Symptoms of Sensory Overload in Adults
Symptoms of sensory overload in adults vary widely and are influenced by individual sensory profiles. Some common experiences include:
Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed in sensory-rich environments. Adults may experience difficulty focusing, concentrating, or maintaining attention due to excessive sensory input in the attentional foreground and difficulty filtering out background sensory input.
Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed in sensory-rich environments.
Adults may experience difficulty focusing, concentrating, or maintaining attention due to excessive sensory input and difficulty filtering out background sensory input.
Physical manifestations such as headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, or heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli can also occur.
Emotional reactions may range from irritability and frustration to feeling emotionally drained or overwhelmed.
Some individuals may engage in coping mechanisms such as withdrawing from social interactions, seeking solitude, or engaging in repetitive behaviors to self-regulate (stimming).
Sensory overload can result in insomnia and restless sleep.
The person may feel restless, agitated, and irritable and have more difficulty managing their emotions.
Sensory overload can also result in shutdowns leading to mild dissociation and feeling foggy or numbed out.
Sensory overload can manifest differently for each person, and being attuned to our specific signs of sensory overload is key to understanding how to intervene and help manage sensory overload.