Anxious Sensory Overload and Overwhelm (Podcast EP 290)
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- Опубліковано 23 кві 2024
- People struggling with chronic or disordered states of anxiety often find themselves in a situation where they are hyper aware and therefore overwhelmed by sensory input.
Non-anxious humans are so oblivious to what we sense that we sometimes pay to have people tell us to notice what our eyes, ears, noses, and skin are sending and perceiving. But for anxious people dealing with chronic or disordered forms of anxiety, this is not a problem at all. We have the opposite issue. We are constantly paying very close attention to sensory input. We are hyper aware.
Why are we hyper aware? Because we MUST evaluate ourselves constantly to stay ahead of our triggers. Anxious people are continually checking themselves for physical sensations that don’t seem right, thoughts that might be going south, or emotions that they won’t be able to handle. If you’re here today listening or watching, I would wager a large sum that a good portion of your time is spend checking on yourself, then evaluating the results of that internal scan to to see if you’re OK, or you have to start taking evasive action to stay safe … from yourself.
Episode 290 of The Anxious Truth provides a reframe on sensory overload and overwhelm that ties the experience directly to an overactive, overprotective threat detection and response system. This reframe and explanation could be helpful in informing new action that helps us learn the experiential lessons we need to learn in recovery.
For full show notes on this episode:
theanxioustruth.com/290
For more anxiety and recovery resources:
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Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
One of your best, Drew. The sidewalk experience…damn, the whole chain of thoughts, the visual migraine fear, the off balance, the ramping up of the alert level. Nailed it. You are helping more people than you will ever know.
Thanks for the feedback! Even as a fully recovered person sometimes I get little reminders like this so I'll try to share them if they can be useful. :-)
Hey, Drew! Good morning and thank you for this channel. More than 2 years ago I had my first full blown panic attack that lead to panic disorder and 2 years of ongoing anxiety. You and your channel have been a blessing into accepting my anxiety and making my symptoms tolerable. Thank you SO SO MUCH for what you do.
Yes, Drew is pretty awesome.
You are very welcome. I'm so glad I'm able to help in some way. :-)
I had a major panic attack yesterday while at the dentist (I’m not afraid of needles or dentists or anything like that) triggered by my agoraphobia. It was a smasher, as bad as it can be but I surrendered. it felt like certain death but nothing happened. Tooth is fixed and I’m still alive.
Well done! That was NOT an easy task but look at what you showed yourself. I'm happy to hear that your tooth is fixed too. And of course ... that you're still alive. ;-)
@@TheAnxiousTruth thank you, I read your first book and it was amazing. I felt like I was reading about myself. I read it all in one go and I really like what you said about teaching yourself not to fear the way you feel during a panic attack and the war will be over once you achieve to do that. I will be buying your second book as soon as possible. Thank you so much for these books they are extremely helpful and very inspiring. I don’t think I’m ready to take the subway yet or travel to another country alone but I’m praying to God that I will eventually reach that point. After 15 years of suffering and living in a cage, I want to be free. I mean how am I supposed to enjoy my life and do the things that I want to do when I’m a prisoner of my thoughts and panic attacks? Someone else told me that it’s better to face the panic and die than to live this way. I know that when I face it I won’t die but the panic with the terror are so strong that it sure feels like it. I also fear that I will lose my mind, disappear or faint, or that I will lose my memory lose consciousness , it’s hard to explain all these negative intrusive thoughts.
Drew I am there, overwhelmed. Over checking and over anxious. I was so much better and it makes it hard to see that this is anxiety again. I feel everything. I really appreciate everything you do. I’m really working on changing my behaviors back to where they were. As I know I’ve said before it’s the sensations that throw me off…I’m so tired of being afraid.
I have been feeling so overloaded I can’t function. I can no longer read watch tv or sit still at all. Been about 2 months like this. I get so overwhelmed so easily.This video was like perfect timing . Thank you
Been there. You will get better. It takes time. Just ride the wave.
Been there too… try to make yourself sit down and relax. Even if you feel like your nerves are going 1000 miles per hour. Let your brain know everything is ok.
Thanks for the encouragement!!! For me it’s just the constant dizziness makes it so hard to relax and accept. But I’m trying :) thanks again
@@dustintyson354
Hang in there brother! I had MAJOR head sensations and dizziness. It was awful. It’s now coming to an end. You will absolutely get through this. My number 1 advice is to trust God and do your best to relax. If you have constant dizziness it’s because of anxiety and anxiety causes a symptom called PPPD and that is 100% curable it’s only anxiety. Look up Dr. Yonit Arthur she explains it great!
I actually thought I was losing my mind but when you step back relax and let it do what it does it will get lighter as time goes on.
I'm just popping in to thank you guys for being so supportive of each other!
I easily get overwhelmed by my symptoms, especially my throat tics and breathing. That is when my panic starts to creep in. The environment gets overwhelming, my symptoms worsen, and the cycle goes on.
Great video. My day is based on my emotions, always listening/scanning.
