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Recognizing sensory overload in one's self

Weezer

Weezer

Active Member
I had a pretty great weekend but was somewhat anxious and on edge the entire time. Thursday and Friday of last week were very eventful days. Thursday a piece of our family history was sold, the first tractor I had ever driven at 4 years old. It had been in the family since 14 years before I was born.

Friday I had a task at work that was enjoyable but very challenging. I committed myself to getting it finished before my shift ended, and I did. When I had gotten home Friday night, (Saturday morning) (I work 2nd shift) I was feeling quite good having finished the job. Saturday morning my wife and I had gone and picked up a second bookshelf for my office at home. I assembled it and reorganized my office to accommodate the new bookshelf.

My point is that after all that, I was almost shaking with anxiety and found myself rocking for the first time since I was a child. 18 hours later, the epiphany. It was overload. It came on slow and I never saw it coming.
Is there a way to detect overload when it's setting in slowly over days?
 
I should add that there was a standing agreement for 25 years that when the time came for the farm machinery to be sold, I get first chance at that tractor. Since I had chosen to pursue a career outside the farm and now live in town, I'd have no place to store it nor have a use for it. At least my brother was able to purchase the one he wanted as he lives in the country and has room to store his. Mine however was part of a collection that had began in the 1960's and now it's gone.
 
I've never experienced sensory pressure build up over a several day period. For me, it never last more then one day and always resets the next day when I wake up in the morning. Things like stress and anxiety can accelerate the process thou.
 
Are you typically able to do that much that quickly and be okay and so this was a surprise?

Because just knowing your approximate limits could be helpful, in addition to detecting it coming on. A simple example would be, if I hang out with friends one day, I certainly won't be doing it the following day and most likely not for the following week.
 
I think it just takes time to learn our limits. I took me a long time to realize that happy times are just as stressful and adds to overload just as much as negative stress. Maybe even more so because it is unexpected.
When I accomplish something challenging I get so wound up and hyper it will take days to recover! But worth it.
 
Fino said:
Are you typically able to do that much that quickly and be okay and so this was a surprise?

Because just knowing your approximate limits could be helpful, in addition to detecting it coming on. A simple example would be, if I hang out with friends one day, I certainly won't be doing it the following day and most likely not for the following week.
Click to expand...

No, I usually do not do so much in such a short amount of time, however at work it is quite typical. It was the addition of the events in my private life that brought on the overload. I am surprised that I didn't see it coming is all. I will definitely be making note of this and using it to avoid future issues.
I can feel overload coming on when it happens in a matter of hours or even over the course of a day, but over the course of a few days, that's another matter. That is the aspect in which I need to learn to see it coming.
 
Hi Weezer!

For me it starts with a prickle - my eyes can start to hurt a bit or my ears, sometimes I can get a slight headache, especially behind the eyes. I can start having problems with understanding people, their words may become an incomprehensible jumble at times. Then, I can start seeing additional details or hear additional sounds, like my brain isn't able to keep up with filtering of all the information. This, in turn, makes me more anxious. Lights can get much brighter and I will start to shy from social contact. I will start getting exhausted and irritable. If I don't get rest then or if an additional trigger happens, things will gradually become more grating and painful, until I can't stand it anymore and crash. Crash means an anxiety/panic attack or fever.

It can all happen during one stressful day or build up in the span of days or weeks.

Of course, for you, it can be much different. I would suggest trying to observe yourself and be more self-aware of your body. Also, drinking a lot of water helps. It's surprising how dehydrated you can become without being aware of it and your brain can't function well then.
 
I am sorry about the loss of your tractor. There is a combo platter of physical, emotional and cognitive overwhelm likely going on for you so it's not surprising you had a stronger reaction than usual. I've spent most of my life trying to figure out my limits and at 51 I still don't always get it right but I do have a general idea. I'm not particularly good at feeling a crash coming on but by the time it is advancing on me I will of course realise that I have pushed my limits and understand why I am crashing. My limits are expanded by being on medication to temper my anxiety but I have yet to figure out how to not crash ever.
 
Sensory overload causes me to become quiet. That is my signal to change my environment, and I can usually identify the factors that represent overload. Sometimes, a short break from the bothersome environment will be enough to help me destress. Whatever is churning around in my head, making me ill-at-ease, needs to be allowed to settle. I've learned to be attentive to the signs that I can't cope with the perceived chaos and confusion that comes with overload. Chaos triggers my ADD, and that makes me unproductive and unhappy. I lose sight of what I am doing, and I don't remember what I have already done. It's very ugly. My only saving grace is knowing to listen to the signs and thwart a mild meltdown. I don't know what happens in the brain, but a meltdown kills my mood, thus, ruining my day. It leaves me with great anxiety. I hate anxiety.
 
If I'm in a situation where I'm out with people, talking or listening or engaging with them, I run out of steam after an hour or so and stop talking and interacting, withdraw into myself. Because I'm no longer forcing myself to engage, I'm usually ok - I go home, relax, sleep and the next day I'm ready to go again.

If I'm in an environment over which I have no control, and I'm not able to withdraw, I have too much stimulation, stress, too much going on at once and I can't withdraw, when I'm travelling with people for example, or I have stress from work or have a doctor's or hospital appointment, I can get to the point where I'm physically sick and can't get up the next day. Sometimes I get migraine-like symptoms, headache, nausea, can't think straight or concentrate and am not verbally articulate, fatigue and brainfog. I don't always get all of these symptoms at once, but these are the most common ones. Or I suddenly get emotional without warning and am not able to control it, teary or angry, depending on the situation. Not pleasant.
 
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