What does sensory overload feel like?

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcS2VUoe12M[/youtube]

Is this an accurate simulation? Sometimes too much of a certain type of stimulation stresses and wears me out, but it's nothing like this so I don't think I have sensory overload issues. It seems like a terrible thing to go through.

Can't think. Too much. Everything is at the same time. Pressure, but not pressure. Blankness that is not blankness, like word finding difficulties, except in sensory input instead. Not being able to process it entirely. Sometimes partially. Adrenaline, need to protect self. Flight and freezing at the same time. Pain, physical pain - nausea and headaches. Becoming a robot, only partially being in this world, to protect self. Evaluating programs as best as possible with only partial understandable input. Walk into trees, but get home. Maybe migraine later.

Very single minded, all abilities to do multiple things gone. Someone tries to ask a question while thinking completely withdraw. They don't understand, but its a protection mechanism. This way your brain doesn't detonate like it feels like its going to. No ability to do anything else. No ability to regulate emotions, because that's something else. Can stop and speak without thinking of other things, but then its whatever you are thinking comes out, so must be either preplanned or brain dump, not normal conversation speech. Any expectations build the pressure, make it last longer. Make it turn into shutdowns, or trigger meltdowns into shutdowns.

After a bad overload, then the effects last. There is recovery time. For me the recovery time can be up to 2 weeks of barely being able to get out of bed.

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This is a more severe overload for me, not a mild one.I can't explain a mild one, because its very rare for me to leave mild overload. I know it when I do, but I can't explain the differences, but the mild overloads have similar ideas at lower levels.

like claustrophobia except that instead of feeling like physical walls are closing in on you its "walls" of sensation, but its the same crushing feeling... the only way i can interrupt it is to BSOD.

severe agitation, fear, inability to focus or organize thoughts, desperate need for escape, make everything stop, sometimes derealization. i'm trying to think of a metaphor.... okay, maybe try this: think of a computer that is running too many programs to the point that it hasn't quite hardlocked (crashed) yet, but is close. that happens to my brain.

for me, i get irretated and its like a pain in my brain, i feel like hitting myself and ripping out my hair, screaming and destroying things. I usually am sensitive to sound and light, some days its worse then others

I am pretty sure what I experience when noise bothers me is sensory overload. For example, at work when there is loud construction noise outside my window I am unable to concentrate on my work and I feel very irritated. When the TV is on too loud for my liking next door to me at home or work I feel angry and irritated. Other feelings include the urge to throw things since the noise is annoying and I am unable to concentrate. Noise such as overly loud music in a bar really bothers me as well. Overly bright lights can bother me too. An overcrowded mall that is noisy just makes me want to get out of the mall as fast as possible. Sometimes I feel a solution would include living in the middle of nowhere that is peaceful with little traffic, little noise and fresh air.

Feeling it right now, nerves tingleing, can't think or talk much, heart/pluse quicken, dizzy, ready to snap at the simpist trigger. funny how several days of nothing can lead to a big something.

It can be exciting sometimes, because whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, it's often by good stuff- like learning new languages, meeting new people, experiencing new sensations. So part of me often feels rather pleased and invested when I'm highly stimulated by my environment, while another part feels absolutely dreadful and wants to crawl into a dark, quiet space for a long time afterwards.

For me I feel sound allot easier than NT's, that's right, feel it, we all do as sound is shock waves at varying frequencies, for example those new rumbler sirens on emergency vehicles (something that should have been invented along time ago, lol).

Some high pitch sound actually hurts my head and the back of my eyes.

I am hyper-photosensitive, when I walk outside on an overcast day not to mention sunny day the back of my eyes hurt like someone is pressing in on them with their thumbs, is SUCKS!

My sense of smell also is acute and some smells can make me sick but that can be true for anyone, but a bit more so for me.

For me it feels highly distressing, like bugs crawling under my skin, or an itch I can't scratch. I will start to get nervous and agitated, and agressive, if the overload doesn't stop soon. I will walk around or stim, and generally move a lot.

Eventually, when I am finally able to escape the situation, ideally I would lay down on my bed, completely alone, huddle up in fetal position, put in earplugs and hands on my ears and lie there in complete darkness for about half an hour.

For me it feels annoying and I am unable to concentrate as well as I usually do. For example, today a TV right next to my office was pretty loud all day and in addition to this construction noises were heard on and off throughout the day. It can be very annoying at times and I get out of my office and run errands which helps since I get a break from the noise and chaos.

This thread has been interesting and helpful. Thanks for your responses so far.

What I experience is a mix of the physiological sensation of being anxious/nervous (but without the worry), along with the feeling of spacing out. It's not quite derealization, but it can be hard to think or focus, and I often don't feel like talking much. Sometimes, Distracting myself can help some. I experience it when in loud, enclosed places (such as a busy restaurant) and after socializing for long bouts. I wouldn't characterize it as full-fledged overload; the way I put it to a friend is that it stresses me out.