I have SPD and used to have panic attacks more often, but those were related to an event when I was younger.

Although I feel like the anxiousness I feel when in a bad SPD situation is completely different from when I have an anxiety attack.

My anxiety attacks were triggered by medically invasive things (i.e. donating blood, watching a medical video in class) and I knew I had to overcome them in order to take Anatomy and Physiology and other courses I needed before an OT program. I did about 4 months of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and it was great. It gave me the tools I needed to prevent them and make them shorter if I do have one.

Although I also come from a mother who is generally very anxious, and her mother was very anxious, and I've been giving my genes more credit lately. But then again there are so many factors that can play into others, so I don't know. Plus, for those who are defensive, I believe we've kind of built up such a big adaptive response to avoiding what we can't stand, that when even the smallest warning sign comes of that stimuli, we go on red alert right away. Like I can't my dad's chewing (he has mouth pain, so he chews with his mouth open, and it seems VERY loud), so when he opens the fridge, I generally walk into the other room or grab my earplugs. It's not like I wait for him to start eating, because then I would just be sitting there, tense.

My anxiety with SPD, unlike the anxiety attacks, is, well, you guys know!, but I don't ever feel like I would hyperventilate or anything. I just get really tense, irritable, and short. It's mostly my muscles tightening up.