Overstimulation through emotions?

[stigmatic]

So, ever since I heard about the Intense World Theory it's definitely raised questions because I feel like my emotions are way more intense than what someone else feels and with those intense emotions it's like an overload and I usually shut down and get terribly anxious and depressed and have such a hard time eating. So I guess have any of you gone through something like this? Where it just feels like an anxiety attack or just the feeling you get after it happens where you're just drained and feel miserable? It's also like I can't control what I'm thinking, I keep thinking about my very recent ex and I just can't stop it like flicking a switch and my friends and family tell me to just stop thinking about it, but I can't though, I really enjoyed her company and I still have feelings for her as well. She's been one of the few girlfriends I've had that have showed me an equal amount of respect and caring of my emotions and such. I'm hoping that it is just the asperger's that causes my emotions to feel so intense, but I have no idea.

My ways of coping are definitely not healthy, but nothing else has worked.

Also, I hope this is the right place to post this! ^^;

 

[Likemathsbutnotnumbers..]

I know what you mean. I get quite a lot of anxiety these days too and there is the fact on many sites where they talk about different types of sensitivity which we get on the spectrum they include things like emotional sensitivity. And I know that being in a confrontation with someone makes me shut down and stop doing things I should be doing. I also feel sick just watching some brutal although not necessarily graphic scenes of violence in films. For example I tried to watch 12 Years a Slave but it got to the scene where he's being told to whip another slave eventually with a gun to his head and I just couldn't. I can't watch stuff like that. I don't usually feel like I'm that empathetic but things like that are like empathy overload. Also music makes me very happy. Hold-your-breath drifting into another universe happy, which means I won't be happy if it's interrupted, and if I arrive somewhere with music still playing I'd rather hang around outside until it's finished than have to pause it. Not that anything but music and my other interests give me that feeling.

 

[stigmatic]

I know what you mean. I get quite a lot of anxiety these days too and there is the fact on many sites where they talk about different types of sensitivity which we get on the spectrum they include things like emotional sensitivity. And I know that being in a confrontation with someone makes me shut down and stop doing things I should be doing. I also feel sick just watching some brutal although not necessarily graphic scenes of violence in films. For example I tried to watch 12 Years a Slave but it got to the scene where he's being told to whip another slave eventually with a gun to his head and I just couldn't. I can't watch stuff like that. I don't usually feel like I'm that empathetic but things like that are like empathy overload. Also music makes me very happy. Hold-your-breath drifting into another universe happy, which means I won't be happy if it's interrupted, and if I arrive somewhere with music still playing I'd rather hang around outside until it's finished than have to pause it. Not that anything but music and my other interests give me that feeling.

I guess it's just people always say that people with ASD are overstimulated by lights, sounds, etc so I had no idea of being overstimulated by emotions would still be considered ASD or what, you know?

 

[Likemathsbutnotnumbers..]

Maybe it's causal. I mean if stimuli feel more intense to us then they would probably get a more intense emotional response. I mean I feel intense emotions from music and also negatively from whistling, chewing with mouth open etc. and I'm also more sensitive to sound in general. Smell on the other hand doesn't have that effect on me. Touch does, but that's about it.

 

[stigmatic]

Well would an anxiety attack or just anxiety in general cause an overstimulation?

 

[garnetflower13]

I know what you mean. I get quite a lot of anxiety these days too and there is the fact on many sites where they talk about different types of sensitivity which we get on the spectrum they include things like emotional sensitivity. And I know that being in a confrontation with someone makes me shut down and stop doing things I should be doing. I also feel sick just watching some brutal although not necessarily graphic scenes of violence in films. For example I tried to watch 12 Years a Slave but it got to the scene where he's being told to whip another slave eventually with a gun to his head and I just couldn't. I can't watch stuff like that. I don't usually feel like I'm that empathetic but things like that are like empathy overload. Also music makes me very happy. Hold-your-breath drifting into another universe happy, which means I won't be happy if it's interrupted, and if I arrive somewhere with music still playing I'd rather hang around outside until it's finished than have to pause it. Not that anything but music and my other interests give me that feeling.

I am this way, too. Music can send me into euphoria or else I have to clap my hands over my ears and leave the room, LOL. I also tried watching 12 Years a Slave, and I just could not watch the intensely graphic violence. I ended up getting upset and left the room. I felt better after reading the negative reviews by users on IMDB, because that violence was unnecessary. Emotional overload can exhaust me!

 

[Cali Cat]

I am seriously affected my intense emotions. I do think I feel things stronger than most people, or at least more than the average neurotypical.

