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213044 tn?1236527460

Sensory Overload

Do any of you suffer from sensory overload?

When I was really ill, I couldn't ride in a car and look out the windows. I'd either look down or close my eyes. Trying to make sense of the images flooding in would make me disoriented, dazed, and confused.

It's a lot better now, but sitting down to a meal with three other people in a restaurant wears me out from trying to make sense of what is going on and keep up with the conversation.

If I'm talking with someone face to face, like my wife, and there is a TV going in the background, it's not only distracting, it's disturbing.

I just spent an hour at my BIL's house, to visit, and his TV was up a bit loud, and I almost went crazy trying to have a conversation. Three or four times I had to ask what we were talking about. The stupid loud TV was making me want to run screaming from the house. Very unpleasant.

At this stage, I think it's more a case of difficulty in processing information than it is sensory overload, although it was bad enough at one point that the phrase is not an exageration.

I just can't handle unexpected input, and processing input from multiple sources at once is difficult. I don't watch much TV, because the input is always unexpected, and the commercials drive me crazy.

I listen to music, and at high volumn, but only songs I am familiar with. New stuff is unexpected input, and grates on me. If I'm talking and somebody interupts me, it's like a short ciruit happens and I freeze mentally for a split second and it throws me off badly. Almost like an electric shock.

I can drive and chew gum at the same time, but not if the radio is on and my wife is talking. Does anybody know what I'm talking about?
25 Responses
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1611319 tn?1378618399
Yes, I can relate to Everything's really loud, but I feel like I can't hear,  And I hate it.  I also feel like things are always too dark but I can't stand light.  Too much light!  Yuk!!  then sometimes my skin will start hurting sometimes, just areas, like burning!  And my family complains of my going into my "trances"  like my eyes get stuck.  I will just stare at an area of an object, like I can see, but I am unseeing.  Can go for minutes, sometimes I hear, sometimes not really. Family will step infront of me or wave a hand to kinda break it up.  I am aware, but not aware of where or what is around me.  Have always done this.  In this trance, I feel relaxed and i think my mind goes totally blank.  Has anyone ever had this?? I feel stupid talking about it.
sass
Helpful - 0
535882 tn?1396576685
sounds like you have severe anxiety. i had that when my levels were shot.  makes you super aware of everything.  as your levels get better it will go away.  feeling of being trapped. closed in. that all anxiety due to  levels of thyroid being off, in my opinion. Kevin
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535882 tn?1396576685
sounds like an overloud of anxiey. definatelky from thyroid imbalanced!
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Avatar universal
I don't know what goes on for me but I've been to 3 loud concerts in my time and I get overwhelmingly tired and fall asleep for about 15miutes.  Its like I get some sort of sensory overload and my body switches me off until I can deal with it.  When I wake up the concert is still going and I feel like more of an observer than actually being there. Almost like I'm seeing it all going on through a window.  any one else experienced this?
Helpful - 0
149081 tn?1242397832
Wow I can totally relate! I know for me it is much worse when I am tired. One thing I know is that because of this I avoid many social activities.
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393685 tn?1425812522
Bump
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301640 tn?1302652334
for me yes i cant stand sensory overload right now exspecial;ly my son he hates any kind of noice
Helpful - 0
209384 tn?1231168306
DLA
Thypatient said it for me.  Everything's really loud, but I feel like I can't hear.

My husband is really hard of hearing and he listens to the TV so loud!  I will go into the other room, shut the door, and still try not to scream at him to turn it down.  He listens to the new music and I just can't handle it.  I'll ask him who sings it and he'll tell me.  He always says, "Do you like it?"  and I always answer, "NO."  

My nephew and I are going to have a parting of the ways over him whistling.  OHHHHHHHHHH, it just makes me lose my mind!  If he doesn't quit when I ask him to I almost immediately scream at him.  I can't handle it at all.

