What do you do when your brain feels overloaded?

[Innordinate]

The particular thing I'm trying to talk about here is feeling your brain is overloaded / short circuited / had too much input.

Constantly. Multiple times a day my brain overloads.

Ptsd for the most part. Sometimes when I'm hyper vigilant and didn't notice I am. Brains wants to super focus on one thing and if I haven't notice and there are a lot of other inputs trying to get it it pops. My brain I mean. Just stops working.

Other times and now since i'm very rarely in hyper vigilant needed situations- if I'm trying to think about something but keep going in circles my brain will also end up short circuiting. I think this one is more ADHD but usually its PTSD garbage i'm circling on without a solution.

And kids. Especially if I'm stuck in my own head- their noise, their need, their relentless attention seeking behaviours.
Can not handle.

What's helped? For all of the above short circuiting. A break. Remove myself from situation if possible. Focus on breathing. Pause one thing to stay present with another instead - shift focus.
Quiet time.
I'll ask my kids to slow down and then really use my skills to listen, reflect back to them what they're saying to slow them down more and make sure I'm present.

Colouring I find, doesnt use much brain capacity to further the overload but requires enough brain attention to stop the overload- if that makes sense.

I hope some or any of that is helpful.

I find myself wanting to just cover my ears and sit on the floor to escape.

oh- which reminds me. I cant do this often because i need to hear whats going on around me most of the time (even though its overwhelming) but- headphones. Music. tune out the background if you can with music you consider calming/soothing.

ETA: yeah, takes awhile to get back to normal from. Sometimes faster than other time but its a good chunk of time.

oh- eh, sometimes a conversation with someone you like, who also understands the possible random crap a chaotic brain might say. i find msging helps best because its not such in your face input. but that can speed up getting back to normal brain functioning.

 

[Teasel]

Thanks so much, yes that's just the sort of thing I mean. I'm going yo experiment I think. The same way I found out what things help me ground, I shall try to find out what helps me un overload, offload I guess?

Colouring I can imagine that sort of thing is great, something very easy to focus on, and yeah perfectly understand it helps you undo the overload. I guess because you switch your focus to one very simple task.

So I might think on other very simple tasks I can try out :)

 

[Innordinate]

So I might think on other very simple tasks I can try out

share them? i need some more ideas too.

Colouring I can imagine that sort of thing is great, something very easy to focus on, and yeah perfectly understand it helps you undo the overload. I guess because you switch your focus to one very simple task.

yes, exactly that.
thats a way better explanation than what i said.

 

[whiteraven]

I have to find one thing to focus on. One only. Like taking a shower. Coloring is good, too.

 

[intothelight]

When I hit the point that my head is buzzing, I start to stutter, and my body starts shaking from the adrenaline release, I just leave. I find a place that is away and quiet, whether that is the yard, a walk or a drive to a favorite spot, etc. Once there I focus on slowing my breathing and do a relaxation technique where I consciously get each muscle to relax by focusing on each and consciously observe the relaxing. I start at my feet and move to my head and neck. Once I get past the buzzing and shaking, I ease back into the day, with the simplest task first, then one more, and then one more. If it is a person, I basically shut them down and out. If your Mr. doesn't respect your boundaries, find a room, shut the door and crank up the music. However, you will know what will and will not work with the members of your household.

 

[Teasel]

Thanks :)

Will do @Innordinate

I do already live my life in my bedroom in order to avoid Mr. Impossible to avoid him 100% of the time but I do my best. And I do get away from him as soon as I realise he’s being aggressive.
Is it progressive muscle relaxation you’re describing @intothelight ?

Think I might have a brainstorming session on simple tasks. And put my colouring book & pencils in my room, see if I find them helpful next time it happens. Wierd frustrating to have to wait to be in that headspace again in order to test things out. :D

 

[Klanala]

Can't think straight to know which section this goes in. Sorry if I've picked the wrong one.

So my brain feels overloaded. Shall try and describe - feels like short circuited, too much input, can't think, very uncomfortable feeling.

Wanting to know if others feel like this and if you feel it's part of your PTSD or something else?

And what methods you have for dealing with the problem. I want yo say in and not in others company, cause its maybe easier when your alone.

Muchly appreciated any input thanks.

OK I'm maybe aware of an urge to keep switching what I check on so that would be elements of hypervigilance.

Sorry if I sound dumb I can't think properly.

I i felt a feeling of dread as it came over, feeling it's all too much.

I think it is called cognitive overload. It has been an individual learning process for recovering from a craniotomy stopping chronic sinusitis becoming seizure free. I had to stop facebook develop strong boundaries which is an ongoing process know when I need to say no. Learn cognitive distortions stop people pleasing be very organized use STOP HALT not be afraid to be different. Definitely the chaos and change is big part of it. I had to bring back yoga meditation too.

 

[Teasel]

I think it is called cognitive overload.

Thank you! That sounds right, and is something I can look up, cheers :)

All of those things you list are things I'm having to learn too, meditation helps me ever such a lot.

Are there other things like meditation you find helpful? Almost in a preventative way?

 

[Warrior Chicken]

Overload mixed with hyper vigilance for me feels like everything is amplified. I can hear ants fart and trees fall in the forest a hundred miles away. Exhausting.

When I notice this is happening it’s too late to use most of my grounding skills, so as many others have said....it’s focusing on one thing, making one change I can manage that will build space.

Breathing - very important, but sometimes the overload and need to scan is so high that I can’t slow enough to do this well. So, I don’t drop it, I do it in bits and pieces. Even set a reminder on my phone.

Headphones - if conditions allow for it. I use Insight Timer for music and guided meditations. Sometimes ones from Glenn Harrold work well. Other times, can only handle music. Or even just the cocoon of the noise canceling headphones (for me these are essential kit).

Using senses - this is tricky and depends on each person. I have a flat stone I carry with me always when outside my home. Sometimes just touching that and focusing on textures helps. I also try holding it in one palm and clenching the other fist then alternating between the 2 sensations.....fist/fury/strength/energy and stone/calm/solid/relaxed for me this creates boundaries in space that my overloaded brain can identify and choose a direction. If energy wins - I do something productive (build something, clean, cook, etc). If relaxed wins - I find a way to remove myself from all stimuli so I can bring the volume down even for a few minutes.

Sometimes it takes days or weeks to reduce it. And often I reduce it just enough to breathe for a moment and I’m right back at overload. But the thing is....it REALLY sucks, but we do build resilience. I believe the duration and intensity will lessen over time, even if it doesn’t feel like it and even though we don’t remember well once we’re out of those phases.

Hope some of that helped...

 

[Teasel]

@Warrior Chicken exceptionally helpful thanks :) think ill copy most of your post to my notes, so I can reread regularly and try some things out. Hope you don't mind.

I agree, I'm sure it can be whittled away over time, I've experienced that with being triggered, I'm sure I can work on this too. It does take very regular chipping away but it works :)

Cheers

 

[Warrior Chicken]

Absolutely @Teasel happy to help wherever I can

 

[Teasel]

Breathing - very important, but sometimes the overload and need to scan is so high that I can’t slow enough to do this well.

Just rereading and found myself wondering if the app breath ball could be of any use for you at all.

When the PTSD team asked us to try slow deep breathing with a particular count, most of us couldn't focus on the breathing long enough to get any benefit. Between sessions I found an app called Breath ball, which sometimes helped me focus on the exercise long enough to get some benefit. Quite a few in the group found it helped them. So just thought I'd share with you in case it could help you.