Does this sound like shutdown or panic attack?

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I think that what i have experienced that i thought were panic attacks, i now am (almost) convinced.
But i will list my symptoms:
-I become non-verbal
-It is very hard to physically move
-Understanding the meaning of words it hard (for example, if someones says "i have to go now" i understand the words but i will still be surprised when they leave)
-I start stimming (turning head side to side, rubbing hands together, and having "restless legs")
-One phrase or word is repeated in my head (usually "no" or "stop")

I think that those symptoms are all associated with shutdowns
But here are some symptoms that are associated with panic attacks:
-I start hyperventilating
-After i while i start feeling dizzy and sometimes numbness in my arms and legs (but it is because of me hyperventilating for too long and decreased oxygen levels in my body)

I can continue to be like that from 20mins-5hours
They usually happen in school (lots of noise & people) but have happened when i have been at home (but they only happen when i am stressed)
So if anyone read the whole thing please tell me if you think what i have been experiencing are/were panic attacks, shutdowns, both or something else.

I think that seems like both. Or anxiety and shutdown.

It sounds more like a shutdown to me. I got through these after a meltdown, sensory overload or if I've been out of my comfort zone for too long.

Panic attacks involve an increased heart rate, lightheaded, feeling the need to 'escape' or even starting to cry.

I think this is a kind of shutdown. It's both physical and mental, and works as a coping mechanism.

But if you're feeling dizzy when this happens, I'd talk to a doctor. This could potentially be a symptom of something other than anxiety.

I need some terminology clarification: what's the difference between a panic attack, a meltdown, and a shutdown?

basically, that's a meltdown

As I understand it:

Panic attack: Generally this is caused by pure fear, anxiety, paranoia... and similar terms that all go together. When that fear hits an overload point, becoming too much to handle, you start to experience symptoms of it. Tingling, difficulty in getting yourself moving (or, sometimes, a very hard to resist urge to just get the hell out of there), and for those that stim, the stimming sorta goes berserk.

Meltdown: Seems to usually be caused by sensory overload, or events that are too big/heavy to deal with easily. Usually what results is a sort of explosion, which can be characterized by undirected anger/rage, yelling, hitting/smashing things, possibly even hitting yourself. It is often a violent state. LOTS of people here seem to get this one at times.

Shutdown: The opposite of a meltdown, yet caused by the same things. You cant process what's going on, and it's like a computer crashing... you just sort of, ah, "stop". Everything stops. You dont want to move, speak, do anything at all, except keep to yourself, NEEDING solitude at this time, until the state passes. You could almost call it catatonic. Sort of a blank state. It's hard to describe.


Others may have different interpretations of these three concepts, but that's how I understand each one.

Could a meltdown be uncontrollable crying (with sobbing and screaming) instead of raging? I get those sometimes if I've had a fight with someone or my commute from work was really bad (subway broke down, it was hot, people were mean). I can't stop for half an hour or so, and I forget how to talk (like literally I can't think of the words for anything). Sometimes I want to hit myself, or I scratch holes in my skin. I think I've done the panic attacks and shutdowns too--the shutdown often comes after the uncontrollable crying, like I used up all my energy or a circuit breaker tripped in my head, and I just feel like I've gone inside myself.

Yep, it can be that.