despair”. At the time, a panic attack was the only thing I knew to call them, but I guess they weren’t panic attacks after all. 😉
And it really is that combo of sensory overload and a communication barrier. “I can’t brain” is usually all I can say.
I have caught each one of mine on video, both an unexpected panic attack and a meltdown. The meltdown is 100x more embarrassing and looks 10x more 'crazy' than a panic attack.
wow that must be incredibly hard to rewatch :-(
Meltdowns, for me, are usually defined by a sense of pure rage and have this feeling as though there are wires short circuiting in my head and body. I lose the ability to speak, start shaking, and feel as though I'm about to explode in this state. They're always triggered by external factors like overwhelming smells or sounds, and I feel warning signs when they're building, like irritability and twitching. Panic attacks creep up slowly and have this distinctive cold, dreadful feeling in my stomach and chest that turns into hyperventilating, etc. I've noticed that the panic attacks are anticipatory whereas the meltdowns are more reactionary. Not always, but mostly. There is a lot of overlap between the two in terms of some of the physical and emotional symptoms, and I know everyone experiences things differently. Oftentimes, I'll have a meltdown because, say, my neighbor starts to play loud music. The panic attack can (and often does) come later when I'm still recovering from the meltdown, and the panic has more to do with worrying about whether the music will start again, if my neighbor heard me crying and if they'll somehow attack me for this, etc. It's irrational and I'd prefer to have neither meltdowns nor panic attacks, but that's how I distinguish between the two. All I can say is I love my dog, my weighted blanket, peppermint tea, and my noise cancelling headphones.
I know that feeling. Martial arts helped me control it more, but more disciplined such as Karate really helped.
Oh i feel for ya xxx i didn't realise how sensitive i am to sounds until i moved to where i'm living now. Its an orchestra of jarring noises. Your neighbour sounds like a pain. Do you have anyone who can go round there and have a word? Or are they pretty hostile?
@@karrie-ferncolfer148 Thanks! I'm fortunate in that the management at my apartment is pretty good about mediating between neighbors if there's an issue. I hate making calls but they've been helpful in speaking to the neighbor, and it's reduced the noise a lot.
I have all of ure signs too,and honestly I don't know what to do sometimes with it, especially when I ask help but they just treat me as a lyer,so coz of so many disappointment I've closed myself within myself,which are not really........ helpful......could you guys recommend something? If not, that's also fine,I feel blessed to find you guys anyways! 🌺♥️
Oh yeah the loud music ! I litterally burst to tears when i try to sleep and there's loud music. That's crazy because i want to hit those persons when i'm in that state... It happened once during the day, my neighbor played the same song over and over really really loud. I was getting crazy, so i had to get out for a walk. I couldn't confront him because he was drunk (i could hear him) and i'm just a girl all alone...
I was diagnosed with a panic disorder a long time ago (and got my ASD diagnosis finally this past December). I've since seriously questioned what my panic attacks really ARE. I've had them as long as I can remember, and the first evidence I have of one is a video of me at about age 4 or 5. I seem to have panic attacks and meltdowns simultaneously. My current thinking on it is that it feels like the meltdown state is so distressing that it triggers a panic response. It's bizarre because I don't intellectually think I am in danger. I know that I'm overwhelmed because I could feel the point where I realize that I'm going to hit my limit and not be able to avoid it, and as that point hits, I panic. Maybe I hyperventilate because of how upsetting and confusing the disoriented mental state of my meltdowns is? In action it looks like crying hysterically while hyperventilating.
I also, generally, rarely express anger and doing so causes me great anxiety, so that might be why this is my pattern.
Just wanted to chime in since my experience maybe is helpful to mention.
I feel very similar to you. Because my "Panic attacks" can last for hours and afterwards I'm ready to sleep for at least 12 hours. Mostly I feel very anxious and sick and also overwhelmed by everything, I can't talk anymore and I'm starting to hyperventilate, which I try to control as much as I can. But all this isn't 5/10/15 min it's at least 1.5 hours every time
I feel this so hard.
I can relate to this.
@@lici5209 YES I have something very similar to this, sometimes I can drop into something almost catatonic at the tail end of it all and the recovery is a full day at least.
Im the same!! I used to think I had regular panic attacks, but as I learned more about them I got confused, cos although I have similar symptoms, mine aren't over in 15-20 minutes (I WISH). They last for hours and don't stop until my body has exhausted itself. They also arent always triggered by worry or fear. They are sometimes, but more common triggers are just being overwhelmed by stuff that's happened during the day (I normally get them after stuff has happened), processing lots of voices/memories after going somewhere new or to a party, and even just if Ive been excited about something and am having lots of thoughts. Basically its not always 'anxious' feelings that set me off, often its not feelings at all but stimuli. Feels like my body just sets off without my permission! So really questioning if I have panic attacks or meltdowns now!
