Why do I get so overwhelmed in public?
Edwin Langworth
2025-06-07 04:32:45
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: 11
When a person has an overactive nervous system, they become sensitive to stimulation and may become overwhelmed easily. Crowded rooms, public spaces, or even gatherings with friends can be highly stimulating. Our brains are processing information from the noise of crowds or from the conversations we are engaging in. We may begin to feel anxiety as our threshold for stimulation is maxed out due to feeling on high-alert constantly. Trauma can cause us to feel edgy and overstimulated in social or public situations. Adding an amount of extra sensory input from the environment can be too much. If we are feeling anxious in social situations due to past experiences of trauma, we are dealing with nervous systems that are over-reactive.
Rachel Ernser
2025-06-07 02:20:17
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: 9
Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body’s senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, or taste become overstimulated. In this crazy fast-paced world in which we live, we are constantly bombarded with stimuli. Fatigue and stress can also contribute as they may result in heightened senses. For example, think of a simple trip to the grocery store. As soon as you enter the store, your brain is immediately hit with a massive amount of information. Noises coming from multiple sources; music playing, overhead loudspeaker announcements, the constant chatter of customers and staff. Your brain has received more input from the five senses than it can handle. Your brain receives all its information from your senses, interprets it, then controls your reaction. But if it is receiving more information than it can process or make sense of, it sends signals to your body that you need to escape from the source of the overload. This can start off as feeling anxious, but if you are unable to remove yourself from the situation and feel trapped, it can quickly build into panic. Sensory overload can cause you to feel irritable, restless, and have difficulty focusing. It is overwhelming, frightening, and exhausting.