What Triggers Your Sensory Overload?

“The common one is when the work environment gets loud and busy, but the newest, and one that seems the strangest, is any warehouse type store. The extremely tall and long aisles, even when they’re practically empty.” — Amy L., living with MS

“Large crowds. Bright big stores. Sometimes I go to the store, walk in, say ‘nope,’ and go home.” — Bonnie W., living with MS

“The grocery store and heavy traffic. Makes me feel scatterbrained and ‘lost.’” — Amber A., living with MS

“An environment I’m not used to, physically and/or mentally. Still don’t know how to deal with them.” — Rona M., living with MS

“Being away from home too long. I get very anxious.” — Sherri H., living with MS

“Being tired can trigger it, real bright lights, a lot of motion, lights, noise at the same time, trying to listen and talk in a setting with other input.” — Kelly H., living with MS

“Fatigue is probably the number one cause of my sensory overload, but it’s not always the culprit. If there are too many noises at once, they all seem to be competing to be the loudest, resulting in complete overload. In turn, I become a complete wreck. Tremors, feeling extremely uneasy, and anxious. All this holds true with an overload of any other sensual stimulus or combination of sensory overload events.” — Gail F., living with MS

“Someone who sits next to me and talks nonstop, especially in the late afternoon when extra fatigued, or just loud people with lots of energy … I’m like chocolate on a hot pavement … I melt down to a mess.” — Lisa F., living with MS

“In restaurants, I request not to be seated directly under a speaker. Music, combined with people’s voices and kitchen clatter, drives me crazy.” — Connie R., living with MS

“Dinner at Texas Roadhouse with all the birthdays and singing and celebrations. Just gets to be too much!” — Judy C., living with MS

“Noise coming from multiple directions and high-pitched sounds like the clanking of dishes and silverware together, or children screeching. Restaurants with high ceilings and open kitchens are the worst for me because every sound just feels multiplied.” — Erin H., living with MS

“Being in a crowd or a loud room where I’m unable to tune some of the noise out. Hustling and bustling crowds are the worst between the sounds, the people, and my balance issues.” — Cindi P., living with MS

“Too many voices at once.”— Robin G., living with MS

“Bright lights, too loud, children screeching, hot with odd smells, some industrial sounds, sometimes even reading can be too much if the lights are wrong or the setting is overwhelming.” — Alysin P., living with MS

“Going to the grocery store, being tired, the doctors telling me too much all at once, restaurants, people who don’t control their screaming, running kids.” — Stacy N., living with MS

“Large stores with a lot of color and visual stimulation; flashing or strobe lights especially in the dark; too much, too loud, or specific types of noise such as screeching or sirens; crowds or fast-paced and bustling activity.” — Polly P., living with MS

SOURCE: HEALTHLINE