can someone explain a sensory overload?

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I'm very sensitive to light. Sunlight makes my eyes feel like they're burning. Flickering fluorescent lights are really bad. People don't seem to understand that not looking at them doesn't help...

I'm also very intolerant of sound. I can't filter things out, and it's unnerving. I hate it when people speak as I'm watching TV or listening to something, because it overloads my mind to the point I can't absorb anything I'm hearing.

Yes, everyone does, but the title of this thread asks to explain what a sensory overload is. I just merely provided an example.

I don't know how or why it happens, but perhaps because of how we process information, we tend to do stuff on a conscious level that NTs don't mess with.

I've nearly blacked out on a roller coaster from "sensory overload." As soon as the first drop happens, the sensations are too much to handle. Sometimes, it goes away after that first drop because I "shut down" to some point and stop regarding the input. Other times the input just keeps coming.

I get overwhelmed when I try to take in the "big picture" because I tend to focus on all the details. It's more like information overload, but if I try to comprehend the distances between planets and stars, I literally go spastic and into what I used to call "night terrors" (because I'd think of such things when I was trying to go to sleep). I also call the phenomenon "brain fires" because it feels like my brain is going to explode in my head if I don't stop thinking about it.

I do it sometime but If I'm alone I feel the sensation like doin sex.

Loved the car analogy

I get both sensory and emotional overload and I think in some cases they overlap.

Things that cause me sensory/emotional overload:

* Packed buses, especially when the people are all young. The bus I catch to work has a lot of teens on it, both in school uniform and their own uber-fashionable brightly coloured clothing. I get emotionally overloaded thinking about how much cooler than me they are and recalling my own horrible teen years, but I feel sensory overload no matter who is on the bus. If anyone touches me, especially if it was deliberate, I want to scrape off the skin where they touched. Listening to my mp3 player rescues me from the overload of all their overlapping conversations.

* Entering a shop that sells things to do with my special interests - books, dvds and especially shops that exclusively sell figures and collectibles. Initially I feel a nice excited rush of adrenaline but as I'm looking around each thing I see that I want pushes this feeling up a notch. Eventually I start to feel panicked and overloaded, because there is just too much amazing stuff.

* In a new relationship I come across a bit scary I think. When the real emotions start flooding in, when all I want is to be with them all the time and touch them all the time, it becomes all-consuming and it has often freaked the other person out, making them think I am "obsessed". In actual fact it has little to with them personally and is more about me being extremely sensitive to my emotions, which are probably similar to theirs. I have cried during sex before, because I was so overwhelmed by all the feelings.

It varies from day to day, hour to hour. I will describe a day when I have to leave the house (which is about 2-3 times a week).

Sensory issues dog my every move. If the temperature is wrong when I wake up (i.e., too cold) I'll frequently be unable to move or think straight. This occurs several times daily throughout the winter. Someone bought me an electric blanket a few years ago, which I exist beneath.

I will not be able to eat much during the day because the texture, taste, and appearance of food is almost intolerable. The exception is hot, spicy dishes, but it's not practical to eat that alone. Being undernourished exacerbates sensory issues.

Before leaving the house, I have to prepare for contingencies. To save doing this each time, I have a bag always ready for leaving the house; it contains items such as sugary snacks, a phone for emergencies, earplugs, money, and sunglasses. I also have to ensure my clothing is fixed in exactly the right way: seams have to be adjusted, bunched material straightened. If people are waiting, they accuse me of being too fussy. Even so, I will frequently be itching and adjusting clothing while out.

When I leave the house, the sunglasses stay on, unless it's nighttime. When people come into sight or earshot, I immediately tense up. They often chat loudly and grate severely on my nerves. To remain calm, I space out or try to maintain a steady breathing rate. In public, I spend most of the time spaced out from mild to moderate overload; dizzy and disorientated. Often I will find myself coughing or sneezing for no apparent reason. The reason becomes apparent when I later smell smoke, fumes or perfume.

When overload is more severe, my heart begins to pound hard and I feel like attacking or fleeing. I begin to feel faint and sick, especially if I cannot engage in repetitive movement. If I overdo things, it can take days to fully recover. I used to work in an office and would frequently be an emotional wreck within minutes and flee the building.

Sitting in a bright room with no other stimulation can rapidly cause overload. If someone is making noise, especially with a TV, I will shout in pain and cover my ears. Also, whether indoors or out, I hate having to touch objects like food containers, doors, remotes, and especially anything in the kitchen. More severe overload does not always involve my heart pounding; it often involves becoming immobile in thought, speech and action. This is worse in a way because I cannot problem solve my way out the situation.

Sensory overload:


Hearing

Touch

Smell


Sight

Taste


Too much.... olike an overpowering input that affects any or all senses to the point that you feel that you've just got to get away from where ever you are. That you need to shut down.... go and be somewhere without sensory stimulus.

Examples for me are....being in a supermarket with loud music, many people bustling around, really potent ( terribly strong odours) from soap product isle, and bright fluorescent lighting.
To cap it off would be strong odour from bbq chicken....( this probably would be a really nice sensory experience to you Spazzergasm as you love meat) but to me I find it overpowering.


Possibly your label on your jeans might be rubbing at the same time..
I find if I'm stressed out by a few of these at once I become super senstitve to all other sensory input. AND FEEL LIKE RUNNING OUT SCREAMING.!

Would you count this as sensory overload?

When I'm walking in a place (outdoors) that has a special significance to me and there are generally birds, trees, plants, colours everywhere my eyes often have a quick "twitch" (can't explain it) and then everything gets EXTREMELY blurry, blurry to the point of not being able to see anything. This lasts for about 2 seconds but it's not just my eyes going out of focus.