So How Do You Cope With Perception Overload?

[coffeeandweed]

I don't know if perception overload is a psychologically recognized situation, it's just a good description for what I experience.

It's when I have more than one person talking at me, or one person monologuing nothing but pointless details until I no longer know what they're talking about. It's when medium-loud music with background chatter (house party kind of thing) sends me to the bedroom to bring down the environmental stimuli. It's when looking around a room is like playing one of those computer games where you try to find hidden objects. I have extreme difficulty finding things out in the open. I could go on, but I'm not talking now to the uninitiated, am I?

I was only diagnosed adhd a couple years ago at age 56 and now I'm in the process of seeing what others are doing in other to make your way through the day. One thing I can't figure out is how to minimize this overload effect.

[Hidden]

I call it “sensory overload”. I either put on a smile and mentally check out, or can become very anxious. It’s too much input at once for my brain. Hyper focusing on one person sometimes works. I’m actually learning to tell the truth, that my brain overloads, and I can’t do that. If I’m with family, or close friends, it’s fine. If it occurs in a more public setting, I may need to remove myself from the area in order to quiet down inside. I can’t take care of myself if I don’t address it. It’s not our fault that the frontal cortex doesn’t work like it does in other people! I was born a month pre-mature. My neural connections were not fully developed. I also fell down a flight of steps, which could have effected my brain. I’m trying to learn healthy coping skills. I was anxious ever since I was a small child. I would mask it. I’d be dying inside, and no one knew! CBT is changing a lot of things for me. It takes me a bit longer to learn it, but I won’t forget it once I do. Life is still a LOT better than it used to be. I’m going to take care of me now!

[coffeeandweed in reply to Hidden]

Can't say I'm familiar with the term CBT, or at least it's not ringing a bell at present. Withdrawal to my happy place often works. Hyper-focusland is a go-to, but I'd like to learn to tolerate it.

[Gettingittogether in reply to coffeeandweed]

CBT is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (very present-oriented and practical). CBT is pretty much a must if you want to negotiate ADHD.

[coffeeandweed in reply to Gettingittogether]

Oh yeah? I'm assuming I can find info online for that?

[Hidden in reply to coffeeandweed]

There’s an APP called Unwinding Anxiety, which is a CBT APP, free to try for 4 days. I bought a year. It’s teaching me sooooooo much! There is a Psychiatrist who does daily learning modules on videos, and teaches mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, and more. I am doing really well with this as a daily tool.

[Hidden in reply to coffeeandweed]

Yes

[Best_me]

EDIT: my apologies - turns out this app is CBT coaching for insomnia only.

I found “Unwinding Anxiety “ to be confusing and a little too “woo,” for me. The VA has a free CBT app for iOS, and I find their stuff to usually be a little more “mature” and practical. apps.apple.com/us/app/cbt-i...

[Hidden in reply to Best_me]

We each need to use what works best for us. We have a similar problem, but are still individuals. I’m so glad that you found one, and that it’s free! Good for you! 👌🏻

[coffeeandweed in reply to Hidden]

Absolutely. As much as we have in common, it still manifests itself differently in everyone. I think with myself, it's mostly attention deficit.

[coffeeandweed]

I suspect you mean its kinda "new age" or holistic or something.

Rather than spare time meditation practices, I'd like to be able to turn off or cut off the overload in real time. Although I guess that's where the practice meditation comes in... prepares you for real life.

[Gettingittogether]

google "sensory integration therapy" ... you might benefit from some therapy .... and of course, minimizing anxiety helps with everything ... but you might get some good tips/strategies specific to sensory overwhelm ... a key thing to all these conditions is to not shame ourselves ...

[coffeeandweed]

Oh, I don't care what people think; I'm past that part of it haha. It's not even anxiety, I don't think, just too much stuff coming in at once gets me, I don't know, disconcerted maybe? Confused, certainly.

[coffeeandweed]

Got some good news last night. I have a job interview coming up at a greenhouse or something. If so, it sounds like something low-stress that I can get into hyper-focus with.

[Hidden in reply to coffeeandweed]

Let us know how it goes! Happy that you have the opportunity!