I've certainly experienced both but generally called them both panic attacks because I didn't know the difference. I was at a wedding a couple years ago with flashing lights, loud music, dancing, and crowds of people around me. I called it a panic attack but I can confidently say it was a meltdown. Many of my panic attacks occurred at my previous job when I was forced to interact in a meeting, spurring my social anxiety. Always great content! Thanks :)
I had a lot of "panic attacks" throughout high school... but I realise now that they were probably meltdowns and not panic attacks.
They were a response to the noise around me. I was always angry or frustrated. I'd always shake like crazy and have a hard time breathing. Then I'd become incapable of speaking.
I do have meltdowns at home too, but only when it comes to my mum constantly shouting... I try to communicate this with her but she doesn't understand.
Although I am undiagnosed with ASD,(diagnosed with ADHD though,) several people outside my family say that I qualify very much for the diagnosis. These people include my psychologist, counsellor and other doctors that I have. Even with their word, my family thinks that I am ridiculous and they think that I am faking all of it...
This is one of the reasons why I struggle to communicate...
Wow while now reflecting I see had the same thing in high school as well. I had to often take time to sit out of class in the nurses office because I was way too overwhelmed and needed to be in a quiet darkened room.
Just wanted to thank you for making this video! I'm 23year old woman I have been diagnosed with adhd, dyslexia, anxiety, and depression but have never felt like I have found the core of what was going on with me. I always felt different and have had a really hard time understanding people around me. I've spent the last few weeks doing research into autism (after I watched an autism in women video that hit way to close to home) and have had a hard time understanding the difference between panic attacks (which I was told I had been having) and meltdowns. Understanding the difference between these has opened my eyes a lot. I've worked as a server for years and have had many instances where I would get incredibly overwhelmed at work when it was busy and loud, it would cause me to cry and have chest pains, and bring on really bad head aches but I didn't feel panicked, just felt incredibly overwhelmed by everything around me to the point that I felt like I might explode. I definitely experienced panic attacks in other situations but I think these may have been meltdowns. Your videos have helped me a lot to understand what autism feels live for those who have it and I really appreciate that. I have an appointment with my therapist next week to talk about this and see what steps I need to take in getting a diagnosis.
Hey! This comment is 2 years old now and if you’re willing to share, I’m wondering if you ended up being diagnosed? I’m 20 and in the same situation right now. I too deal with anxiety, depression, ocd, dyslexia and have been diagnosed with a “panic attack disorder” since age 6. This video is giving me the same sort realisation that my “panic attacks” as well as many other symptoms possibly align with being on the autism spectrum. This video, as well as a woman who makes videos specifically about autism in women are making me rethink everything about my life and honestly an autism diagnosis would be really relieving as I feel my my lack of understanding of others and difficulty socialising goes deeper than just social anxiety. I want to go through the diagnostic process but it’s difficult as It’s such a long and expensive ordeal that I cannot afford right now. Anyway, as our situations seem to be quite similar I’d love to know how everything worked out on your end!
I have been binge watching your videos like mad. Because I recently had the inclination, or epiphany, that I may have Asperger's syndrome. 😧 All the signs point towards it... It has shaken my foundation to the core. It also had dawned on me that I am extremely OCD. I began with leveling up my understanding of my emotions and standing up for myself at work, and to my wife and in laws, unfortunately with all the information I've learned in such little time and the stress and bullying I've experienced at work and home has now lead me to a divorce as I write this, and I am now living in my car. But I wouldn't change any of my choices for anything. Coming to a deeper understanding of myself is helping me love myself more and more. I scored a 38 on the AQ test, not mention PTSD, OCD, or ADHD (if that still counts) that I've lived with and believed was the only issue all this time. I always wondered why I couldn't tell cohesive stories or speak succinctly. Or why I abhor small talk or never understood innuendos or jokes. I am so grateful right now despite the Florida heat and rain I won't let this be the end of me. Now I know my devil's name.
Though rare, panic attacks can last over 12 hours if you don’t know your trigger or can’t escape your situation. This is especially the case with Panic Disorder (where the person has no trigger and the body sends them into fight/flight anyway). It seem like you were referencing General Anxiety Disorder and I just wanted to clarify that.
I think Autistic meltdowns can also last a lot longer than 30 minutes, depending on age and level of functioning (in our neurotypical world).
Also you gave some really great distinctions between the two! :3 I had no idea what classifies a meltdown, and assumed they were just very similar to panic attacks. Good job!
As a person with autism I tend to have autistic meltdowns a lot due to stress or overwhelming feelings, thank you so much for explaining this! Many people don’t understand about why people tend to have Meltdowns. Most people think I have meltdowns for attention which I never would do. Everytime I’m scared or nervous I tend to start to have a meltdown, I began shaking and crying and if it gets worse I tend to scream and rock back and forth, repeating words and tending to hit myself sometimes too..
I’m recently learning, as an adult, that I’m a lower needs autistic person, Formerly known as Aspergers, and I’m just now discovering that what I thought were “giant panic attacks” have been meltdowns . I experience both and I knew there was a difference between them but I thought the difference was just varying levels of panic. Now that I type that, I guess there’s just one level of panic: panic. So many things in my life are all making so much more sense to me…thank you so much for this video.
