It’s easy to become overstimulated in these busy times. We are bombarded with images, messages, noises, smells, and other stimuli – even in our own home. And when we go out, even if we aren’t agoraphobic or claustrophobic, we often face crowds, traffic, and commotion.
Overstimulating situations can take many forms:
- a rush-hour traffic jam, with honking horns and lane-hopping drivers, while the radio is playing
- a family dinner, with everyone talking at once
- a loud restaurant with booming music, clanging dishes, and boisterous diners
- a grocery checkout line, with PA announcements, impatient customers, your own kids in tow, and a hurried cashier
- a too-loud TV or sound system, especially if you’re trying to focus on a project
- multitasking on deadline
I bet you can come up with even more triggers of overstimulation. Essentially, volume and chaos are key contributors. Even sitting at a computer with too many tabs or windows open at one time or trying to work at a cluttered desk or counter may set things off. Of course, everything goes up a few notches with illness, injury, insomnia, or a crisis in the mix.
And ladies: Toss in PMS, pregnancy, or menopause, and all bets are off.
Sensory overload is a neurological circus, and it is common with MS.
We may experience this in several ways, such as:
- agitation
- anxiety
- aversion to touch
- concentration problems
- confusion
- disorientation
- distraction
- dizziness
- feeling faint
- frustration
- muscle spasms
- numbness or tingling
- overheating
- oversensitivity to light (especially flashing lights)
- physical pain
- speech difficulty
- sudden-onset fatigue
- sweating
- tremors
- and more.
You know, it’s basically the whole kit and caboodle of MS symptoms. But they seem to subside, soon after the overstimulation diminishes.
What can MSers do about this?
Turning down the noise is key. But it’s not always possible.
Noise-canceling headphones can help. (I frequently wear the big old-fashioned headphones while working at my own desk at home. And I don’t even plug them in. They help to cut the overstimulation clutter in my own home, where loud phone conversations and high-volume TVs can become uncomfortable and overstimulating.) Playing calming music through those headphones is a plus for others.
Wearing sunglasses and selecting glare-reducing eyeglasses (if you wear glasses) may minimize some visual overstimulation. Night-driving anti-glare glasses are available. Also, polarized glare-reducing sunglasses can be found to fit over regular eyeglasses.
Softer-glow light bulbs (or dimmers) ease some of the harsh stimulation of the brighter ones.
Stepping away from chaotic situations may be an option sometimes. I’ve left often left crowded rooms during noisy gatherings (even for a few moments) or stepped outdoors for brief walks and fresh air.
Simplifying our schedules can help as well.
Stress management techniques do wonders for those who must deal with overstimulation. A lot of these involve finding moments of privacy and quiet. Some folks practice prayer, quiet time, meditation, gentle exercise, yoga, slower and deeper breathing, singing, reading, and other means of reprioritizing their attention and reducing sensory clutter for a while.
The hardest step is often to recognize when we are growing overstimulated before it throws us into MS turmoil. There are times when it simply happens without warning. But even identifying the problem can make it a bit more manageable.
Turning down the noise is a sound decision, when we can.
Related items:
- A-Z promising quotes: Noise
- MS is like a carnival thrill ride without the thrill.
- Multiple Sclerosis: 3 most troubling MS cognitive symptoms
- Tuning in sometimes clears the clutter for an MSer
Image/s: Public domain photo/s, Pixabay
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