Sensory Overload: What It Is, Symptoms, & Treatments

Sensory Overload Symptoms

The symptoms of sensory overload in both adults and children may include things like irritability, issues focusing, or an inability to sit still, and specific triggers will vary from person to person.

Symptoms of sensory overload in adults may include:¹

• Over-excitement
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fear
• Restlessness
• Stress
• Irritability
• Inability to focus
• Sensitivity to stimulus

Sensory Overload Symptoms in Children

Symptoms of sensory overload in children may include:²

• Pain threshold that is very high or very low
• Running into doors and walls unintentionally
• Yelling/crying out loud
• Inability to stay still
• Anger outburst
• Poor fine motor skills
• Eating inedible things
• Clumsiness

What Does Sensory Overload Feel Like?

Depending on the affected sense or senses, sensory overload can feel like many different things. It can be an auditory experience, something related to touch, smell, taste, or even vision.

Here are some sensory overload examples, depending on which sense feels overloaded:

Auditory

This is a sensitivity to sounds, specific types of sound, volumes, and particular patterns. It can happen at events like concerts, in crowded places, or when everyone is talking over each other at the dinner table. These external sounds become so loud that the individual cannot seem to hear themselves think.

Touch

This could be a sensitivity to things that touch the skin, such as certain fabrics or textures. However, it could also include hugs and general physical closeness. Sensory overload of touch can, in some cases, make individuals avoid physical affection.

Smell

Sensitivity to smell is unique as this sense is tied to the limbic system, which controls how we process emotions and memory storage. That means that certain smells, strong smells, or seasonal smells can lead to sensory overload because there may be a strong emotional connection to it as it could trigger a specific memory.

Taste

Sensitivity to taste can be perceived as someone who is a picky eater or someone who likes bland-tasting food. It can be a challenge for them to try new foods or foods with lots of flavor or varying temperatures because it overwhelms their sense of taste.

Visual

Visual sensitivity can be a reaction to overly bright or flashing lights, which, in turn, can cause someone to lose their spatial awareness. It may feel as if your sense of sight is failing you, or that you can’t rely on your own two eyes.

Signs of Overstimulation in Adults

Adults can experience sensory overstimulation that is triggered by any number of sensory stimuli.

If someone you love is experiencing overstimulation, they might seem:³

• Distracted
• Irritable or angry
• Anxious
• Restless
• Unable to ignore sensory input, like loud sounds, strong smells, etc.
• Confused
• Dizzy
• Sweating

Signs of Overstimulation in a Child

Overstimulation in a child may look a bit different, depending on the child’s age and development. The younger the child, the less sophisticated their language abilities and self-awareness, and the more likely they are to cry or throw a tantrum when feeling overstimulated.

Here are a few key signs of overstimulation in children:⁴

• Crying
• Turning away
• Covering ears or eyes
• Tantrum behavior
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Zoning-out
• Avoidance of overstimulating situations
• Acting wild or aggressive

Impacts of Sensory Overload

Sensory overload causes overwhelming feelings of discomfort. Even for the loved ones of those who are directly impacted, the symptoms can be a lot to handle. In general, the impacts are different depending on age.

Children & Sensory Overload

Kids who experience sensory overload are often labeled as oversensitive. In reality, they are highly anxious and unsure of how to regulate their heightened emotions. Sensory overload can make day-to-day tasks and activities seem like an enormous challenge for kids, negatively impacting the way they relate to their peers and how they make and keep friends. They may be more prone to being bullied as a result of being seen as different.

Teens

Teens who experience sensory overload often suffer from low self-esteem. While some teens learn adaptive coping mechanisms, many don’t have the tools they need to persevere, causing them to struggle internally. They may react in childlike ways, like having an angry outburst. When this happens, these teens tend to fall into a pattern of comparing themselves to others, noticing how they don’t fit in, and participating in negative self-talk.²

Adults

Adults who experience sensory overload often avoid the situations that could trigger them. This can impact their social and/or professional lives, especially if these triggers are in the context of an aversion to crowds, giving presentations, or mingling with others. These adults may also be more prone to or have a history of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.¹

Conditions Related to Sensory Overload

Some conditions that relate to sensory overload include ADHD, autism, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and sensory processing disorder.

Here are conditions related to sensory overload:^1,5,6

Autism

Autistic people often experience sensory input differently, tending toward hypersensitivity to sensory input, hyposensitivity, or a combination of both, making sensory overload more common in this population. Autism and sensory overload are often associated with one another, though not every person who experiences sensory overload has Autism. When an Autistic person experiences sensory overload, they might respond by engaging in self-stimulatory behaviors, or “stimming,” in order to regulate their body and emotions.⁷

ADHD

Many researchers have confirmed the connection between ADHD and sensory overload, suggesting that people with ADHD often experience difficulties in sensory processing and regulating emotional reactions to sensory input. In fact, atypical sensory processing has been determined to be an important and often overlooked dimension in diagnosing and understanding ADHD.⁸ Sensory overstimulation can be what is behind symptoms of distractibility, hyperactivity, or irritability commonly associated with ADHD.