It can take me up to 4 days to recover from a meltdown and I find that I'm a lot more likely to have a meltdown if I've had one in the previous days.
Wow..... this is so eye opening. I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety almost my whole life. I got diagnosed with autism earlier this year at 34 and looking back I can see that most of my “panic attacks” were actually meltdowns.
So that’s the difference. So I don’t think I had meltdowns but I do get a lot more panic attacks now that I am an adult. I feel like there were times where I might be close to a meltdown but I learned to just leave the place as quickly as possible. Also, snacks. Snacking helps me
I've had both. I must disagree on one thing: I have had panic attacks that lasted half of a day!
I have also had meltdowns that the explosive, anger outbursts lasted about Five minutes, but the after affects lasted 4 or 5 days!
In states where it's legal, medical Marijuana can help for meltdowns and panic attacks.
Well put
Thank you! I've had both, but have absolutely had MUCH longer panic attacks than that!
Now I'm curious- wonder if the similarity makes it last longer for us?
Or the marijuana can make them worse 😅
You wouldn't survive a panic attack that lasted that long. The body can only put up with so much adrenaline. Your heart would give out.
I’ve had both too. They are totally different but create a similar anxiety. For me, meltdowns are externally driven. Panic attacks come out of nowhere for no apparent reason. Cbd oil, baths, weighted blankets and when needed, zanex are my go-to tools!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for explaining sensory processing overload like this. I’ve tried and tried and I can’t seem to articulate it. I struggle a lot with my husband not understanding why sometimes things are just too much for me and why it seems to happen so suddenly. He doesn’t see my internal struggles and I feel like his expectations of me are sometimes much more than I can handle.
Its so great to see people with asd advocateing for themselves. As someone with level 1 ASD ADHD and anxiety I often feel a responsibility to advocate for my fellow neurodivergent people so it's always amazing to see other people doing the same thing.
For me it’s an increasing thing , accumulation of stressors I can stand so much and then.... bom ! And meltdowns can be a bom or catatonic where I just shut off . Sometimes I loose my ability to speak. Often start hitting around myself in fear, panik. Or hit myself . Try to avoid hitting myself in the head because concussions ain’t fun. Basically for me what often triggers it as I have a disibility and If I have staff which I’m not comfortable with or are educated about autism and they touch me in ways that are scary to me or hurt me or come to close do stuff without asking first. It’s horrible. Even worse because a lot of people within homecare think that just because you have a disability and autism you are not intelligent. Not so have a 143 in IQ , speak 5 languages and have lived in 5 countries and got sick... panic attack is what I get when I hear that they’ve changed staff again since then I know I will have more meltdowns which will also make me more sick as stress is not good for my diseases. Lovly! NOT! As I will then need more help which will lead to...
I’m telling my doc I think I could be on the spectrum today and this helped me realize how many of my “panic attacks” where potentially meltdowns tysm :)
I used to have Meltdowns in my old job at factory when operating machiene and the content coming out wrong, it didn't help with people laughing at me and even getting angry. I wanted to walk away and 'recharge' and calm down but could only carry on and put a brave face on otherwise everyone would have patronised me or maybe even put me on the 'hit list', since the factory didn't ever think of disability or mental health, it was ultimately survival of the fittest, it was a traumatising experience.
I was diagnosed with a panic disorder at a very young age, depression soon after - 7 years later, I’m diagnosed as autistic
It makes quite a but more sense now, thank you, my friend
I just got diagnosed today with asd! Yay! Anyway, I have more panic attacks than meltdowns. I don't remember a lot of my childhood. I think I had more meltdowns as a kid though. As I got older, the more I masked and saved them for home. I have generalized anxiety, so I have meds to help with the anxiety, but Covid has certainly brought on new and different challenges. The night I went to the grocery store and the shelves were nearly empty...I nearly had a meltdown in the store. I made it home first, but barely.
Sorry, rambling. Anyway, I wonder (to myself) if getting older changed the meltdowns or if it was masking. Hmm. Great video Dan.
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad your diagnosis process went well! ☺️
I think that with age and the amount of time spent masking I have learned to better cope with things and keep the meltdowns to a minimum. I, too, had more meltdowns as a child because I didn't have the coping skills that I have now.
@@ericalachappelle3008 yes, I agree. And thinking back, I didn't have a lot even as a child. I had a big one at daycare around 8 or so. It was huge. The lady was awful, they created it, epic showdown, and she was fired. I was generally a "good kid" as my mom put it. Not every adult that works with kids with asd should be fired for causing a meltdown. There was abuse in my case. I just want to clarify about that.
breathofrane
Do not get mad at me but I have meltdowns when I am left in the car alone. That is the only thing that freaks me out. It freaks me out because for over a year I smelled something fowl. Like illegal drugs and yes they were illegal drugs. I am allergic to the smells of crack and cocaine.
