What happens to your brain when it's overstimulated?

Overstimulation is what happens when there's too much sensory input for your brain to handle. It can make you feel overwhelmed, irritable, and uncomfortable.


What are signs of being overstimulated?

Symptoms of overstimulation
  • sensitivity to certain textures, fabrics, clothing tags, or other things that may rub against the skin.
  • unable to hear or focus over background sounds.
  • dislike of certain food flavors or textures.
  • urge to cover your ears or shield your eyes from too much stimuli.
  • extreme irritability.


How do you fix an overstimulated brain?

How can you overcome this experience?
  1. Try to limit your screen time. Emphasis on the word try. ...
  2. Find your safe space. And be sure that it's quiet. ...
  3. Listen to your own favourite playlist, podcast, or audiobook. ...
  4. Set boundaries with others and ask for some quiet space alone. ...
  5. Mindfulness.


What happens when your brain is overwhelmed?

When there is too much information to process, you may feel cognitive overload. This happens when you reach a point of paralysis of information — not being able to process and then act on what is heard.

Can the brain shut down when overwhelmed?

the prefrontal cortex can shut down, allowing the amygdala, a locus for regulating emotional activity, to take over, inducing mental paralysis and panic. further the physiology of acute stress and are considering behavioral and pharmaceutical interventions to help us retain composure when the going gets tough.


Neuroscientist: How Overstimulation Is Ruining Your Life | Dr. Andrew Huberman



Can stress permanently damage your brain?

It's true that these pathways — like the one between the hippocampus and the amygdala — can get severely damaged due to constant exposure to stress, but such changes are not necessarily permanent. While stress can negatively affect the brain, the brain and body can recover.

How does it feel to be mentally overstimulated?

Some people who are overstimulated may experience extreme emotional or even physical discomfort. They may display extreme irritability, anxiety, or fear. Some may voice their discomfort by crying or throwing tantrums. Or, they may even show aggression.

What triggers overstimulation?

Sound: Loud sounds like music or fireworks or exposure to multiple conversations at once can be overstimulating. Taste: Certain flavors, temperatures, or textures can lead to sensory overload. Touch: Any touch that's too light, firm, or scratchy — or sudden or unexpected — can trigger overstimulation.


How overstimulation is ruining your life?

Overdose of Stimuli

Such an overdose of stimuli leads to overstimulation. Do you feel tired at the end of the day, even if you haven't done anything other than scrolling through social media and watching YouTube videos? That's because overstimulation can mentally drain your energy even if you haven't done anything.

Is feeling overstimulated ADHD?

Overstimulation is not only a symptom of ADHD; it's often seen in autistic people as well. People with ADHD and autistic people may display similar signs of hyperactivity when overstimulated, such as being extra reactive to sensory input (i.e., becoming fascinated by a specific object or fixating on a sensation).

How do you calm down sensory overload?

Some tips include counting to ten, walking away, listening to music, or watching a calming video or reading a book. Develop an exit strategy in the event of sensory overload. Talk to your child about ways he or she can stay calm or change environments if they start to feel overwhelmed.


Is sensory overload a symptom of ADHD?

Sensory overload can occur as a symptom in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the senses becomes overstimulated in some way.

Can you be overstimulated without mental illness?

Some people can experience sensory overload and accompanying anxiety even if they don't have one of these other conditions. Ultimately, it's possible for anyone to feel overstimulated and have an intense response, especially to an unexpected or overwhelming situation.

Is there a cure for overstimulation?

Two types of medications are typically used to treat sensory overstimulation: gabapentin and/or benzodiazepines, particularly clonazepam. My doctor says that first generation antihistamines (the ones that make you drowsy) can also be helpful.


How dopamine is ruining your life?

As you keep releasing dopamine, your brain motivates you to do other things like posting on Instagram Story to activate the chemicals again. Eventually, you end up with a positive feedback loop where you're no longer motivated by the joy of going on social media anymore.

Why does my brain get overstimulated?

Exposure to certain triggers like bright lights, simultaneous loud noises, or certain textures can make you lose focus and feel irritable. The disruption of our routines and all the drastic changes in the way we live, work, and interact are major factors as well. “We are conditioned to engage with our environment.

What mental illness causes overstimulation?

Many different mental illnesses are associated with a heightened sensitivity to stimuli from the outside world, among them post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit (and hyperactivity) disorder (ADD/ADHD), and more.


How long does overstimulation last?

“Overstimulation occurs when a baby or child experiences more stimuli than they can handle or are used to,” explains Dr. Kevin Kathrotia, a neonatologist and pediatrician. According to Kathrotia, overstimulation in babies occurs fairly often. “It's most common from about 2 weeks to 3 to 4 months old,” he explains.

What does overstimulation feel like in adults?

The following are the seven most common signs of sensory overload, but it's important to remember that these symptoms can vary between each person; especially autism overstimulation symptoms. Difficulty focusing. Surges in extreme irritability or anger. Restlessness and discomfort.

How do you help someone who is overstimulated?

The best course of action is to try to control their environment as best as possible. - Turn off the tv, music, blender, lower your voice, or stop talking so much if you are interacting with them when they become overstimulated. - Turn down lights.


Can you lose your mind from stress?

A Word From Verywell

Again, most instances of “I feel like I'm losing my mind” are simply a reaction to stress or an exacerbation of a mental health condition. Most can be solved with stress relief or help from a mental health professional.

Can your body shut down from stress?

"When the body cannot handle emotional overload, it simply begins to shut down. And that is often manifested by a sense of extreme tiredness and fatigue," says Kalayjian.

How do you reset your brain?

5 Tips for Rebooting Your Brain
  1. Develop Healthy Sleep Habits. Sleep is our body's method of resetting and replenishing itself—including (and especially) the brain. ...
  2. Eat a Healthy Diet. There's a deeper connection between the brain and the gut than most people realized. ...
  3. Meditation/Mindfulness Exercises. ...
  4. Get Outside. ...
  5. Exercise.


Why do I shut down when overstimulated?

For someone who dissociates and is already sensitive to anxiety-provoking events, too much stimuli can be detrimental to our routine functioning. Our brains cannot process the amount of stimuli we are ingesting, so we are prone to dissociate and shutdown. Many people have heard of the fight-flight-freeze response.

What is a sensory meltdown?

A sensory meltdown is very different from a temper tantrum. Sensory sensitivity to noise, lights, crowds, or touch can cause children and adults who have sensory processing disorders to become confused and frightened.