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Over-stimulation
- Thread starter Greening
- Start date
Not exactly sure, no. I might be taking in too much information from various sources, and then suddenly I can get a feeling of being choked. In cases that are the worse, I get sick, and have to throw up. Then I recover again.
That sounds really bad - I think the best is to either shield yourself from the things that overestimate you, or withdraw when you can feel you are near your limit. Do you know about the spoon theory? (In the danish system you might have heard it is "klodser" instead of spoons)
Thanks. It is not so terrible as it might sound. I just have to remember exactly what you say. I have a drive that sometimes works against this idea of a certain amount of energy, and then I pay the price. I have to learn to manage it just a little better. A nap is always a good idea.
Au Naturel
Au Naturel
"A nap is always a good idea."
I found that to be a fundamental truth of life.
I found that to be a fundamental truth of life.
To identify my triggers, especially at the beginning of my journey, I started keeping a sort of diary with what happened to me during the week. I pinpointed moments when I became overstimulated and went on to understand what happened. This allows me to have a clearer and more detailed picture of what caused overstimulation. So, my advice is: 1. Get yourself a diary, 2. Write down what happens daily, 3. Analyze the data at the end of the week, 4. Formulate a hypothesis, 5. Put your hypothesis into practice the following week, 6. Keep repeating and adjusting/modifying (I still have the diary, and it's still useful for me). When things are more complex, I break down the situation/event into smaller pieces and analyze them, creating a kind of puzzle.Advice: Don't underestimate everyday situations that may seem trivial; it's a mistake I made and paid dearly for. Write down everything.
Some of my tools & strategies to avoid over-stimulation:
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Regular ear plugs (I use the loops)
- Hat (always handy)
- Sunglasses (even indoors sometimes)
- Hoodies
- Very comfortable shoes and socks
- Withdrawing to dark, quiet room
- White noise
- Weighted eye mask (mine smells like lavender)
- Adjustable lights (can be made very dim)
- Heavy, soft blanket
- Fidgets (help me channel and release anxiety)
- Closing my eyes (to limit visual stimulation)
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Regular ear plugs (I use the loops)
- Hat (always handy)
- Sunglasses (even indoors sometimes)
- Hoodies
- Very comfortable shoes and socks
- Withdrawing to dark, quiet room
- White noise
- Weighted eye mask (mine smells like lavender)
- Adjustable lights (can be made very dim)
- Heavy, soft blanket
- Fidgets (help me channel and release anxiety)
- Closing my eyes (to limit visual stimulation)
Au Naturel
Au Naturel
Those are exactly what I do for a migraine.
Southern_Gentleman
Member
Hmm, I think that would depend on each situation. One thing that I absolutely cannot deal with is tight, close, crowds, which is why I never enjoyed the bar scene or clubs when I still drank.
One of my favorite activities is motorsports racing, so I have to deal with crowds, noise, and too much happening at once; that's why I never liked the circus. That and clowns, I hate clowns.
Anyway, before engaging in any activity, I begin to put myself in that space in my head so I'm not overwhelmed when I get there. The track I go to in Birmingham doesn't have bleachers, you sit trackside like at a European track. That's nice, because I don't feel crowded in. The noise, though loud, is something I enjoy. There's something about the sound of motorcycles roaring by at high speed and smelling the burning racing fuel appeals to me.
On the other hand, I did not enjoy watching the Wall of Death. I found the spectacle amazing, but I hated being crowded in with people in front of me, behind me, and on both sides. I've learned over the years how to keep from unspooling in such situations, but in the past I've had episodes where I fled as though the place were on fire.
For those who don't know what the Wall of Death is:
One of my favorite activities is motorsports racing, so I have to deal with crowds, noise, and too much happening at once; that's why I never liked the circus. That and clowns, I hate clowns.
Anyway, before engaging in any activity, I begin to put myself in that space in my head so I'm not overwhelmed when I get there. The track I go to in Birmingham doesn't have bleachers, you sit trackside like at a European track. That's nice, because I don't feel crowded in. The noise, though loud, is something I enjoy. There's something about the sound of motorcycles roaring by at high speed and smelling the burning racing fuel appeals to me.
On the other hand, I did not enjoy watching the Wall of Death. I found the spectacle amazing, but I hated being crowded in with people in front of me, behind me, and on both sides. I've learned over the years how to keep from unspooling in such situations, but in the past I've had episodes where I fled as though the place were on fire.
For those who don't know what the Wall of Death is:
what adjustable lights do you use?
The earplugs and nc-headphones really changed my life together with sunglasses inside shops or other bright places
I don't leave my home without at least carrying both in my bag.I was surprised how big a difference a weighted blanket made for me, I don't want to sleep without one now... I wonder if it is something hotels provide if you are traveling? I mean it's heavy to travel with...
As others suggested, identifying a source and defining what overstimulation means to you are key.
One trait I've noticed is that sometimes I cannot tell how I feel. I can't seem to differentiate between being sad, stressed, mentally tired, physically tired and so on. Sometimes I walk around in circles thinking about many things at the same time. @Chailatte_ system sounds great.
I heard a podcast the other day suggesting scheduling breaks knowing that one may not be able to figure out when to talk a break otherwise.
Levitat0r
Well-Known Member
Closest thing I do, is I will pace around and waste a bunch of my day trying to find inner calm again, and it's usually due to frustration with social matters, so it's emotional, and not sensory. Another thing I've been bringing up is that I think the classic frustration comes from perceiving yourself as having exasperatingly bad luck, but it's actually how people persist in responding to characteristics of yours which you're unaware of.
It's actually a "happy light" or light therapy box, but I don't use it for that because it is way too overstimulating to use it as recommended. But, I set it up so it lights my room instead and has a dimmer on the chord.
I have one of those for winter.
Broad spectrum light or lamp for light therapy. Mimics sunlight spectrum. 15 mins in the morning is nice in winter. I try not to look at it directly and have it at the lower setting because I can get migraines.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-light-therapy-lamp/
I have one of those Lumie ones! Did it come with a dimmer?
