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Sensation Overload

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Fadeaway

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Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by sensation. Every little sound and touch is overwhelming. Normal lights are to bright, which is the opposite of my normal, I like everything well lit. Small sounds seem so loud and make me jump. My husbands foot steps sound exaggerated even though they aren't and cause anxiety. Some one banging a metal pipe 3 or 4 doors down makes me jump and almost burst into tears. I just want to crawl into be and hide from the world. My husband will follow me and try to rub my arm or back and the sensation of touch is more than I can bare. A light touch feels so heavy. Movement across my skin feels like sandpaper ripping my skin.

It seems like an extreme form of hyper vigilance only worse.It is one thing to be alert and anxious about Evey little movement and sound, but this take those little movements and sounds and makes them unbearable. It usually happens in the morning when I first wake up. It happens maybe once or twice a month. Today it was in the middle of the day after a trigger.

Anyone know what this is?
 
I call it hyper vigilance myself, sometimes it's more extreme than other times.

Re: sound - Can you put in an iPod and play music that centers you? If you can't play music, can you put a beautiful scent on your inner wrists to bring you back from extreme emergency mode? I have had times where I have to just go in our guest room and shut out the world until my primitive brain realizes all is well, we are safe.
 
Or maybe you could sit down to a cup of mild herb tea, something you like the flavor of. Staying in one spot, I think, might be good until it passes too.
 
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