This is pretty common. Anxious people that fear their emotions are always on the look out for possible sadness, low mood, anger, too much excitement, or anything that an overprotective mind can spin into a catastrophe.
I am now calling this my "super power" and working on harnessing it for beneficial use versus self destructive use. The struggle is real but embracing it has helped me tremendously.
That’s a great reframing of it! I may have to borrow it :)
That's so superhero! "I must only use my power for good, never evil!" That's a great way to look at it! xx
This is so timely. Today I've been on a 5h train journey and will have 7 more of those in the next two weeks. I do feel like I can semi-lean into my panicky moments, but I'm overloaded by the end of the train journey nonetheless and have been in the past too when I wasn't struggling a lot w anxiety. I do believe some people are just more prone to lacking a filter for their senses when streesed (I also have ADHD, so that's one example and explanation). It does suck because you'll feel like "I'll have to do this so many times and feel like I'm about to break my brain from all the new input back to back."
I do definitely scan, but mostly for the reason that I'm taking these train rides for big exams that I don't wanna be sick for. Kinda hard to turn off the inner want to not eff this thing up 😅 first time in a while that I've struggled with this because of that want of it all going well plus being in an entirely new place. May these train rides get easier with each journey.
Hi there. The key is always lowering our resistance level to what actually is. "I feel overwhelmed" is a fair statement and assessment. We don't have to deny how we feel. But we can work on not treating that like an emergency. Also, you are correct about people in the neurodivergent community. Sometimes we also just have to work with ... how we work! There's no harm or shame in that at all. Never interpret this kind of work or content as attempting to override or squash what YOUR normal is. I hope this helps and good luck with your exams!
I have a fear of schizophrenia/ losing control so i'm hyperaware of sounds and the way I feel now because go this theme. the intrusive thoughts feel so real. I feel like if I'm not on guard the worse will happen. I'm trying to just let it be and drop my awareness and not care but it's so hard because I feel if I do drop my hyperawareness my fear will come true. same with my anxiety if I stop scanning and being on guard for it something will happen? ITS SOO EXHAUSTING. I am tired.
"If I drop this hyperawareness my fear will come true." This is why I will say every day that what I'm talking about is a simple - yet very difficult - approach. It's not complicated but allowing your brain to scream that you're about to lose your sanity and doing nothing about that is a very hard thing to practice and requires bravery, especially to start. But lean on this fact. You are accomplishing nothing. I had to remind myself that all the stuff I was doing to prevent "slipping away" (how I interpreted DP/DR) was like working REALLY hard to keep the moon from turning into cheese. Yes I was working hard and the moon is still not cheese, but those two facts are not connected in any way.
Im in the EXACT the same boat..this fear of schizophrenia have taken over my life. Even if i try really hard to not care it only seems to work for a while. Eventually it gets me. And it is an everyday uphill battle. For example today i was feeling great. I was mindful of my situation and my anxiety and i was keeping it at bay. Trying to also stay mindful about my response to it and how this is all just anxiety. Earlier today it all made sense....but tonight as im writing this from my bed my senses are turned up to 11 and im in that hyper vigilant hyper aware mindstate feeling like im not that far from going crazy. I keep trying to remind myself that schizophrenia is likely not how i assume it is. And how this is all very typical of conditions such as GAD / OCD / Panic Syndrome but right now it literally feels real
@@RollingDude. you aren't alone its so hard because it feels so real!
Once drew said “looking for the color red” automatically I start looking for red 🤣 we have some very interesting brains 🧠
Brains are super suggestible. Anxious brains are ULTRA suggestible! I love that you noticed your automatic response. It says something, doesn't it? ;-)
Hi Drew. How does treatment for anxiety differ when you’re dealing with someone who has general panic disorder vs someone who survived a serious trauma that “caused” a panic disorder? Are the principles the same?
Three years later and my fight or flight still is pretty high after being rushed to the OR.
Thanks.
This is a a complicated question but it's a good question. When there is a clear precipitating event that involves real danger or actual abuse or things like natural disasters, you'll find those principles in there but there's also a reliance on re-processing and re-building narratives to find meaning and ultimately integrate those experiences in an adaptive way. This is where UA-cam and the comments section hits one of its limits and specific help from someone qualified becomes a more useful option.
@@TheAnxiousTruth thanks Drew. Appreciate it.
Hi Drew,
You described me in detail on this episode. Do you have a podcast on how to do exposure on going to the doctor. I been breaking the exposure into small steps and have made it to the parking lot but I obviously can’t go into the actual “examination room” to have exposure while taking my BP . My BP goes so high when I am in there. I have white, red, blue and all colors of “white coat”I hate it. Any tips?
This would imply that there are doctor visit exposure tips, and driving exposure tips, and supermarket exposure tips, and being home alone exposure tips, and feels like I can't breathe exposure tips, and see where that winds up? One of the most powerful concepts we have to lean on is that in the end all the fears tend to be just expressions of the same fear - that how we feel and what we think is "too much".
