Overstimulation is what happens when theres too much sensory input for your brain to handle.
It can make you feeloverwhelmed, irritable, and uncomfortable.
What Does Overstimulation Feel Like?
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Overstimulation is a state of feeling overwhelmed by the situation you are in.
What Triggers Overstimulation?
Overstimulation happens when a person surpasses their threshold for sensory input.
Some have lower thresholds than others.
Then, when you factor in any other inputs, youre more prone to overstimulation.
Being hypersensitive to a stimuli means it bothers you all the time in any context, no matter what.
One of thecore features of ADHDis inattention.
Background noise here refers to the amount of irrelevant information the brain is processing.
Their brains were trying to pay attention to everything, even though all they needed were the digits.
How I Experience Overstimulation
My own experience lines up with these conclusions.
When I take my medication, its like that static quiets down, and I can finally think clearly.
If your brain is trying to process everything all at once, you might be more vulnerable to overstimulation.
Instead of shutting irrelevant input out to avoid overload, it keeps trying to take it all in.
The two diagnoses often co-occur.
How to Cope With and Avoid Overstimulation
Overstimulation can be uncomfortable.
But the good news is that removing yourself from the situation usually lets you calm down quickly.
Take 510 minutes to go somewhere that isnt overwhelming.
If you have the option, attempt to avoid a potentially overstimulating situation by proposing an alternative.
So honing your personal fidgeting strategy can help ease multiple ADHD symptoms.
The best way to fidget depends on the task at hand and your personal preference.
Instead, create the right sensory environment.
To do that, distinguish between helpful and unhelpful sensory input.
It provides just the right amount of stimulation to avoid feeling bored without tipping over into overwhelm.
My desk cant be piled up with books and papers but if its completely bare, it feels off.
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