oram
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Post by oram on Jul 27, 2014 7:55:29 GMT
Hi folks. I am new here. As the title of this post suggest i'm wondering if any of you relate to a couple of things i'm trying to get answers to.
Firstly "sensory overload", it feels like i can only take so much stimulus. Too much going on, like crowds or supermarkets. Or often i shut down if there's noise when i'm trying to hear conversation, i don't know how to describe it other than I just stop functioning until it stops.
Secondly I just blank out of conversation. I can be looking straight a person and completely not hear what they say, but not for wanting to or trying to. also if there's too much conversation i shut down also. It makes socializing very difficult as i spend a lot of time in silence and on the fringes of groups.
Thanks
Oram
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Post by petra on Jul 27, 2014 13:54:14 GMT
Hi oram and welcome to the forum Problems with sensory overload are common on here. Hopefully the following link will work and take you to a recent conversation on the subject. link
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 27, 2014 14:18:01 GMT
Hi Petra. Than you. The link surely works. That is a massive help. Finally something that makes sense or doesn't make me feel like i'm miss understood. Mentioned this to so many gps and therapists and none of them have given me any insight.
Cheers :-)
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TooMuchIsNeverEnough
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Post by TooMuchIsNeverEnough on Jul 27, 2014 19:32:03 GMT
Hi Oram Sounds like you are hyper aware of your surroundings? Must be quite difficult to even 'exist' in some ways? This reminds me of a film (Bruce Almighty?) where he starts hearing everyone's prayers and he can't filter them out! I don't suffer this affliction to the same degree but do have difficulty following conversations with new people as I desperately try to remember their name or the conversation or their name or... shit! Forgotten it all!! I'm not sure i'd call it overload though - just another day at the office. I think it's important to make these distinctions, if we can, as more information comes to light it might help us all in different ways. There are only really two medications on the market right now and some would say this is both overkill and not enough for our massive range of symptoms
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 27, 2014 21:02:33 GMT
hey TooMuchIsNeverEnough. I can only really describe things as they feel, i lack a whole vocabulary because i've never been able to get anyone to understand or relate. I'm not sure if i can say i'm hyper aware, more that at times it's too much for me to process and fight or flight kicks in. Exist, yeah i'm sure alot of people here find it very difficult and draining, i'll be less frustrated and tired when i can understand things better, or at least get social reassurance and language to empower myself with. I sometimes also get 2d vision, well in that i mean all depth of field vanishes and everything is a single plane. That happens less often now but no one has ever understood that either. I spent alot of my afternoon on the apduk website, that has been very reassuring.
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 27, 2014 21:07:12 GMT
the most recent example is i was speaking to someone and the phone rang. they carried on talking and everything just turned into cacophony, i just had to screw my face up and cringe, it was like i was being assaulted. mY friend saw my distress and couldn't understand until quitly rudely i just had to tell em the phone.
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Post by contrarymary on Jul 27, 2014 21:26:11 GMT
i was writing about this on an unrelated thread this afternoon i either don't understand what i'm hearing as in don't understand the words, or blank out and have no comprehension or memory of what's happening, or it builds up and up and i feel as tho i'm going to explode. many times i'll have pretty big tics and/or muscle spasms with sensory overload, particularly with sound but it can be movement, light, touch, heat. at those times i feel a lot like Doctor Who when he is regenerating and the light streams out of him ... welcome oram
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 27, 2014 21:34:57 GMT
"i either don't understand what i'm hearing as in don't understand the words, or blank out and have no comprehension or memory of what's happening, or it builds up and up and i feel as tho i'm going to explode"
Same for me :-)
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Post by .... on Jul 27, 2014 22:07:38 GMT
I think the recent hot weather has made it harder to cope. I am hoping that when it cools down it gets easier to keep track.
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Post by twix on Jul 28, 2014 3:39:39 GMT
I know what you mean. I don't know how to cure it but I have learned ways to cope with it.
I try to avoid places with bad accoustics as this makes it worse. So if I was choosing a pub to meet friends somewhere with high ceilings and wood floors and blinds might look nice, but somewhere cosy with carpets and curtains and lots of little rooms might be easier for me to cope with.
I find that being near water can be very calming.
I never go to the supermarket on a Saturday or Friday night. I always go when its quiet. Monday evenings are usually quietest.
I found smaller supermarkets easier to deal with if I can't manage a big one.
My friends know that important stuff like dates and times should be reminded by email or text.
I need to have time to myself somewhere quiet sometimes. This helps me recharge.
Hope this helps.
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 28, 2014 9:20:08 GMT
Hey Twix. That does help thanks. Yeah like wetherspoons or something is just a nightmare, all that chatting sounds louder than any music to me. I avoid shopping as much as possible, have my little routines to smaller places and just get stuff on line. Big shopping centers are just horrible, but that's ok coz it saves me wasting money anyhow. Yes water, those white noise type frequencies! It's serendipitous i feel, my latest fad was trying teach myself audio electronics (seen as i struggle with theory i could only learn so much and some mini fires happened) and what i really got into was making white noise generators.
I have recently discovered that gmail has a calender that can link to your phone and send text reminders. It's no gurantee stil but it is improving me in not missing out on stuff/appointments or annoying my friends.
Yup, quite time. Can't get enough of it :-)
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oram
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Post by oram on Jul 28, 2014 9:22:01 GMT
Oh and i've learned really daft techniques like laughing at the right times, a lot of body matching, nodding in the right places. I'm certain it's all transparent as anything, but oh well.
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Post by leftbehind1 on Jul 28, 2014 20:10:09 GMT
Yea I'm like this exactly I find for instance if I'm in a restaurant and I'm near a window or there's a lot of people talking or a lot of movement from waiters bringing menus or dropping forks or something and the person I'm trying to listen to has a lot to say and talks quickly I'm missing out bits and pieces of the conversation .
It's a struggle to keep up I just can't stop reacting to distraction and actually attend to the conversation it's a pain because if I could stop being distracted and pay attention to the conversation I would appreciate it more and actually have more to say instead of hearing the odd time and having something to say and the others chiming in at the ryt time with yes yes ok uh huh lol il usually ask them to repeat it if it's family because they sort of understand but I can tell even they get annoyed well screw em don't talk so bloody fast lol if only people knew how annoying it was for us trying to pay attention o i'm sorry I asked u to repeat yourself especially if I'm struggling to focus and were in a busy restaurant o the joys have to laugh about it sometimes
If it's not distraction I find that i can only focus for so long then my mind shuts down and the rest goes in one ear and out the other
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