I had to write my whole Master's thesis in four days due to procrastination.
I think I agree with your point that if you get to such a terrifying situation and manage to then get yourself out again, subsequent points of procrastination don't hold the same stress level.
I have also enjoyed throughout my life a relatively accurate self-assessment of the time it will take to complete things.
By the way, the solution to procrastination is to stop fucking about and just start. Then you still finish in the same time it would have taken you but you get to dick about without the overhanging worry of whatever it is you would have been procrastinating.
EDIT: it's important to remember that not everybody is as lucky as you or I. I imagine that it's perfectly possible to over-procrastinate, fail to meet your deadline and that sounds like it would be a self-perpetuating cycle of bad feelings. Some people have just gotta work harder and longer at stuff than others.
Well, depending on pre-existing conditions, the getting started part you control the least. Since I have trouble starting all work, I will usually start doing work, and then do some pieces of future work at the same time in a rushed manner. And if I know I will have to do something the next day, I will attempt to make it psychologically easier to start it the next day once I'm back in procrastinate mode.
For example, my girlfriend and I are moving out and into a new apartment this Friday, and I put off yesterday's packing goals until late last night. Knowing this is even more likely to happen today, I decided to also sweep the entire house and re-organize all the boxes and pick up, so I'd be more willing to start the work today when I got home. When the place looks organized, it gives you less of an overwhelmed feeling, and you're more likely to start the work at a normal (Or closer to normal) time. Preparation for future procrastination makes the likelihood of things getting done significantly higher. And when starting work is an issue of stimulation/interest, I find it's much easier to get things done if you're doing multiple things at once, or if you rush your work as fast as possible. But of course, that varies from project to project, as rushing a writing project/work report is much more likely to lead to devastating mistakes than rushing box packing or lawn mowing. Or at least the mistakes won't impact your life as much.
I find that when you have ADHD, it's much easier to set smaller goals, or shrink your deadline window artificially. For example, if I do something that needs done one day at normal speed, it may take me 30-45 minutes. But I know that I can rush it and get it done in 5-10 minutes with minimal incidences, and use "Ah, then I can smoke some weed, sit down and relax for the next couple hours instead of the next hour, almost an hour from now." as an incentive to look forward to right afterwards. If you shrink the window during which you're waiting for your reward, you're more likely to work for the reward. Long term rewards are awful incentives for me, and others like me.
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) on my box spring.