TBI Overstimulation
 

I am a 21 year old student who suffered a tbi this past January. This semester (7 months later), I came back to school expecting my learning abilities to be the same as before...I noticed that I was suffering from what I am understanding to be overstimulation. It tends to affect me in high pressure situations for retrieval: lectures, interviews, intense business conversation. It also affects me more when I am anxious: during speeches, interviews, etc.

Does anyone know about overstimulation? Does it get better over time? Are there any non-prescription remedies that can help me deal with it? I appreciate any and all information.

Struggles with over-stimulation are very common after a concussion. For most, the only solution is to reduce the stimulation. Many use ear plus to reduce the auditory background sounds.

It sounds like you tried to jump right back into a full pressure life. That is not often successful. It takes a slow reintroduction of activities and stresses before one can learn to manage stress and activity.

It sounds like you need more time.

I struggles a lot with overstimulation - could not go to a mall, loud music in a church service would overwhelm me, parties could not take for more than a little bit. There was no medication that helped. It is a matter of dampening your exposure to stimuli, whether it be light, sounds, activity/motion etc. I have slowly gotten better with all of it, but still have some problems with noise overstimulation. At the 4th of July I went to a party with pool swimming and kids and lots of adult conversations. After 2 hours my brain felt fried, and I politely excused myself and missed the fire works. Oh well. I have also used ear plugs early on in my recovery and that was great, let in just a limited amount of auditory stimuli.

Try different exposures and see what your own limits are, and know that they will slowly change, no doubt. I have been recovering for over two and a half years. But I am 1,000 times better than I was 2 years ago. There is hope.

Mark in Idaho & Laura G,

I appreciate the advice.

Do you think that it is wise that I finish out my senior year semester? As I mentioned, I only feel the overstimulation in intense interpersonal conversation or understandable anxiety-driven situations (speeches). I can adjust my workload & limit my extra curricular (also I have already told my professors and they will be providing me extra leeway this semester).

Also, I am prescribed Adderall which I stimulates my brain almost in a coffee like sense. I was cleared to take it by my neurologist...is it wise to reduce my use or not take it at all?

Again, I truly appreciate the advice & I am optimistic moving forward that my brain will heel.

In my opinion, adding Adderall throws a monkey wrench into the whole scenario. It is hard to make any recommendations besides 'listen to your body."

If you dont mind me asking, why does it throw a wrench into it?

Just thought I'd add my two pence worth.

Sensory overload is something I struggle with too. I've found it affects me most when I am told a lot of information which I need to process or a complex idea I have trouble understanding.
I've sort of started to identify when this starts so I can try and stop the other person.

For example, my boyfriend was explaining to me about different kinds of trick/magic wallets and how they all work. After a while I could feel a headache starting up and I asked him if we could stop talking for a bit.
I think I'd left it too late though, we were in town and suddenly I was overwhelmed by all the noise and sights and suddenly felt very emotional.

I had to close my eyes and sit down for a while until I felt normal again.

Has anyone found they can stop the brain meltdowns (as I call them) if they intervene early enough?

I had a very weird one a couple of days ago, not entirely sure if it was due to the PCS.
I had been sitting down for a long time on the sofa in a dimly lit room and went to cook in the kitchen. My kitchen has fluorescent tube lighting unfortunately :(
After a few minutes I suddenly felt dizzy and sick and there was buzzing in my ears. It was horrible, I'd never had this before, I felt like I was going to pass out, everything was spinning and I was shaking.

I went to lie down for a while in the dark and then I felt alright again, so I got up and went back in the kitchen to help finish cooking but immediately felt overwhelmed again (I think by the lights) and it all started again so I wet to lie down.

Do any of you experience these sorts of feelings with sensory overload? I hadn't experienced anything quite like this before.
Usually I just feel overwhelmed and the urge to be away from everything, close my eyes and block my ears and I struggle to talk.

I had drunk almost nothing that day though (this isn't unusual; I don't get very thirsty and have to make myself drink sufficient fluid each day when I remember).

I always feel like actually I'm fine and I'm making a fuss about nothing and then I have another brain meltdown :(

If I'm really over-stimulated, I just seem to shut down. I stop talking, moving, thinking... I think it's the brain's way of protecting itself.

Look what babies do in chaotic, bright, noisy stores - they go to sleep. Their developing brain can't handle all the stimulation, so it tunes it out. I believe my brain is doing the same thing.

Exactly. Thats what I do as well. On my good days I can tolerate it a little longer, but on my normal days its a battle.

Hockey,

I do the exact same thing with the total shut down. It is so strange, I can feel it coming on with the slowing down and then not being to make sense of my own thoughts. My family and friends just tell me to relax and take a break until I come around again.

I think the explanation you gave for why this happens is accurate, although frustrating because it continues to happen to this day.

My musical abilities (playing guitar or singing out loud) are the same, with the sudden stoppage and forced recovery. Guess we just have to learn to be kind to our brains and try not to push to the point of overstimulation to the point that it is counter-productive, but it's so hard to know where that it sometimes. M-i-m