PTSD

Research suggests that traumatic events may alter the neural pathways in the brain that underlie how sensations are experienced and processed, ultimately leading to sensory processing challenges and overstimulation. This shift in how the brain handles sensory input can impact other aspects of the brain’s ability to regulate emotions, engage socially, or take action toward goals.⁹ A person who has experienced trauma may find themselves experiencing sounds, tastes, smells, etc. differently than prior to the traumatic incident, and may be at risk for experiencing sensory overload when triggered.

Anxiety

Sensory overload and anxiety often go hand-in-hand, with maladaptive sensory processing being something that is commonly seen in people with anxiety disorders. One study showed that a sensory processing disorder diagnosis in childhood often led to an anxiety disorder in adulthood, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).¹⁰ Even without the presence of a co-occurring anxiety disorder, when someone experiences sensory overload, anxiety is a common symptom.

Can Overstimulation Cause Anxiety?

Overstimulation often causes anxiety, especially in those who are hypersensitive to sensory stimulation. These people might find themselves feeling anxious about situations that are outside of their control, anticipating with dread the possibility of finding themselves in a place that is noisy and overcrowded, or having something unexpected happen that leads to sensory overwhelm. Avoidance is a defense strategy that might be used to protect against anxiety and sensory overstimulation, by avoiding situations that have the potential to be overwhelming.

Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory processing disorder is a diagnosis that describes the brain’s challenges with organizing sensory input. People might be oversensitive to input, or undersensitive, while most are a mixture of both. Those who are oversensitive might avoid certain kinds of triggering sensory input, while others who are undersensitive might seek certain kinds of sensory experiences. ADHD and Autism sometimes co-occur with sensory processing disorder, but not always. Treatment might include working with an occupational therapist, cognitive behavioral therapist, and/or requesting accommodations for children in school.¹¹

How to Help Sensory Overload

A great way to deal with sensory overload is to create routines and stick to them. Routines give you something to expect or rely on, taking away any surprise and chance for a trigger or sensory exposure. This helps people regulate their emotions in safe, calculated ways. It also gives individuals time to prepare for certain exposures.

Additionally, discussing triggers with a therapist or a loved one or partner and coming up with a plan to manage is a great way to disarm the sensory threats. Talking through certain scenarios and coming up with solutions before they even become a problem is empowering.

Seeking professional help and the right type of specialists or therapists can make all the difference, too. They can make individualized care plans for treatment and set short-term and long-term goals to help you combat your triggers.

Can Sensory Overload Be Prevented?

Sensory overload cannot always be prevented, but there are ways to mitigate its effects, like sticking to your routines, knowing your triggers, and having a full arsenal of healthy coping strategies.

Here are some potential ways to limit sensory overload: 

• Identify your triggers: Begin by identifying what triggers sensory overload for you. Knowledge is power, and you can use this information to avoid situations that you can, without sacrificing your quality of life, and prepare to cope in situations that are unavoidable.
• Practice healthy coping strategies: Work with a therapist to find healthy coping strategies that work for you in moments of sensory overload, to reduce feelings of distress. This might include relaxation techniques, empowering phrases to say to yourself, or assertive statements to use in the moments that you need a break.
• Seek help at the first sign of a problem: If you regularly experience sensory overload and it has impacted your everyday life, seek help as soon as you can. Talk to your doctor, a therapist, or an occupational therapist to find the right path for you to better understand and cope with the sensory sensitivities at hand.

How Sensory Overload Is Treated

There are not many standard treatment options for sensory overload due to the varying nature of the issue; however, psychotherapy treatment can help you deal with your triggers. Underlying issues of anxiety, attention issues, depression, PTSD, OCD, and any behavioral concerns can improve in therapy, and people can learn different ways of regulating their emotions to avoid poor reactions to sensory overload.¹²

Finding a Therapist for Sensory Overload

One simple way to find a therapist for sensory issues is by searching an online directory. Any licensed therapist can be equipped to help people struggling with sensory overload, so reading reviews and looking at clinician bios to understand their scope of practice can give you an idea of whether their experience suits your needs. Many therapists also offer a free phone consultation and virtual/teletherapy visits, both of which allow you an opportunity to get help, even during a pandemic.

Another way to locate a therapist is through a referral from a trusted loved one or physician. Healthcare providers often have access to a network of helpful providers. Going through your physician or specialist is also a great way to keep them in the loop about any treatment options.

What Parents Can Do for Sensory Overload in Children

If you often notice signs of sensory overload in your child, seek help from a professional in order to find the strategies needed to best support your child. This most often comes in the form of a referral from your child’s pediatrician for occupational therapy (OT). Regularly attending OT and other therapy appointments, and following through on treatment recommendations for your child, which might include a “sensory diet,” will be most impactful.

In the process, be patient. Knowing that your child’s tantrums and other symptoms are sensory-related can give you both grace in the most difficult moments. Offering safety and your supportive, understanding presence will be most helpful to them when their big feelings are sensory-related. Suspend judgment and accept your child for who they are, including their differently-wired brain that interprets sensory input in a unique way.

Final Thoughts on Sensory Overload

Sensory overload can be difficult to deal with, but you’re not alone. While it can be upsetting and even isolating, there are treatment options available to help you cope. Talking to a therapist or reaching out to a trusted friend or family member can make a big difference in how you think, feel, and act.