And the number one worst thing for me is:  I live in Oklahoma, and we have a tornado cellar.  It's really big and solid metal buried in the ground.  Now you put 8 adults and 3 kids in this thing.  Then add the rain and wind, sometimes hail, and all of them trying to be heard, my husband AND uncle are both really hard of hearing, and then my mom who always thinks she has to yell everything.  Wanna talk about losing your mind.  Sometimes I stand outside the door in the rain and all looking for a tornado, b/c I don't want to go in unless it is an absolute necessity.  The noise just makes me want to run screaming and crying.  Actually, last night our son wasn't home so when rest of family went to the cellar my husband and I just sat in the living room and watch the storm blow past.  Just couldn't face it.

Glad to know I'm not alone in all this.  But feel extremely sorry for all of you having to go throught this also.
Helpful - 0
491352 tn?1258807095
I didn't realize that the inability to focus was related to thyroid.  A year ago I was having a real problem concentrating and the Dr. prescribed Welbutrin - boy did that help!!  Plus, I am HAPPY!
Helpful - 0
501126 tn?1214443083
I've only been "sick" for about 7 years so i guess I haven't gotten to this stage. I do have a problem with my eyes and light, esp. flickers like the TV. I can still watch though, sometimes my belly gets queasy and I'm unsure why really.

I have bad anxiety in crowds like at the mall. I don't associate it to the loud noises or multiple noises, but I could be wrong. I associate it to paranoia or some sort of phobia. And I used to be a compelte mallrat when I was a teenager : (
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What I get are those "brain flashes".  Don't know what else to call them.  When I was in the hyper phase & before meds, as I was trying to close my eyes to sleep, the slightest noise would put a high pitched whine right through my ears.  And though my eyes were closed, behind them I would see a flash of what looked just like snow on an old back & white tv.  And I was not stressed or jumpy or anything that would cause this.

I get them few & far between now - thank heavens - but they are a bit of torture.

Saw something about them on a Mystery Diagosis about a woman with a Pituitary gland disorder.

One of the theories is that all of your hormones are linked and dependent upon each other, and as we all know, if one goes out of balance, the others can go a little crazy trying to keep everything else going.  

Just wehn they thyriod gets under control, menopause starts.  Geeze!  No rest for the weary.  :)
Helpful - 0
492307 tn?1214186739
I don't know if this is an 'overload' situation. But I talked to my mom on the phone today and she told me the week I went 'hyper' with synthroid I spoke at a rapid pace! I didn't even realize that!! Weird.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
In the car, when the radio is on, my request to my husband is always the same, “Turn it down so I can hear it.”

It’s weird, everything seems so loud and yet I feel like I can’t hear.

What’s also weird is the way things like this can come and go.  I went through a period of having to hold my ears as I pushed my cart around the grocery store because it was just too loud.  When I was with my mother, she would say, “Would you stop that, it’s embarrassing me.”  It really was distressing though.  Then one day, as sudden as it came, it was gone.  Thankfully it hasn’t returned.

Sometimes I have to hit mute or turn off the TV in order to read the posts on this site.  

Actually, the husband and I are always playing the ole’ switch-e-roo game with the car radio volume.  I say something to distract so I can sneak a hand up to turn it down.  He says something to distract so he can sneak a hand up to turn it up.  Anyone spying on us would surely classify us as a couple of bonafide eight year olds.

(Talk about overload…I have just asked my husband how to spell ‘surely’ and was convinced it was spelled ‘shirley.’  He said, “no, that’s just a joke from a woman’s name,” and I said, “huh?”  Then he rolled is eyes.  Oh, dear.)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
see with me im very jumpy. when i was at mickey ds i had to wait at the drive thru for my food and when she arrived i darn near jump out of my skin. The people i work with and family say im too easy to scare. and they dont even try well most of the time. its like this all the time i get so angry at myself. why am i so skidish?
Helpful - 0
393685 tn?1425812522
Remember when we talked about me playing rock band that one day and I totally broke out into a sweat.