@@jacquelinesmith-jackson2815 why would I get mad that you get meltdowns? Did you put the drugs in the car? I'm confused.
It takes me a week to recover from a meltdown, having a job makes it difficult to recover properly. I had five meltdowns in two days when I first started my job.
i’ve had frequent intense emotional meltdown pretty much my entire life, and i always just assumed they were panic attacks because of my anxiety diagnosis that i got at a fairly young age. more recently though, when i brought up the possibility of me having asd with my therapist, she told me that she’s always been confused by my panic attacks because apparently panic attacks don’t usually cause hysterical crying, and mine literally always do, as well as the aftereffects usually lasting several hours at least. so uh. perhaps i have some things to reevaluate.
I have undiagnosed autism and have worked all my life, l have meltdowns at work but cant show it. This is driving me crazy, thanks for the info l might be able to help myself now.
the hitting myself in the head bit called me out!!! ive realized pretty much all of my panic attacks were actually meltdowns and i never knew
This is such a helpful video. Although, I am not currently diagnosed with autism, I have a regular suspicion that I do have autism, as my brother does. I’ve been so confused with whether my meltdowns were either, meltdowns, panic attack, anxiety attack, or just being sensitive. I really do think this video helped me figure out which one it is. I have overwhelming meltdowns very often, when in school they were either everyday or sometimes a day later. While not in school, it’s not as often, but does still occur. With the overstimulation and overwhelm in school, causing a meltdown makes so much more sense to me, as I do get very overwhelmed in school with everything. I can’t take a test without crying that I think I’m going to fail it, text to speech reading to me, teachers talking, pencils tapping, me figeting, all while just trying to understand a simple question is just too over stimulating and overwhelming that I just sit and cry while trying to stop the pain I feel. I am hoping to go to my primary doctor about this soon, and am trying to also gain the courage to do so aswell. Thank you for helping me understand.
I just want to thank you for making this resource and getting it our there. Having info about autism online can save so many people the anxiety of knowing something's wrong with them, but not knowing exactly what. Scientific resources are helpful, but sometimes what really helps are resources like this video (as well as the rest of your channel), first hand experiences explained.
This helped me out a lot... I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder but I'm now realizing that I am autistic and this really made a lot of sense to me and how much different autistic meltdown is.... Now that I am starting to understand the real causes of my issues it's getting easier to cope with them. Thanks so much!
Dan. I just want to say thank you. These meltdowns were falsely misinterpreted as symptomatic to schizoaffective disorder, manic depression, bipolarity and ODD. I've spent months in psychiatric wards, now I no longer hold contact with my own family. I was horribly taken advantage of and me lashing out at things was sort of a reflex, being this angry, suburban teen even without the prospect of Asperger's. It took loads of professionals to erase or dismiss the misdiagnoses. Hopefully I'm in a much better place but I just want to say, thank you for informing me I wasn't out of my mind at all. There is so little support that exists in my circle, so you don't know how much this means to me.
imagine having a panic attack in front of many people, it's horrible, I had some of them outside in public and I just need to escape to somewhere isolated
I had one in a small post office during Christmas season... I was trapped in there for about 20min until enough people had left and there was a clearing toward the door and I took off running out of there after being frozen in one spot
Sometimes when I get de ja vous and try to remember it, it triggers a panic attack. Now I try to ignore the de ja vous. Other times it just hits me by surprise when nothing is happening. I'm not upset, anxious or anything and suddenly a sense of fear and forboding literally rolls through my body as if my fight or flight instinct is taking over and I can't control it. I have to run to someone or someplace that makes me feel safe again.
Afterwards I have no memory of what I was doing or thinking right before it hit. The memory comes back eventually, but it takes a while of doing relaxation and deep breathing for my memory to start coming back. Even my loved one's names are lost for a few minutes. I'm always so glad to get them back.
For me personally, depending on what triggered the meltdown, mine can include hyperventilating amongst all the other meltdown feelings and experiences you described. Its the most horrible feeling in the world. You feel like your head is imploding and you feel so trapped in that moment that you struggle to communicate that pain and what you need to others. And what's worse, if it happens in public, people stare and judge you for it.
I have a small meld down the other day. I usually have major ones, but the changes of routine was quickly remedied. I have small meltdowns regularly when I cannot find something. Especially if I have had a exhausting day with to much physical or social stimuli. I feel it start to build & I try to hold it back, but then .... the flood gate breaks.
I freaked out the other day cuz I couldn’t find a simple dice 🎲. I dumped out the trash on the floor believing my wife tossed it out. I through it all over the place. Screaming “I had to find it!!! Now”!!!
I needed it! I had to have it in my pocket for work! It’s my constant. I just have to know I have something of my own, concealed, that no one at work can touch, & that is only mine. Today was the only time I have ever taken it out of my pocket, but that was just to make sure it hadn’t fallen out. I was worried that I lost it again. If I had, then I would have freaked out at work!
