Learning relaxation methods, like yoga, deep breathing, or meditation, are great ways to promote calm and reduce stress from ADHD sensory overload.
When people with ADHD become overstimulated, they may be unable to focus as environmental factors or sensations crowd their brains. Moreover, people with ADHD and sensory overload may be unable to quickly “switch gears” in terms of the activity in which they are taking part.
For many adults and children with ADHD, sensory overload can affect relationships. When we are flooded with sensory information, lights feel brighter, sounds are louder, and crowds seem to close in on us. Sensory bombardment and overwhelm can make situations draining and anxiety-provoking.
What are the symptoms of overstimulation? “Common symptoms of overstimulation include irritability, stress, agitation, insomnia, loss of focus, overwhelming feelings and thoughts, and anxiety,” Hoang says. “It may be difficult to block out or ignore sensory input. One may experience uncomfortable feelings in the body.”
Try Relaxation Techniques
Learning relaxation methods, like yoga, deep breathing, or meditation, are great ways to promote calm and reduce stress from ADHD sensory overload.
ADHD meltdowns are sudden outbursts of frustration and anger that seem to come out of nowhere. If your child is struggling to control their emotions, there are ways to help them. For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity can present in many ways.
Because the ADHD brain isn't as equipped to filter out sensory input, you're more likely to have a lower threshold for the amount of stimuli you can tolerate before becoming overstimulated.
People with ADHD tend to experience life more intensely than others. This means that even if you're hyper-focusing on a certain task or assignment in front of you, you can still have many other thoughts and ideas coursing through your brain. It can feel like there's always a lot going on, which may become overwhelming.
When we feel like we are constantly unable to do tasks asked of us, it can lead to feelings of anxiety and worthlessness, which can lead to a meltdown, too. Meltdowns may occur when deep breaths and time-outs aren't working and angry outbursts are imminent ? .
For many adults living with ADHD, overwhelm can shut them down and keep them from moving forward. If you live with adult ADHD, as I do, feelings of overwhelm can engulf you and make you feel stuck. For adults with ADHD, it's challenging to get things accomplished when these feelings occur.
Restlessness and fidgety behavior associated with ADHD can be reduced by taking exercise breaks. Walking and running, and activities like yoga or meditation that incorporate deep breathing and mindfulness can be beneficial and induce relaxation and calm.
ADHD and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. Research indicates that nearly half of adults with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. A hallmark of both is the inability to relax.
How do you treat ADHD without medication? For adults with ADHD, cognitive behavioral therapies help to reduce distractibility and improve organizational skills. Also, teaching relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and guided imagery is helpful.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
Two types of medications are typically used to treat sensory overstimulation: gabapentin and/or benzodiazepines, particularly clonazepam. My doctor says that first generation antihistamines (the ones that make you drowsy) can also be helpful.
Sensory over-responsivity in ADHD is associated with anxiety. These children have a higher level of anxiety than those ADHD children without sensory overresponsivity and non-ADHD children. The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis is influenced by tactile sensory overresponsivity in children with ADHD.
Stress. Stress and fatigue can contribute to sensory processing issues. When your brain is stressed and exhausted, it is less capable of processing multiple sensory stimuli. It may become more easily overloaded.
What is a sensory meltdown? Sensory meltdowns are what I consider to be extreme temper tantrums that have a sensory trigger to them. These typically involve extreme aggressive behaviors (head banging, hand biting, scratching or pushing others), and require a lot of assistance to recover.