We'll right now , Dan is playing it downstairs and I totally can't think straight. My heart is beating out of my chest and the bass booming through the house is driving me crazy

He's beating on the drum and it is going right through my body along with the bass sounds.

I think I can relate to what you are talking about here.
Helpful - 0
440728 tn?1234645302
I used to be real good at multi-tasking before this all started. Could listen to my husband talking, whilst TV or music played in the background, kids shouting "MUM". But now I can't bear noise or too much going on at the same time. I want to cringe and wrap my head in my arms. It's much worse when a loud noise comes on out of the blue, I nearly jump out my skin and when this particular thing happens, I too feel almost as if I've had an electric shock.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yup, me too!  Loud noise and bright lights freak me out!!  I can not handle having a conversation with my husband with TV going on, I can not focus and go nuts!  I love music, and even though I normally can crank up my tunes I love....I've had to tone that down a bit.  I recently went to a big 3 day music festival...and some of the crowds there freaked me out!  Normally, I feel right at home at those music festivals.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes!!! The more people at my house, the crabbier I get. I just can't tolerate the noise level anymore. Glad to know we are not alone!!! I thought I was just nuts (as usual)
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
For me it is more the overall anxiety that causes me not to be able to handle the sensory integration as you describe .. for me, once the Synthroid is regulated all that you describe goes away, too .... a lack of concentration and jitters is how I explain it and reading your reviewes of how you guys explain it sounds familiar to me, too, with ill-fated Synthroid dosing (too much med).

C~
Helpful - 0
393685 tn?1425812522
I am with all of you and think of my job!! Noise all day phones ringing - kids crying

interruptions all day long!! By the time I leave I am exhausted.

Then I have to be home and punch in there.


Something changed for me - patience maybe-- or multi tasking-- I don't know. My curcuit fried out along with my thyroid.
Helpful - 0
185634 tn?1257071139
YES, AR!!!  I didn't realize it until I read your post, but now that I think about it, I feel a lot the same way.  I honestly can't remember the last time I turned on the TV to watch.  And I'm not sure when that happened.

I'm with you on the radio thing too.  I don't have a clue what the new songs are, because I rarely listen.  Has to be familiar things.  We have a station that plays songs from the 70's, 80's and 90's.  Perfect for me!

I was just riding with my 16 year old the other day, and yes - they want their music up loud with the bass as high as it can get.  Made my stomach upset, and I finally had to tell him that it was NOT cool for people on the outside to hear that (which is the effect they're looking for, I think), only to look up and see a 40-something woman sitting in the car!!!  Ugh.  For a minute I felt like I was going to become the tazmanian devil and spin myself out of the car.

I also realized that I'm having a hard time focusing at work.  We have the typical cubicles, with walls around 6 feet.  Then they cram as many people as they can on a floor.  You can hear EVERYTHING going on.  I don't recall this bothering me before, but I've had to resort to headphones so I can get work done.

So yes......I know what you're talking about.  :-)

Lori
Helpful - 0
209405 tn?1189755821
Yes! Loud talking bothers my eyes and bones.
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213044 tn?1236527460
Yeah, crowds are definitely out, and Oprah's on my "freak me out" list. :-/
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460348 tn?1213452322
In some aspects I do know what you mean.  I can't handle loud things anymore at all.  Music or the radio on in the car drives me up the wall.  My kids like their music loud and I feel like I'm going to explode.  Noise seems to be my main problem as far as that is concerned.  I don't know if that is what you were meaning for sure or not.  I also have a problem with keeping my attention span when someone is trying to have a conversation with me.  I'm just all whacked out.  That Hawaiin retreat is sounding real good.  I really do wish that someone could find a wall to e-mail her and have her look at this forum to see the hypohe// everyone goes through and how many sunsets we miss due to being paralyzed from the extreme fatigue.  

Wow, I feel sorry for Oprah!!  She has it rough!!  
Helpful - 0
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