All About Bipolar: Sensory Overload Explained
Posted By atorturedsoul on July 9, 2009
Sensory Overload
I am headed toward a major meltdown. Every little thing annoys me and things that would normally annoy me make me angry. And, of course, there is the reappearance of “sensory overload”. Anything other than complete silence strains my patience and I have found myself covering my ears and closing my eyes quite a bit in the past few days.
For those of you who don’t understand what I mean by “sensory overload”, I will explain it to you. I am positive I am not the only person with bipolar disorder who goes through this. Do you know how it feels when something is way too loud and you just can’t take it? Imagine the television or radio being full blast or someone screaming at the top of their lungs. Your first instinct is to cover your ears. Now…imagine that even the slightest bit of noise sounds like someone banging drums and clashing cymbals in your ears. It’s as if your sense of hearing is amplified and everything is too much. If there are several sounds going at once, everything jumbles together and you can’t understand any of it. It’s like having someone scream something different in each ear. You have to block it out.
Now think about coming out of a dark room into a brightly lit room. It hurts your eyes and instinctively you close or squint your eyes. Imagine what it would be like to be on an out of control merry-go-round with the entire world whirling around you at such a high rate of speed that everything is a blur. Add the two of those together and you will understand the other half of sensory overload.
Imagine experiencing both of these things at the same time. The only way to get it to stop is to cover your ears and close your eyes and try to block out the entire world. Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can’t. It’s unbearable and you just want to remove yourself from the world. Even the thoughts in your mind are way too loud.
I have a pair of headphones like they used at firing ranges. Yes, I look quite funny wearing them but sometimes it’s necessary. A therapist I saw years ago said, “You know, they make earplugs and people can’t see them.” I know that, but they don’t block out as much noise as my headphones.
Once you begin experiencing sensory overload, it can be triggered by pretty much anything. Stress, anxiety, fear, anger and more than one sound at a time can set me off. If several people start talking at once, I can’t understand any of it. It’s as if my brain cannot process it and it needs to shut down and reboot. If the noise doesn’t stop, everything around me starts to whirl around until it becomes a complete blur and the only way to get it to stop is to remove myself from everything. No sight, no sound. If I can’t have silence for a minute, it will usually lead to anger. I will yell and scream at anyone who isn’t quiet and will quickly become enraged or completely shut down as if I am in my own little world. Anger is more common, though.
Removing myself from the situation isn’t always possible. I have four kids, three cats, two dogs and a husband (which could easily pass for a fifth child). Sometimes I have to disappear into the bathroom for a few minutes or find a quiet corner in the house.
If you know someone who has bipolar disorder and experiences sensory overload, learn to pick up on the cues and give them some peace and quiet for a few minutes so that they can calm down. If you experience sensory overload, I would love to hear how you handle it.
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About the author
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
This is a good discussion…many of us are widely ignorant as to what is behind our bad mood and ill temper…we can now work on it systematically.
Have you read about “The highly sensitive person” http://www.hsperson.com/? I have found the website and the book helpful for dealing with my OCD and anxiety issue.
In my home I have an active toddler and a hard of hearing husband. The noise is definitely an issue our one floor ranch home.
My biggest sensory overload is touch. I can only have my child on my lap or near me for so long. There are time that I need her away from me NOW! When she was an infant it was easy to put her down and take a break. Now she is 3 yos and is very patient with me. She is generally very responsive when I give tell her firmly (not yelling) that mommy needs space. If my DH is around I’ll just give him a look and he’ll take her. We work well together as a team.
MrsScotsman’s last blog post..I did it!
I just skimmed through the website and will be going back to finish reading it and check out the books available. Thanks so much for recommending it!
I would recommend it to anyone dealing with anxiety. There is a self test available here: http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
Bipolar Disorder & Sensory Overload http://bit.ly/3vjwsj
The noises in my head are real.
Thanks for the link over here. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that understands sensory overload, though I wish neither of us ever had to experience it. I have considered getting those headphones that block out all the noise, but have yet to find a pair that work and are still affordable. I’ll bookmark your page and be back to read more once I can concentrate.
Sid’s last blog post..Sensory overload
Wow – thanks for talking about this – I googled “sensory overload” because I’m trying to cope. And, I’m bipolar, but didn’t know of your blog. My symptoms are less extreme, but problematic. I’m trying to identify when things come up and leave the situation. I find I breathe deeply more often. I now bring earplugs to concerts and don’t necessarily stay the whole time. I can’t stay in crowded rooms very long. I don’t like noisy restaurants. And, I do act out in a humiliating manner at times. My friends are increasingly aware of my issue. My huge fear is work — I’m supposed to return soon and I’m really scared about my sensory/emotional threshold issue. Any insight on further coping skills in the work place especially are appreciated!
My issues are compounded by agoraphobia and I am unable to work outside of my home. Sorry that I can’t be of any help there. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to email me at support@allaboutbipolar.com.
Thank you for posting this. My husband has been suffering from an anxiety disorder for several months as a result of a workplace injury. He’s not bipolar but his symptoms are very similar to yours. Have you found anything that helps (meds, relaxation techiques, ANYTHING?)
Meds help, but once an episode of sensory overload starts it usually requires complete silence and sometimes even isolation. If you need someone to talk to, please email me at support@allaboutbipolar.com.
Anxiety attacks is often diagnosed as panic disorder. OCD involves rituals, counting and repeated actions. I have some OCD-like behaviors and I have found that this isn’t uncommon with bipolar disorder. Multiple diagnosis is very common. I have bipolar disorder (type 1) with psychotic features and panic disorder with agoraphobia. Health problems, such as fibromyalgia, are also very common.
I have Bipolar I disorder along with some depression and anxiety disorder and one of the most difficult things to cope with is the sensory overload. Sometimes just having any sort of music on can help. I’m most sensitive to sound and sight so having that steady, predictable pattern of 4 beats really helps me tune the rest of the noise static out. things with lower bass & drums are easiest to follow. Visually if its really mild drawing can help as well, but I become nauseated and feverish fairly quickly.
I have bipolar and also experience this at times. I would consider it a primary symptom of bipolar for me. I have told doctors I feel “sensitive” and they misunderstand and think I’m saying I’m emotionally sensitive. Perhaps that too, but what I’m talking about is sensory sensitivity. It happens most acutely during episodes of illness, but I also have problems with things like the cereal aisle at supermarkets even at the best of times. Also, I have extreme sensitivity to some visual patterns, like narrow high-contrast stripes, which make my eyes go buggy, that also happens at any time. I’m afraid I don’t have any coping strategies that don’t involve reducing stimuli, but that does help. Do you have an eye pillow? Those are good for blocking out light and they look more fashionable than curling up in a ball.
I have bipolar and im young….sometimes when i cycle, especially mixed episodes and into hallucinations and delusions, it feels like the world is shouting at me and everything in my room or that has a memory kills me on the inside. the memories and thought start crashing together until it feel like im screaming inside my head but can’t stop. Things like noise and people and book covers and light start to annoy me and i get so angry just being around them. the thing is, i dont know if this is just a symptom of bipolar or of sensory overload. Though, sometimes when im just depressed, i have the moments where i can handle a singe sound, thought, memory, person, or any light. I don’t know if this applies…..any ideas?
I think sensory overload is a symptom of bipolar disorder. If an inanimate object, such as a book cover (unless it is tied to a memory), upsets you it could be panic disorder. I am not a doctor. I’m just speaking from personal experience. I have had panic attacks where any little thing makes me want to run and get away. You should speak to your doctor to see if part of it is caused by acute anxiety.