I didn’t want to dump the trash on the floor but I couldn’t stop myself. After flipping out by screaming, yelling, trying to explain to my wife I needed it in my pocket, I proceeded to throw the trash all over the floor looking for it, but I discovered that I had it in my pocket that entire time. 😫I felt horrible making my wife feel bad... I don’t even fully remember putting it back in my pocket.
I remember telling myself to do it. Telling myself don’t forget it! You need it! However, I have no memory of physical picking it up. I remember visualizing that I needed to pick it up, but I don’t remember touching it. I was on high alert the rest of the day & felt really bad about it
Hey, thank you so much for this video! I experience these… situations almost every day and wanted to find out if they are panic attacks or maybe autistic meltdowns (i‘m 90% sure i am autistic, not diagnosed though).
Now i‘m sure that i have both and i can see some differences that you‘ve pointed out in the video. That helps me very much with knowing what i need in the panic attack/meltdown. Thank you!
Had plenty of both of those in my lifetime, one time I did have a psychologist but it didn't last long so for a while I did these two things to help me, it may not work with everyone. 1) Be your own friend. For those that talk to themselves this can help, like talking to an imaginary friend. Also an example of this is like the movie Matilda, especially when she was up she learned to be like her own friend and it helped cope with her problems. 2) creating a friend. Ever have stuffed animals or toys then take advantage and play with them, it's odd but trust me it works just fine and dandy. There are also many other ways to cope with meltdowns, and panic attacks from watching meme videos to video games to drawing to pretty much anything that interests you.
I used to have chronic panic attacks that honestly would last me hours, this was when I was 14/15 (I'm 17 nearly 18 now). I'd be at school, start to have a panic attack, (luckily I had a place where I could sit for the duration) and it'd come in waves. There have been times where I've nearly passed out because I've been so overwhelmed and I'm hyperventilating so much. It'd sometimes get to the point where I couldn't move, so I'd just have to be there all school day, and by the end of it I had usually stopped hyperventilating and was just so drained and it'd just take me days to recover from that, provided it didn't happen again for the next couple days. So yeah idk, some would be short though so yeah idk.
My issue was learning the difference between a regular melt down and an autism melt down. I can feel the difference between a melt down and panic attack. I had a meltdown over having work planned and my mom called to get assistance from me. My parents need help right now but I’m trying to work also so that shift threw everything off and I broke into tears uncontrollably. I don’t hit myself but I do get a feeling of unable to function at all during it. Yes very exhausting I don’t feel ok again until the next day.
I wish I found this out years ago. It would have given both me and my son a ton of perspective. My son has meltdowns when he's getting in trouble and getting talked to about what he did. It was super bad during his teen years. In his early 20's, it comes more in the anger outbursts versus crying.
When i have a meltdown.. Which doesnt happen very often at this point.. I have no warning time. Just a minute where i know i need to exit what im doing before i lose my cool and end up in tears. With panic attacks i live in the panic and anxiety space so a panic attack isnt far away from any overwhelming experience.
Just learning that hitting yourself in the head is a KNOWN ASPECT is making me cry a little, in a good way. I KNEW I wasn't just "crazy"!
Honestly, learning that meltdown is a THING has helped immensely! Feeling like I'm outside my body and unable to control what I can SEE is not helpful, but in no way can STOP, is painful. Being told by your parents that it means you're crazy makes it worse. (To be fair: I was born in the late 70s, grew up in the 80s, when this stuff was NOT understood. Shoot, I remember when science finally said, maybe... 20 years AGO? "oh wait, they DO have emotions, they just have too MANY to deal with!" which cinched it for me. My sticking point had been "I DO have emotions, just a LOt of them." so I assume they never fucking ASKED. but anyway, I'm glad channels like this exist now!
Nailed it! AND both because ASD + PTSD with flashbacks in the mix… glad I don’t see me from the outside. Recovery takes a full shutdown.
Me as a late diagnosed ASS ( probably also ADD )(not diagnosed yet) I am aware what happened to me in the past. Thank you for sharing. These kind of information is helping me a lot to understand myself and also other ( like my children that are also on the spectrum) ( not completely diagnosed). But I am sure about their condition and understand them so well.
It frustrates me that someone tries to treat me as if I'm having a panic attack when in actual fact I'm having a meltdown and then I'm left with having to explain the difference during the meltdown.
Thank you so much! This explains a lot of my experiences that weren’t quite a panic attack but something was still very wrong. I hope I can share this with my family members so they can better understand that it’s not always the anxiety.
Often during a meltdown I’ll find myself lashing out at other people and hurting their feelings without meaning to. How can I better handle my emotions in the middle of a meltdown?
This is exactly me ! Everyone blames it on me being a mom but idk . I feel so overstimulated by noise ! Multiple noises going on triggers me so bad . If the TV is on , kids screaming , toys playing music , dogs barking , it’s too much and I start to panic and cry . It’s physically draining .