 

[stigmatic]

It's just weird cuz my friends say I shouldn't react the way I am to my ex and everything, but gosh it just feels like it's sent me into an extremely negative mindset. Which I know I've heard a lot of times that it'll go away and I'll be happy, but it's just getting worse what with my habits and such and I don't know what else helps.

 

[Likemathsbutnotnumbers..]

I am this way, too. Music can send me into euphoria or else I have to clap my hands over my ears and leave the room, LOL. I also tried watching 12 Years a Slave, and I just could not watch the intensely graphic violence. I ended up getting upset and left the room. I felt better after reading the negative reviews by users on IMDB, because that violence was unnecessary. Emotional overload cane exhaust me!

So much sympathy! Yes the violence is unnecessary, a friend also didn't understand why I couldn't help but shut down a bit watching 28 days later(her choice). There the combination of needless violence with so many logical inconsistencies drove me nuts, the entire premise was false and I could destroy it for people in seconds. If I can't immediately grasp the inconsistency it's a good plot, is how I rate films. But I know what you mean about music driving you one way or another as well. I think that's where I'm the most rigid, mainly because I am pretty much a professional pianist and know that I have a better understanding of what sounds good, but sometimes it's also heavily biased.

 

[Suzanne]

Absolutely YES and it is only since finding out about aspergers, that I am learning to understand how I work.

It also seems I am the target for other people to cause my oversensitivity! I hate my body being talked about. So if someone was to mimic me in any way, I can feel myself going into shut down mode.

I am constantly being told that I am oversensitive and suddenly it occurred to me that actually, they are insensitive!

I do not feel comfortable crying; I sort of go out of myself and look and think: how strange you look and hey, you can't control yourself! So, I do not like it when I am in that kind of mood.

My brain is like a broken record; going over and over and over the same issue and it causes me to feel that I am going mad!

 

[Uncertain ways]

My brain is like a broken record; going over and over and over the same issue and it causes me to feel that I am going mad!

I can totally relate to this. If there's an issue it's impossible to stop thinking about it and playing all the possible scenarios in my head. I just learned recently after being diagnosed that this is a symptom of ASD. Did you learn any coping strategies for this?

I can also not watch movies involving violence. If there's such a scene in a movie I close my eyes and turn the sound down. I also react strong on violent incidents shown in the news.

 

[stigmatic]

Absolutely YES and it is only since finding out about aspergers, that I am learning to understand how I work.

It also seems I am the target for other people to cause my oversensitivity! I hate my body being talked about. So if someone was to mimic me in any way, I can feel myself going into shut down mode.

I am constantly being told that I am oversensitive and suddenly it occurred to me that actually, they are insensitive!

I do not feel comfortable crying; I sort of go out of myself and look and think: how strange you look and hey, you can't control yourself! So, I do not like it when I am in that kind of mood.

My brain is like a broken record; going over and over and over the same issue and it causes me to feel that I am going mad!

I constantly will over analyze things! I have no idea how to stop it either so I'm curious too if you have anyway for coping with that. I don't feel mad, but more so being tortured by my mind.

 

[Catlover614]

I feel things deeply, more than most I think. When I see a person or animal being treated negatively, I feel strong compassion and I want to help. If someone is in any kind of pain, I truly empathize with them and for them. I'm an empathetic woman who cares about people, animals and their environmental health. I don't want anybody to hurt in any way. Also, I used to cry at the drop of a hat and I have toughened up alot since 10 years ago. But, I'm not made of stone! My emotions are super sensitive, but I have learned how to not let them control me.

 

[WereBear]

I cannot watch Game of Thrones. I am also very sensitive and empathetic.

Last night I was worried about my upcoming trip and shut down the constant thoughts by telliing myself it would not be logical to forgoe sleep by this pointless repetitive reminder. It really helped.

It is a little different with a broken relationship because it is only human to think we could have changed the outcome if we just had a chance to do things differently. Constant thoughts in the mind are very common for everyone.

But the time stream has moved on. We learned something for the future. And it meant it was not working, after all, and better to free both of you to find better matches.

 

[Laughingowl1975]

Too much emotion and activity around me can set me off. Often in a movie where the scene is violent, aggressive or emotional (or even sexual) my brain seems to go mad with feelings like a slow computer trying to download too much info and as a result all sorts of strange scenarios play in my head, I usually have to look away and from what I have been told I screw my face up and start clenching my hands together so tight the knuckles become white (and I miss a few minutes of the movie). The same if someone has been arguing at work (e.g an aggressive customer) or things are just too hectic and my brain can't take it any more I have to go away somewhere quite to calm down and sometimes grind my teeth and mutter to myself, it feels like my skin is prickling (like a rash) and I want to scream, swear or even laugh. When it passes (usually a fairly quickly) I am a bit fatigued or I have a weird fuzzy or shaky feel.