[coffeeandweed]

Thanks, me too. If that's what it is, it'll be pretty good. I've been described in the past as a nurturer.

[LifeAfterDiagnosis]

I experience sensory overload too. Noise especially, is a serious issue for me. I can't block out background noise, I have misophonia, and autophonia. I've figured out that I can mostly handle two noises at the same time, but if a third kicks in, that's when I have to either mute the TV or radio, stop chewing, smash the ticking clock to pieces (kidding!) or step out of the room before I get crabby. I can also keep the windows up in the car to avoid traffic noise. Wearing earplugs in restaurants helps. Of course then I have to try to read lips! 🤔

[Hidden in reply to LifeAfterDiagnosis]

This sounds like it could be why I have trouble focusing in the office. I. Work in an area that has around 30 cubicles and it can get quite loud with people on the phone or having conversations with others. I’m trying to focus on my work, but all the commotion going on around me is overwhelming sometimes. I could care less about all the other conversations, but my brain takes over and will want to hear what’s going on and whatever I’m working on stops until I can redirect. This also includes listening to music while working. I’ve never been able to do that. My brain will listen to the music and not pay attention to my work. I can occasionally work from home, we did that for 14 months during the pandemic. That went well once I got into the routine. Guess my boss doesn’t agree because he gives me shit every time I request to work remote. He’ll make comments on productivity and recently he even asked if anyone was at home with me. WTF! I’m married and he knew my spouse was home. He also forced me to move my desk out of the second bedroom to my bedroom. I don’t think it has anything to do with me working remote, he doesn’t trust me and wants to have me in the office. My boss gives me anxiety just seeing him. I never know what negative comment he’ll have for me. The company manages by focusing on what you did “wrong” vs. pointing out positive accomplishments. It takes a toll. I go home pissed off and tired and then get up and do it all over again the next day.

[LifeAfterDiagnosis in reply to Hidden]

I feel for you! I'm thankful I never had a boss that nasty, and the type of work I did required me to be in the office, but I loved every rare opportunity I got to go in on Saturdays to catch up with stuff. Sometimes listening to music helped drown out conversations. But I couldn't drown out the noise of the air conditioner generator that sat on the roof of the building and ran every Friday. It was so deafening to me that I had to leave my area and wait for it to stop running. Nobody else heard it.

🤔

Have you disclosed to your boss that you have ADHD and sensory overload?

[Hidden in reply to LifeAfterDiagnosis]

Yes, my boss knows I’m ADHD because he noticed a big improvement when I started on meds. But I’m January I got a new Psychiatrist and started over and put me back on Ritalin. Months of agony, finally I think we got it right. I take an IR along with an XL Adderall in the morning and have an IR boost I can take in the afternoon for meetings later in the day. I sleep better and the crash isn’t as bad. But my boss doesn’t care about anything but himself and like every other company these days where short staffed, so I’m taking 2 months medical leave to recoop. Unfortunately I probably won’t be going back to my old Job, don’t think they’re going to be too happy with the time my doc wants me off. 🤷‍♂️

[LifeAfterDiagnosis in reply to Hidden]

Seems to me you probably have some legal rights you could pursue, if you wanted to. I hope your medical leave does wonders for you.

[Hidden in reply to LifeAfterDiagnosis]

I never considered that, but I’m not really like that. I’m hoping that the true down time allows me to learn a few things about myself, what triggers symptoms, what helps, and improve my focus, memory, and executive function through being on the right meds and dosage and working with my therapist. I feel so much better after one week. My spouse was also just diagnosed and put on Ritalin first. Didn’t work, had side effects, then put on Adderall. He did fine for a couple days and then basically didn’t sleep for 4 days. Hasn’t taken any since. His dosage starting is 60 mg. His doctor told him to reduce to 15 twice per day and work up as needed. Not sure he’s going to do it. I can’t function without it.

[coffeeandweed]

Sometimes having the car window down helps with monologuers by drowning them out. If they think it's rude they should try some introspection.

[LifeAfterDiagnosis in reply to coffeeandweed]

HILARIOUS! I needed a laugh; thanks!