Omg I was just wishing there was a vid on this from you. I have anxiety and panic attacks and meltdowns. I have ADD and ADHD
I have panic disorder and got agoraphobia so sometimes I get panic attacks unexpectedly if I feel trapped no easy escape or somtimes without no obvious trigger almost every day to point you feel like your dying
Great comments from people too. Agree and relate. (Realising Im autistic at 31yrs. Female)
Thank you :)
Hi Dan! Very helpful video! I'm still waiting for a shutdown x meltdown video! I learn a lot with the channel, congrats!
I have been diagnosed with ASD, OCD, ADHD, and dyslexia. I have both panic attacks and meltdowns. The difference seems to be this. My panic attacks exhibit vomiting with nervousness. My meltdowns happen when i am triggered. For example, since I live with PTSD, when someone else tries to control me, manipulate me, of even just tries to confuse me, I react like a scorpion. I strike to kill verbally. This is just a reaction that isn't good. And I have learned that anyone that makes me feel this way, need to be away from me.
Thanks for this video. I haven't read all the comments. Thinking about my latest meltdown, I feel like I went from anxiety overthinking } panic attack } meltdown. Not sure there was even more than 30 seconds of panic attack. I don't know I've seen a lot of people describe meltdowns caused by sensory stuff but not so much meltdowns caused by anxiety. I have ADHD too, with the RSD that comes with that. I find that RSD episodes seem to trigger meltdowns too. I feel like I've got the rest of myself pretty "set" I'm quite capable and so on, but meltdowns bring my self esteem down so much.. so, sorry my point was, sometimes My meltdowns are triggered by the sensation of a panic attack, and sometimes it's triggered by anxiety. This latest time I knew there was going to be a major change to my routine the next day and I lost it even before the Change happened. Usually for me it's a reaction but sometimes is a prediction. I had a meltdown because my anxiety thought I'd end up having a meltdown the next day. 😔 I wonder if that makes sense to anyone. Meltdowns are the single worst thing in my life. Sorry if that sounds dramatic but when it's so fresh in my mind It really feels like it.
It can take an entire day to recover from a panic attack too. It’s all encompassing and exhausting! And usually comes before and or after anxiety problems which can make it a long nightmarish process.
This is very validating. I've definitely had panic attacks before but sometimes I wasn't sure if I just had one or if it was something else because it looked a lot like a panic attack and I hyperventilated but it just felt different. I almost felt like I was overreacting and just pretending to have a panic attack even though I was alone in my room lmao
My guess is that those were meltdowns I got from being overwhelmed by my thoughts and worries. After these I'm exhausted, I've at least gotten to a point where I don't punch my walls/closet/myself anymore although it can be difficult when I can't stop certain noises, those really get to me.
Seroulsy the best description ever. My child was diagnosed with retnoblastoma this year and I experienced my first panick attack and it took a few hours to stop the overwhelming dread like fealing. Im learning I may be on the spectrum through research that has landed me here looking for ways to stop or describe my anger outburst from the family all talking at once. Thank for sharing this. It really means it alot to me.
I have been having so many meltdowns since a new diagnosis od ASD, like finding out i have it - i feel like my defenses are gone and im struggling to mask. Knowing i percieve everything, seems to make me percieve everything more - like i cant block out. Went to wimpy, and all the sounds were too much, and then the smell of the paprika and whatever they put on the bacon as it was cooking, and the fact i didnt want to be there to begin with - pushed me over.
i rarely cry though...but that feeling lingers, and im tired...and have to keep going, and it build and builds, until last night when i saw how messy the house was...and i was like - crumble. and i cant stop my stims and try talking muselfs down and get so worked up i wanna cry and scream and tell myself not to feel that way and it goes on til i was so exhausted i just went to bed fully dressed... but the mess is still there in the morning and its like it startsa again, and i dunno what to do.
This is something I've wondered about a lot. I have meltdowns when there's too much input from the environment, but also when there's too much input from inside either due to my ADHD brain or due to all the negative feelings I have and the pain that causes... So it's pretty confusing which is which. I actually still don't know after this video. Because if I have a panic attack I tend to get a meltdown and the other way around... But I think the final result is a meltdown, whether it starts with a panic attack, with an emotional overload or with sensory overload.
Thank you for sharing; this was really helpful.
Dan, thank you so very much for your videos. My grandson, 6 years old, is autistic. I have taught children with SEN but you have taught me how to relate to my darling grandson, and we understand each other. Thank you again for your invaluable help and insight into his mind. xx
Could a bad argument cause a meltdown? Like, I'm trying to set up compromises and expectations with a person and they're against that idea and make me feel like I'm not very important and I can't understand how they aren't willing to do that, and just freak out, heavy breathing, crying, screaming, hitting things, hitting myself, with virtually no control over my actions,
And a Meltdown can Effect a Panic attack
Thank you for differentiating that Dan. Really well explained.
Just wanna say that I recently I found you. And I love your vids
This is a great video. I have both panic attacks and meltdowns. When I was a kid I had more meltdowns and now I have more panic attacks.
