Some of you may have heard of the term “sensory overload” before. For those that haven't, it’s when one or more of your senses experiences over stimulation. This comes from the environment around you eg. loud noises, bright light or colours and crowding. It’s very distressing and can cause the person experiencing it to become agitated, anxious or even to go into a mental meltdown. Anyone can experience sensory overload under the right conditions. The most commonly known group of people who are vulnerable to this are those on the autistic spectrum, but did you know there are other disorders that can also be affected? People with ADHD, anxiety and certain personality disorders are known to struggle with this issue. I’m going to be explaining my experience of it as someone with Borderline Personality Disorder.
As we do every Tuesday, me and my partner had gone to do our food shopping. We usually go late in the evening, but for some reason we had come earlier in the day. My local Lidl is the place we visit consistently as they always have the things we like to buy and it’s relatively cheap. I enjoy the way they lay things out and have my own little route I take, which is the same every week. As we were walking down the first aisle I found myself feeling a bit lost and felt my throat tightening. There were a lot more people than usual, but I could cope with this level of anxiety. By the time we got to the top of the aisle though, I felt positively sick. Taking a moment to look around I realised the entire layout had been changed. My items were not in the places I would usually find them and large double height freezers had been installed. The lights on the freezers were extremely bright, the noise level was high and I was having to navigate around people with a large trolley. When we got to the freezer section I realised that I was heading for a meltdown. In all honesty I felt stupid. How could it be that someone as functional as I was, was almost crying over a change in layout? My partner was supporting me and I tried to laugh it off and hold back my tears. My head was pounding and my ears were ringing. I could even feel myself beginning to disassociate; a natural coping mechanism I have.
Luckily I managed to make it through my shopping trip without a major meltdown, which I’ve experienced in the past. The one that always sticks out in my mind was when I had a full on breakdown in a shopping centre, where I got furious with my partner and ran out of the shop (Yikes). When I was younger and less aware of what was happening to me, I didn’t even realise what was causing my meltdowns. I haven’t had too many in the last few years as I’ve managed to improve my emotional resilience. I’d been feeling particularly fragile during that week so it’s understandable I didn’t cope as well as usual.
Many people with non-neurotypical tendencies like BPD and Autism rely heavily on routine and structure to cope with day to day tasks. Even small changes could throw us into a blind panic. But I have found ways to manage my stress and try and avoid overstimulation whilst in public.
- Avoid busy times - We tend to go shopping at around 7pm. You can’t always help it, but it’ll save you a lot of stress if you can plan your week differently. I also do all my christmas present shopping early as I can’t deal with the garish colours, bright lights and screaming children that the holidays bring.
- Take a friend/carer - Essential for me as I can’t manage the whole shop on my own. If you’re going to be going to parties or events where you might get sensory overload, it always helps to have a supportive person you can trust with you.
- Make a list/plan your route - I find this really helps to keep me focussed, so I don’t panic when I have to make decisions about what to buy or where I’m going.
- Remember to breathe - I always forget to do this when I start to experience sensory overload. I hold my breath as I’m gritting my teeth and it makes me feel even worse. Practicing mindfulness when you’re not stressed helps you to use it when you are.
- Regularly get out of your comfort zone - I know you don’t want to because it feels like hell, but getting out and doing the things that make you a little anxious will help you to be more resilient. Every so often I pop to a smaller shop to get a few bits on my own. It’s stressful, but it builds confidence.
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