10/07/2022
So many useful resources here for understanding and mediating sensory overload.
SENSORY OVERLOAD AND ADHD:
Sensory overload is the overstimulation of one or more of the body's five senses, which are touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste.
🧠 "Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body's senses experiences over-stimulation from the environment. There are many environmental elements that affect an individual. Examples of these elements are urbanization, crowding, noise, mass media, technology, and the explosive growth of information."
-- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_overload
🧠 Sensory overload can result from the overstimulation of any of the senses.ND
👂 Hearing: loud noise, or sound from multiple sources, such as several people talking at once.
👀 Sight: crowded or cluttered spaces, bright lights, strobing lights, or environments with much movement such as crowds or frequent scene changes on television.
🐽 Smell and taste: strong aromas or spicy foods.
👉👈 Touch: tactile sensations such as being touched by another person or the feel of cloth on skin.
🤮 Vestibular: such as dizziness or motion sickness.
-- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_overload
🟧 ADHD and Sensory overload further reading:
"With attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sensory information competes for your brain's attention. This can contribute to symptoms of sensory overload. Mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD can also trigger sensory overload"
-- https://www.healthline.com/health/sensory-overload -conditions
Sensory Processing Problems in Children with ADHD, a Systematic Review
"The higher level of sensory problems in ADHD predicts the higher levels of aggression and delinquency. The impairment of receiving and processing of sensory information in children with ADHD may cause inappropriate responses at different settings such as school, home and in the community."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3149116/
"With attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sensory information competes for your brain's attention. This can contribute to symptoms of sensory overload. Mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD can also trigger sensory overload."
https://www.healthline.com/health/sensory-overload
"Some ADHD symptoms — like trouble paying attention to what’s going on around you — may lead to sensory overload. When you’re not tuned in, sensory information can sneak up on you."
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/adhd-sensory-overload
"It is widely accepted among clinicians that sensory issues are present in kids with anxiety disorders, motor delay, and autism spectrum disorders. Further complicating our understanding of the differences between SPD and ADHD is new research that found brain structure differences in kids with sensory issues and recent study results that imply ADHD is not caused by a chemical imbalance as previously suspected. As brain imaging allows researchers and experts to improve their understanding of sensory and attention issues, the following information can be used as a guideline when observing your child's behavior and evaluating symptoms."
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/sensory-processing-disorder-or-adhd
The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits: A spectrum approach
Highlights:
• We investigated the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults.
• Sensory sensitivity was positively associated with self-reported ADHD traits.
• Our results further support recent findings suggesting abnormal sensory processing in ADHD.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178120331383
Note/disclaimer: I want to make clear that I am not a medical professional, I am a person living with diagnosed ADHD and all my posts are shared from my lived experience and I ensure to use language that speaks from peer support rather than anything I feel crosses ethical boundary of what is science and medical advice. My experience also is something that may not apply to all ADHDers, but I do ensure that it reflects only that experience and can be correlated to the diagnostic criteria. These experiences may over lap with other psychiatric disorders as some share issues with the same parts of the brain, namely executive function. Thanks!
[Image description:]
A scene from the anime Sailor Moon. Rei, a character in the show, is sitting there giving an agitated expression.
What sensory overload feels like:
*everything is too noisey
*everything is too bright
*people are people'n
*suddenly tired asf
*I wish I said no
*its not easy to go home now*
*cat fur on everything*
*I'm hungry, tired, uncomfortable*
-When literally the whole world starts to irritate you for no real reason