My husband and I are both on the spectrum. We will say we are overstimulated because it helps the other person know whats going on, and we do what we can to help. We understand what that means so we usually know how to help before it turns into a meltdown. Like if I'm in the car and I'm getting overstimulated I'll tell james and he will either turn the music down or the blower down. It usually helps immediately. I'm the driver in the relationship lol so its really important to be able to prevent the meltdown from getting bad. Communication is key ♡♡
jesus christ, I have autism meltdowns AND a panic attack simultaniously. Bruh moment.
I've suspected ive been on the spectrum for years now. I have only recently finally come to terms with it and spoken to my doctor. But i think this may be why i still keep have anxiety meltdowns and such bad anxiety in public. Ive tried 3 anxiety medications now this new one has stopped the panic attacks FINALLY but i still have awful meltdown. Thank you for explaining it a bit better, I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow thankfully.
I have much better control over my meltdowns. I can handle much easier some situations that caused them before, the only problem is that's because I have no other choice. I have to find ways to control myself because Bulgaria still needs to learn and it's even more frustrating to force myself to be "cool" because it's almost confirmed that I have Borderline Personality Disorder. My abusive childhood made me hide most of my traits so I'm masking too much. I know how to handle most of my meltdowns or at least how to hide them as much as I can.
I have 2 TBIs, PTSD, Aspergers, dyslexia, and a major anxiety disorder. I train service dogs for autistic kids under the age of 14 and yeah its very difficult tryna explain to family members especially parents whats actually happening to their child. Most of the time they dont care and it makes me feel terrible for the kids.
I get extremely tired sometimes physically sick after a meltdown. I always shutdown afterwards...
Just had this and no one understood what was going on but it felt horrible thank you sm this was a very helpful video
Tell me if these three stories count as meltdowns. I started taking an entirely different medication in 5th grade and it would make me cry for no reason. After lunch one day in school, I put my head down for a nap and started crying when I woke up. It was bad enough I had to go to a separate classroom that's meant to help deal with people like me to help wait it out. I was literally crying for hours, but it gradually subsided. The same happened to me (not after taking a nap) and I had to go see my mother (who worked at the school I was at) to help me calm down. She had to stop a class she was teaching and show me a bit of compassion to help calm me down. Then I went back to the same classroom until I was ready to go back to my regular class. Fast forward a year later in 6th grade of middle school and I start crying in the middle of language arts class. The reason being that I was thinking about how the therapist I had at the time and how I thought I treated him with excessive disrespect. So, in middle school they had a similar thing as they did in my elementary school; and an adult from that building had to be called to the classroom to talk to me about it. Yet each time this happened, it was less severe than the last. Like I said, tell me if these seem like meltdowns to you.
There is actually a specific experience I remember experiencing both at the same time. At the time, I thought it was just a panic attack. My main symptom for when I had panic attacks was chest pain. But I not too long ago got diagnosed with ASD and with that context I knew I was overwhelmingly crying before but I also realised I was rocking and doing different repetitive behaviours with my hands. Which I now know as stimming. I have never focused into it before. I actually thought I was an autistic person who didn't rock but when when waiting to get the results for my ASD assessment, I literally started hitting my knee then rocking and I just went 'Oh'.
My meltdowns, which are rare now, are just a sort of lock up with one loud curse word usually, can't think, can't talk, can't focus. Then the guilt comes and the guilt is worse than the meltdown. Some day I won't feel guilty for something I can't control. I totally get the thing about the sandwich, I do that. I actually like being autistic, it's part of me and makes me a really good athlete and scholar. I don't like it when I'm judged to be weird because of it though, so I limit my interactions outside of my family circle and work mates. I'm ok with that most of the time, it's comfortable.
As undiagnosed but really smart in school all this slipped by and my mom or dad completely misunderstood me and these help me so much knowing I’m not crazy it’s just apart of who I am with autism
thank you for your videos!! growing up in the late 70s to 80s was quite challenging for me and my parents with seriously no resources. i'm on the spectrum as well and wish we had anything like there is today for kids and young adults. i too still suffer from meltdowns and panic attacks, luckily the panic attacks are more infrequent; as for the meltdowns i can recognize them pretty quickly and extricate myself from the situations or have the foresight to not place myself in said situations. again, thank you, it's nice to hear from another adult about these things. we are some beautiful unicorns and i now choose to embrace my superpowers.
Wow! Eye-opening. Thank you.
Mine are fast acting and fast going away.
Thank u I’ve learned a lot from ur videos. Keep them coming x
I've had both several times and I would add that a panic attack can also suddenly come out of nowhere whereas a meltdown always has an identifiable cause.
I have a lot more panic attacks. Meltdowns seem to happen less as an adult for me anyways but they do happen. I tap my leg on the ground rapidly and move my hands in different ways. With panic attacks I write out my emotions on my iPod touch in the notes. Or I do breathing exercises.