@@TheAnxiousTruth
What I was trying to ask is how to apply the fear steps that you mention in your book at the doctor’s office. I am trying to follow the steps you outline (set up mini goals) but need some guidance. Is it just accepting the fear and the blood pressure going high?
@@lorenarodriguez9330 You have to unfortunately start to lean in to those feelings of anxiety and do the opposite of what your anxiety wants you to do which would be to avoid the situation that is making your comfortable. Expect that you are going to have anxiety and that it won't physically harm you. I had panic at the cardiologist last fall during an exam. I just explained I was feeling anxiety to the doctor and my heart rate went back to normal very fast, so try to be honest with them on how you are feeling if something creeps up.
@@allis_n_wonderland I do tell them right away that I am very anxious. Unfortunately, their first response is “you need to take care of it with an SSRI” and then I get in My head thinking “this must be the only way out since I can’t control it”. Then I get more anxious on my next appointment 🤦🏻♀️
Hi Drew. I'm very early in recovery, and this video felt so relatable to me. Everything is truly so loud and overwhelming. I feel like I hear everything. I'm excited to feel better, but for now I suppose this is just how it's gonna be.
I do have a question. Since I'm so early in recovery, I'm desperate for community with other people in recovery because I often feel discouraged or confused. I read your book, and you said having a good community could be really helpful. I've been trying to find a recovery focused community, but it's been hard. I know you have a Facebook group, but I don't use Facebook. Do you have any other places to connect with people, like a Discord server or something?
I have a small Instagram subscriber community if you're over there and so inclined, but Instagram is really not a good "community" platform so it might not really be what you're looking for.
@@TheAnxiousTruth Ahh, I see. I don't really use Facebook because I value my pseudo-anonymity online, and Facebook doesn't really allow that. 😅 I'll try and check out the Instagram though. Thank you for answering!
Hey what’s up Drew, quick question:
I’ve been watching your videos on taking the steps to recovery since the beginning of 2024 (literally, 01/01/24).
While accepting/ letting go of Anxiety *correctly* (not resisting/ just letting the anxiety “hit me”), is it fine to keep watching/hearing your videos almost everyday or would that be delaying my recovery since that might be “focusing” on my anxiety too much and that’s me trying to “fix” it?
There’s days that I catch myself having the “urge” to watch your videos when my anxiety’s higher so that’s when I DONT want to watch them (even though sometimes I do lol). Although sometimes when I’m on UA-cam and the algorithm makes one of your videos pop up that I haven’t seen, that’s when I would “let” myself watch one instead of my “urge” to watch them if that makes sense.
This is where I become the worse UA-camr of all time. How about unsubscribing to the channel for few weeks, or just see what happens if you decide to not watch the new videos for a week or two? I would definitely say that listening to me again and again when anxious is a habit worth breaking, but even the casual popping in to watch or listen is something you can experiment with if you're feel you have to ask this question. Now go find me another channel that tells you to not watch in the comment section. LOL
@@TheAnxiousTruth LOL A reply I did NOT expect!🫵🏼
So when would be the “time” to watch/hear your videos?
Cause isn’t it ironic to not watch/hear your videos WHEN anxious, but when not as anxious I don’t feel the need/urge to watch/hear them anyways? Thank you for your reply by the way
I've been going nuts over pvc's the last few days enough to where it sent me to the ER this past Sunday. The frequency of them has been just insane to me. I have been checked and have gotten many tests done that say I'm normal and good. However the pvcs have just been running rampant and it's all I think about. I've heard that anxiety can cause pvcs but no one can give me an answer or at least an experience like mine that can assure me I'm going to be ok and that this is normal. I simply cannot get my mind off of it and its driving me insane, I just want to be assured that I'll be okay despite having probably close to 1,000 to 2,000 pvcs a day, if not more.
Don't worry, they are related to anxio. It is very unpleasant feeling, but not life threatening. That nuber may seem like a lot, but due to cardiologist doesn't need a medication at that level.
VERY uncomfortable for sure. They used to scare the hell out of me. But note that you've been checked and test and been told that your PVCs are benign (all human hearts make them sometimes) but your fear still demands MORE assurance. One of our basic principles in this context is that there will never be enough assurance to soothe that fear. You'll be OK for a little bit, then when you have more PVCs your brain will tell you that the previous assurance must have been wrong, that you're the only one that has ever had this experience, and that you are really in danger. Try to see that cycle in action if you can. It can help inform that "leave it alone" action that you think seems like ridiculous advice. Hang in there. I know this is feels REALLY disturbing for you at the moment.
Went to the ER last night too. I swear I was getting skips every 2 to 3 beats CONSTANTLY. They didnt even bother with tests other than an ecg and the doctor said she wasnt worried about my health or the frequency but I still don't believe these are benign because of how many im getting. Its been so hard to deal with
Do you accept ins for therapy.
The practice I am at does accept quite a few insurance plans. If you're in New York State (anywhere in the state) and want more info you can go here:
learn.theanxioustruth.com/therapy-with-drew-linsalata