Becoming overstimulated?
I have had this problem for the past few years. My dad has interstitial lung disease and almost died from it about 3-4 times in the last 2 years. Since then my anxiety rates have been really high. Now I have a problem where I have a low tolerance to noise. Its not all the time, just mostly when I am home or anxious in crowds.
Because of his precarious health, coughing startles me. Arguments from people in confined spaces, tvs in other rooms, hearing loud music in cars while riding (driving alone I have no problem with), they all give me bad anxiety attacks. I end up curled up with stomach pain, then I get joint and jaw pain later from it. I also end up kinda disassociating sometimes sortof, where I feel kindof in and out of reality. I am slightly deaf so noise shouldn't bother me so much, but I have to put in earplugs to sleep and turn background music up so that it will keep me from hearing my parents talking in the next room and me believing something is going wrong.
Anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it?
@JessieKat, It is scary as a child to see one's parent suffering or going through pain. It leaves an impact on a child like fear, constantly worrying, apprehensiveness and sadness . As a child you were helpless and the feelings were magnified hence , I wonder if the apprehensiveness and worrying has become a habit for you now? Certain form of conflict has some trigger effect on you , maybe the body language , tone of voices and so on . Listening to music and your ear plugs are good ideas. Good night rest is important. Have you spoken to a listener or a counsellor regarding your fears or worries? Might help you to solve some old unwanted worries. By the way have you tried the mindfulness meditations at 7 cups? There are various exercises. They are great tools to help you feel grounded , relax , look at your inner self and increases awareness.
@faithlove1111
Hello,
Thank you for your reply. Even though my dad has had this condition underlying, it has only been in the past 2 years he has gotten so bad, and before that he was relatively healthy almost. So, this problem came out of nowhere for me recently. I haven't talked to a therapist about it because I cannot afford one at the time, which is why I am asking on 7cups if anyone has any experience with this
@JessieKat
I know what you are dealing with, though the cause might be different. For a long time I couldn't even get close enough to hug people without seizing up. Finding calming music does help, something you find soothing and try to clear your mind while you listen. Concentrate on the music and not the problems. Another thing that I do is to (basically) catalog my thoughts so that I can file them away. It sounds strange, likely because the exact method is hard to describe, but when I find I have too much to deal with, I will mentally pack up things in little mental boxes (while listening to music or pacing outside in a nature area, parks do when they are quiet) and put them away for later. Sometime after I find calm, I'll retreat to that safe place in the music or outdoors and unpack just one, review it, see if there is anything I can do about it yet, then put it away. But only ever one at a time. It could take a week if there is a large bundle of them. Other things that help have been writing. Nothing specific, just getting the thoughts out of my head in any manner that my mind decides they should go. It may not be exactly related to the thoughts I really don't want to deal with, it may be completely fictional, but letting the thoughts come out to be put somewhere other than my mind seems to help. The last is talking to people who can understand what you are going through, even if they just to listen and ask questions, but never advising. I find the questions help to find clarity and be able to deal with the axiety brought about by situations.