I've learned to avoid risky situations, so most of my meltdowns happen when I'm low on spoons and then there's that one little thing that is the tipping point into losing control and yelling or generally being unpleasant, or, if possible, extracting myself from that situation before I do any damage. These can last like 15-30 minutes till I calm down and then I need time to rest in a safe space.
I rarely have panic attacks, but when I do, they can last for hours and are extremely unpleasant and draining. It takes a lot of time and sleep to recover from that. Sometimes I can have relatively short anxiety attacks, when my anxieties overwhelm me for a short period, but those are not nearly as sever as a full blown panic attacks.
Omggg I was wondering about this because I’m analyzing my whole life ever since I got confirmation for my diagnosis. I always thought my meltdowns were panic attacks before and I was thinking about how my « attacks » are very violent and how much I don’t think everyone responds to that like that. Like after my sister’s death I could not process her death it didn’t make sense to my brain, I kept having huge meltdowns where I was banging my head in walls and SCREAMING and I thought those were panic attacks. But they were not. They were terrifying. But I’ve had meltdowns for smaller stuff like sensory overload, or lack of stimulation like being bored or trapped in a situation where I can’t respond to my needs makes me have huge meltdowns. And I cannot speak afterwards for like hours, I just lay down dead inside, exhausted, and it triggers huge depressive episodes for days afterwards. It happened when I went to grocery stores at the beginning of the pandemic and with the mask and my glasses and gloves (yeah I used to that) I couldn’t see anything my whole body felt suffocated and everything was too much I had so much violence inside and I became agressive and then burst into tears and then... incapable of talking or moving for hours.
While panic attacks are definitely different. Panic attacks occur when I’m scared someone is dead when they don’t answer my messages, I’ll start crying and my whole being starts being extremely shaky all I can feel is terror and my blood becomes cold and when I finally know that the person is alive and safe it stops and I have to take some time to catch my breath, and it also can trigger depressive episodes afterwards but I realize that it’s not the same. The difference lies in panic attacks for me respond to irrational fears, or overthinking of what might happens, but meltdowns respond to actual facts or things happening/not happening in the exact moment that completely overwhelms my brain and I can’t deal with them, I cannot process the facts, or the things that trigger my sensory overload. Whilst the panic is I can’t process the fear of something. But sometimes they intertwine too. It’s weird to analyze.
Am I happy stimming in my living room because of how much validation realizing I’ve had meltdowns my all life brings me ? yes, yes I am. (I’m 22 and I’ve been struggling for 6 years to get a diagnosis it was hell, being confident in my autism diagnosis means the world to me)
I had panic attacks that have lasted two consecutive weeks. They're not always a short-term issue.
I can kinda see it this way: panic attack = one of those sudden showers, going from drops to rain to 'is this a waterfall coming down on me?' and quickly back down to calm weather vs Meltdown = 'I have been thrown up in the middle of a thunderstorm, there are tornadoes, is that hail WRF?!?!' to being dropped on the ground. At least, it seems like how I experience them.
I've got a slightly awkward issue: I'm atrocious at identifying my feelings...
So the overwhelming sense of anxiety vs being overwhelmed by sensory input ect is hard to distinguish for me since I just feel overwhelmed but can't distinguish anything more then that most of the time.
On top of that I'm timeblind at the best of times
I think I've had more panic attacks than meltdowns, but I almost had a meltdown the other day at the store, cause there was so much going on. I think for me they may go hand in hand. Thanks for the video.
My meltdowns feel a lot like panic attacks actually, and I used to call them those pre diagnosis. A hysteric urge to flee, bursts of anger, difficulty speaking, not regulating myself (not masking), crying, throbbing headache, shaking, and so on. I stim like crazy and try to breathe but I end up hyperventilating. I think it's because I try holding a meltdown but it feels like a broken dam and the emotions flow nonstop. I feel ashamed after. But the thing about taking days to recover is real.
So I have never ever had a panic attack… and this is why treatment for generalized anxiety disorder just made me feel sicker and less in control….
I’ve had tons of panic attacks in my young adult life. I’ve only had a handful of meltdowns in my life, most of them in my childhood. The worst still triggers me to this day. It’s awful.
My brother isn't diagnosed with autism, and I never thought of this before. But he gets overcome and really lashes out verbally. I've come to understand that it's not who he is, it's just his brain goes off. But he says incredibly hurtful things. Then we don't talk for two years and try again. I will always start over with him, I love him so much. We had a great thing going, but it happened again. I'm not really able to forget the things he said. I help him a lot with his son and he said his life is terrible because I don't help him enough. The things he says are just not real. He's super antisocial and gets stoned so that makes him more withdrawn and then more irritable. It's so frustrating. He has ADHD and I guess maybe he has autism, or this trait of autism is similar to something he experiences. I am totally helpless. Hopefully he is resting and recharging and...it is really hard to get past the super hurtful things he says even though I know they aren't true. Thanks for the video
Thank you for this video. It makes things much clearer.