Posted by Noa on October 4, 2001, at 16:01:56
In reply to Overstimulation and anxiety, posted by Dinah on September 27, 2001, at 8:45:37
Sometimes I do get overstimulated, either from an overstimulating environment, or because I seem to resonate to other people's anxiety and excitement, etc., or because I have too much on my mind.
When I have a lot of anxiety I get overwhelmed and need to go into "shut down" mode, either by going to sleep or doing something that facilitates a kind of dissociation (like compulsive computer game playing, or eating a lot).
Essentially, when I feel a lot of anything, I can get overstimulated and need to shut down. Without shutting down, I feel like I can't manage the overstimulation at all.
Even a stimulating and energetic discussion, which I find enjoyable, can cause me to feel overstimulated, like my nerves are working past their capacity, and I just don't know what to do with the energy.
I also have become more aware of how sensitive I am to environmental stimuli--lights, colors, noises, etc. When I go to the movies, I sometimes have to put cotton in my ears because the sound literally hurts my ears and makes my nerves feel totally overloaded. No one else seems to mind the high volume (I really do think movies have gotten louder in recent years). Loud announcements over loudspeakers (as in stores, for example) jangle my nerves. I have a hard time focusing if I hear people talking near where I am working. Sometimes I can't bear to have the radio on in the car (while at other times I enjoy it). TV commercials are too loud for me and rattle my nerves. All of these things are much worse when I am depressed.
Several things help me: Cutting out caffeine--I can't say enough about the value of this. Also, just being aware of the kinds of situations that are overstimulating for me and anticipating them better so I can manage them better. It even means avoiding certain types of situations if I can (like big crowds, for example, which causes me to feel extremely uncomfortable with physical "flight" symptoms). I think also that my antidepressants help as does the adderall. Finally, and I think this is a very important one---exercise. Exercise really helps calm my nerves a lot.
poster:Noa
thread:11798
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010927/msgs/12125.html