Sensory input is hitting you from all angles. You’ve been trying to absorb it, but now your brain is playing some troubling games with you. And this is on top of spiking anxiety and mood disorder symptoms. But there you are sincerely asking, “Am I overstimulated?”
Sure, it’s not a problem for many; however, just as many of us are wired differently and don’t do well with commotion.
Preliminaries: I was talking with a friend some time ago. We knew we shared certain anxiety and mood traits, but out of nowhere came something else…
We’re easily overstimulated. And if we don’t monitor and make necessary adjustments, life can become way harder than it has to be.
How ’bout you? Is overstimulation a factor in your life? But maybe you aren’t clear on what it is. Let’s get that handled.
What is overstimulation?
We’ll get into symptoms, triggers, those most commonly affected, and highly sensitive person
Also known as sensory overload, overstimulation occurs when our senses receive more input than they can process. In other words, our particular beaker’s full.
Symptoms
Overstimulation’s symptoms vary person to person; however, commonly experienced are…
- Compromised attention, concentration, and direction — feeling like a spinning top
- Distortions dominate your thinking and perception of reality
- Your thoughts — your mind — are on full speed to nowhere
- Often feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically fatigued
- Easy to get ticked off at anything, anyone, anytime
- Feeling of being overwhelmed — tears may come out of nowhere
- Spiking of existing anxiety and mood symptoms
- Feeling of overall discomfort — physical aches and pains
- Sleep can be barely there or dominate the day
- Self-esteem takes a huge hit
- You prefer your own company.
- Feelings of hopelessness rule
Triggers
Let’s talk about what initiates the chaos — triggers. The most common…
- Sensory input: Loud noises, bright lights, strong odors, certain textures
- Social situations: Crowded places or intense social interactions
- Emotional distress: High levels of stress or emotional turmoil
- Physical: Fatigue or illness
- Environmental changes: New or chaotic environments (crowded, noisy)
Those most commonly affected
Like anything in the world of emotional and mental distress. anyone can experience overstimulation. However, it’s significantly more common in folks with…
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sensory processing disorder
Highly sensitive person
Are you a highly sensitive person? We’re talking about a legitimate trait. It’s believed that 15-20% of us are a “highly sensitive person” (HSP). The glitzy term is sensory processing sensitivity (SPS).
In short, a HSP is much more responsive to their environment. And that’s because their nervous system and mind allow more stimulation to enter without any sort of automatic or unconscious filter.
Also, a HSP cognitively processes their received stimulation in greater detail than others.
It’s a fascinating phenomenon, and if you’d like to learn more about highly sensitive person, check out the work of Dr. Elaine Aron on her site, “The Highly Sensitive Person.”
Take care of business
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of taking on way too much. Of course, these days we may have no choice. And the thing is, the stimuli just keep coming.
Sure, overstimulation isn’t a problem for everyone; however, so many of us are wired differently and don’t do well with commotion and chaos. Can we once and for all recognize and accept that?
Overstimulation is a force to be reckoned with. So let’s connect those dots and take care of business.
Hey, be sure to review the Chipur emotional and mental illness info and inspiration titles on the articles page — or by category below, right sidebar on desktop. We’ll both appreciate it.
After a decades-long wrestling match with emotional and mental illness, Bill finally found his professional and personal passion – life’s meaning. He wanted to lend a hand to those struggling as he did, so off he went to grad school at age 49 and earned his counseling credentials. He continues his service through Chipur and other projects.