Never felt sensory overload.

[OrdinaryCitizen]

Cannot recall ever feeling "sensory overload", only felt something like this inside crowded places rarely, i think its more like panic attack related to low self esteem, but even that have not happened for like year.

Can someone explain what is sensory overload and does everyone with ASD experience those?

One thing i feel constantly at the end of the day my head is very slow i cannot think at all, but i have no panic or anything similar to what shown here.

 

[Misery]

Overload does not always lead to panic attacks. It's different from one individual to the next.

For some, it may have more of a constant draining effect, for instance. That's usually what I get.

 

[Wolfnox]

Yep drained. Also being in unfamiliar territory may bring it on. Still does me.

 

[Fino]

Whoa, I actually kinda like this one. I'd be way too anxious to ever curl up into a ball but that's what I'd like to do. I just cover my ears. I'm not sure why that didn't seem to help him, other than that he didn't do it effectively, it'd be much better to plug them than to literally cover them. Or he could go to the restroom where it will probably be quieter. But I guess none of that is the point of the video.

Just recently I evacuated a room because of the noise, almost all of which was from people talking. It feels like the noise gets inside my head and surrounds me and fills everything up, almost a bit like I'm going mad.

 

[Progster]

I cover my ears or leave if I can't bear the noise somewhere, it all has the effect of making me feel tired, shut down and not have energy or not want to interact with people or the environment anymore, to go home. I can vary in sensitivity, especially when ill, stressed or if I have a migraine. Once or twice I had the experience of suddenly not being able to bear having any clothes on me, they gave me extreme discomfort. Some people report that they freeze up or become catatonic, or can't move or stop processing anything, but that doesn't happen to me. I go somewhere quiet, go home for a while and am ok again. Nor do lights always flicker for me - only if they are old, nor do I frequently get blurred, disintegrated or distorted vision. I have sensory sensitivity with a low tolerance threshold, rather than sensory integration issues.

 

[OrdinaryCitizen]

Yep drained. Also being in unfamiliar territory may bring it on. Still does me.

You mean bring panic attack?

Just recently I evacuated a room because of the noise, almost all of which was from people talking. It feels like the noise gets inside my head and surrounds me and fills everything up, almost a bit like I'm going mad.

That's because you hear every ting at same time and cannot filter unwanted audio (and visual) information.

Only troubles me when i really need to concentrate on something, rest of the time i pay no attention to it just doing my thing.

Guess i've learned to function okay despite unwanted audio/visual information, however my mind still process it and it gets me mentally exhausted at the end of the day.

Guess slow "constant draining effect" is way to describe it, more busy the environment i am in - more draining.

 

[Bolletje]

It feels like the noise gets inside my head and surrounds me and fills everything up, almost a bit like I'm going mad.

This describes perfectly what happens to me in noisy environments! It’s like the noise takes up so much space it even drives the oxygen out of the room. When my local pub has live music I often spend the entire evening sitting outside because the noise gives me anxiety.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Well, here's an example. Autismforums.com recently upped their advertisers on the site, and now there are videos and flashing colors on the ads. It makes my skin crawl, my teeth hurt, and I can't be on the site very often anymore because of it.

Autismforums.com is currently not autism friendly.

 

[Wolfnox]

You mean bring panic attack?

Yep.

 

[Progster]

Well, here's an example. Autismforums.com recently upped their advertisers on the site, and now there are videos and flashing colors on the ads. It makes my skin crawl, my teeth hurt, and I can't be on the site very often anymore because of it.

Autismforums.com is currently not autism friendly.

This is why I use an adblocker, though for this site I made a donation and don't see the ads anyway. If I want to support a site financially, I'd rather make a donation than accept to look at ads. I can't stand ads.

 

[Shenandoah]

For years I had anxiety in certain spaces like shopping malls and offices. It was always implied by me and my-then therapist that it was the low-self esteem stuff. Which proved to be a totally bs premise. When I enter such space, the sensory wave just hits me, I want to turn off the sounds and most of the visuals leaving only the part in front of me. Muffling the noises with heavy headphones helps, so it sounds like a pretty particular type of low self esteem, doesn't it?

 

[Nightingale121]

Can someone explain what is sensory overload and does everyone with ASD experience those?

Others here have already explained their experiences with sensory overload regarding the first part of your question.
There are several other threads about this topic on this forum as well, such as:
How does a sensory overload feel like
Sensory Overload

Regarding the second part of your question, I would say that, by definition of the diagnostic criteria, not everyone with ASD has to experience those (at least it's not a requirement despite apparently being rather common).
Sensory issues are covered in category B of the diagnostic criteria according to the DSM V:
Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).
3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).
4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

(Diagnostic Criteria | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | NCBDDD | CDC)
So if a person shows at least two of the other criteria in this category, no sensory issues are required.

The ICD-10 criteria don't even include sensory issues at all.
(ICD-10 Criteria for "Childhood Autism"* | Interactive Autism Network
ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research : F84.5 - Asperger’s Syndrome* | Interactive Autism Network)

 

[TheSaltyStray]

I become exhausted and dysregulated when experiencing sensory overload. I cannot keep myself and my environment organized. Sometimes I become emotional, sometimes I become apathetic. It depends on many factors.

 

[Kalinychta]

I think you mean anxiety, not panic attacks. Panic attacks appear without warning, you can’t breathe, your heart starts thumping like a broken washing machine, you sweat, you shake, you pretty much feel like you’re going to die. Very different from anxiety. People misuse the term.