sensory overload??

Zombie.. · 01-05-2011, 09:27 AM

I was wondering what sensory overload feels like ?
As some times i feel that normal everyday things just feel too much to deal with .
things like brushing my teeth and washing my face feel like its too much to bare. so i avoid doing them
It makes my skin crawl
peoples voices makes me feel so bad that am feeling like its mentally affecting me badly i just want to shout out and tell them to shut up even people who are talking quietly.
I cant make eye contact with people and feel like it's to much
and loud noises scare the hell out of me ,
coloring pens affect me so much that i cant use them ..the sound of them is like someone putting there nails down a black board makes my skin crawl.
as far back as i remember i have always been like this ...
am unsure what i can do about it either is this normal or am i weird

Steel Maiden · 02-05-2011, 08:59 AM

You're not weird. I'm autistic and I have this. I often wear noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to deal with noise. Also sunglasses help when I'm overloaded visually. I hate brushing my teeth too. Eye contact is very hard too! I'm here if you need suggestions.

Zombie.. · 02-05-2011, 11:38 AM

Thanks ...I might start wearing sunglasses from now on to see if that helps. i have sunglasses somewhere in the house i just have to find them.
I need to find out where i can get the noise canceling head phones as i think i really need them when am in public the only problem would be hearing what my partner is saying to me while we are in public as i dont go anywhere with out my partner because of social phobias...
I know that am not autistic but i do have a brain injury ( i was hit with a house brick at 1 years old and took seizures until i was 5 or 6 ) am unsure if that would have done anything to make me so sensitive to things .
My teeth are in such a state that there breaking in bits and am sensitive to hot and cold... am unsure what to do about my teeth and trying to explain it too the dentist is imposable because its not on my medical records that i have this as i have never said anything about it to drs because i though i was just being weird ...
I got the sunglasses am waring them now and it seems to be helping.
Am wondering what would cause this if it just the way i am or if it is something else.

Steel Maiden · 02-05-2011, 11:00 PM

The head injury could have caussed but I am not a doctor so I cannot diagnose. If you are worried about brain injury consequences, then please see your GP.

I find wearing an earplug in one ear (the one that you're not using to listen to whoever you're talking to) helps to filter out some of the noise.

You can buy noise-cancelling headphones in big electronics stores (I live in London so I went to Tottenham Court Road), or on the internet. Get the one with the highest percentage noise blocking. Mine block 85.4% of all incoming noise. Very useful when travelling on the Underground.

As for your teeth, I have the same problem. I posted in http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum...d.php?t=163666 and there are some quite good suggestions.

ASkatersDream... · 02-05-2011, 11:45 PM

I only get it possibly mildly with hearing. If too manypeople are talking at once or too many voices at once i go really irritable and quiet and dont know what to focus on

if you can i can only give advice for hearing. Find a quiet place if its in your house bathroom is good for this lock your door and relax for 5-@0 mins.

If its in a public place lock yourself in a toilet .

In ear earphones work well even without music the ones that actually go into your ear workwell.

Sorry cant help with anything else but as olympia said dark sunglasses could work

Zombie.. · 03-05-2011, 06:12 AM

Thank you both ...i think i will talk to my dr about this... i some times go around with one earphone in and one ear phone out when am out and about i play music through it some times it helps.
I was wearing sunglasses yesterday and it really helped they weren't really dark ones.

I'll have a look at that link too.

riotgrrrlcori · 03-05-2011, 07:53 AM

May I suggest the book Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight by Sharon Heller? It has a lot of great suggestions and explains why some people experience sensory defensiveness (that's what it's called outside of the autism spectrum). The things that help me are: I am visually defensive. Places that are too bright make me a tense ball of nerves. I wear a hat constantly to block some of it out. Auditory defensiveness can be helped a lot of the time by bone conduction headphones. They can help lower your stress by introducing relaxing stimuli on top of the offensive one. Depending on where you are, you can see a neurologist or an occupational therapist, which is the route I'm on now, since my T introduced me to it.

Zombie.. · 03-05-2011, 05:39 PM

Thanks i will look into getting it...am going to ask my dr about it when i go to my next appointment ... hopefully she dont just dismiss it as me being weird

Steel Maiden · 03-05-2011, 11:11 PM

I hope it works out for you. If one GP doesn't help then see another one.

Zombie.. · 05-05-2011, 08:09 AM

Thanks ... feeling really overloaded at the moment and the day has just began...

Steel Maiden · 05-05-2011, 11:23 AM

What exactly is overloading you? Which sense(s)?

Zombie.. · 05-05-2011, 02:40 PM

Touch i had to take my hoodie off because it touching my arms felt to much and visual but i have sunglasses on now.

Steel Maiden · 05-05-2011, 07:57 PM

I am sensitive to touch too - try wearing really baggy stuff, that's what I do. But even so I still hate underwear but it's a "necessary evil". Sunglasses are good, wear them inside too if the lights are too bright.