Sensory overload happens when the information from at least one of the five senses overwhelms the brain's ability to process it. Common reactions include extreme irritability, agitation, and a fight-or-flight response.
What does sensory overload feel like in ADHD? When a person with ADHD experiences sensory overload, they can become so fixated on a certain sensation, they're often unable to turn their attention away from the stimuli or focus on other tasks. This can make it difficult to meet expectations at school or work.
SENSORY OVERLOAD IS COMMON FOR PEOPLE WITH ADHD OF ALL AGES.
Some of the symptoms of ADHD—such as self-regulation and trouble paying attention to what's going on around you—may themselves induce sensory overload. When you're not tuned in, sensory information can sneak up on you.
Inability to ignore loud sounds, strong smells, or other types of sensory input. Anxiety and fear. Extreme sensitivity to clothing or different textures. Feeling overwhelmed or agitated.
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.
Often girls with ADHD have a physiological sensitivity that results in their not wanting to be touched or feeling really sensitive to physical affection, such as hugs.
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.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
The treatment for sensory overload is not a fast-fixing medication, but occupational therapy, which can guide you to adapt and manage your ADHD symptoms. If paired with the right professional, this will help you understand and manage your sensory processing struggles.
There are many different things, or combinations of things, that can trigger sensory overload. They include: crowds, or tightly packed spaces. loud sounds, such a loud music, fireworks, a crowd, a festival.
Sensory overload happens when one or more of the body's five senses become overwhelmed. It can happen, for example, in a crowded restaurant, when the radio is too loud, or when a passerby is wearing a strongly scented perfume.
Sensory overload can be triggered by a wide variety of situations, sounds, or sights. Each person may be overwhelmed by something different. Some examples of situations that can trigger sensory overload include: Loud noises or music.
Overstimulation is not only a symptom of ADHD; it's often seen in autistic people as well. People with ADHD and autistic people may display similar signs of hyperactivity when overstimulated, such as being extra reactive to sensory input (i.e., becoming fascinated by a specific object or fixating on a sensation).
As we've discussed, unfortunately, many people with ADHD tend to have a lack of empathy. This can be addressed, though, through identifying and communicating about each other's feelings.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
The mind of a person with ADHD is full of the minutiae of life (“Where are my keys?” “Where did I park the car?”), so there is little room left for new thoughts and memories. Something has to be discarded or forgotten to make room for new information. Often the information individuals with ADHD need is in their memory…
Although anxiety and ADHD may occur together, ADHD is not an anxiety disorder. Sometimes, anxiety can occur independently of ADHD. Other times, it can be as a result of living with ADHD. A person who has ADHD and misses a work deadline or forgets to study for an important exam can become stressed and worried.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
People who have ADHD frequently experience emotions so deeply that they become overwhelmed or “flooded.” They may feel joy, anger, pain, or confusion in a given situation—and the intensity may precede impulsive behaviors they regret later.
It's a chronic state of stress related to the struggle to live with ADHD, a stress that breaks down emotional tolerance, stamina, and a sense of wellbeing and spiritual health. The chronic, lifelong nature of ADHD-related stress can increase to become a syndrome akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Adults with ADHD frequently think being sociable with others is an all-or-nothing part of their lives. Either they're oversharing and talking too much, or they're withdrawn and staying home alone. Hyperactivity in adults is often expressed as being overly talkative and boisterous.
One of the things you shouldn't say to someone with ADHD is that it's in their head, they're lazy, or if they learn to focus that they can get their work done. By saying these things, you're dismissing their condition and the challenges they deal with daily.
Adult ADHD and Sleep Problems. Everyone needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night to feel productive and well during the day. But people with ADHD often have a hard time falling or staying asleep. Because you feel tired, your ADHD symptoms get worse, and that makes it harder to sleep the next night.