Coping Strategies for Severe Sensory Overload, Part 2
By Margo Kay
Note: Margo, who lives in Missouri, has been a member of our community since 2011.
In part 1, I talked about the use of medication to expand my sensory tolerance, and I also described how I use pacing to help me from becoming overstimulated. This article focuses on specific tools I use to protect myself from sensory overload.
Tools & Strategies for Light Sensitivity
Lighting
At home, my first line of defense is my curtains and blinds. Sometimes on cloudy days I am able to open the curtains a bit. I also use low wattage light bulbs in my lamps, and dimmer switches. Sometimes I need sunglasses indoors.
Computers and Internet
The brightness of a computer screen, even at its dimmest setting, is overstimulating, and scrolling sometimes triggers a "too much movement" sensitivity.
So, for the most part, I use my phone for almost all my computer usage, resorting to my tablet for things I can't do on my phone, and my computer only when absolutely necessary.
Even with my iPhone, I can't be online indefinitely. It helps if I "chunk" my screen time, alternating between electronic gadgets and doing something else or resting. Also, I use dictation to write emails, which is a huge timesaver.
Amber Tint
Probably the most helpful strategy I have discovered for reducing light sensitivity from electronic gadgets is amber-tinted glasses. These help extend my screen time. I wear these while I use my phone and much of the rest of the time too.
The ones I use are about $12 on Amazon from a company called Eyekepper. (Yes, that’s the spelling.) They come in different focal lengths for reading, as well as plain glass.
Also helpful are apps or built-in features which give the screens a slight amber tint, either all the time or as evening falls. This is a built-in feature with the iPhone called “night shift.” My iPhone also has a privacy screen protector, which darkens the screen somewhat and provides a slight amber tint.
Tools & Strategies for Sound Sensitivity
Earplugs
The foundation of my approach to sound sensitivity is earplugs. After lots of experimentation, I finally found an earplug that fits my ear, was comfortable, and did the job. It’s a Walgreens brand T-shaped foam earplug which is bright pink and yellow striped.
During my experimentation, I learned to follow the instructions on the back of the package because a plug didn't help much unless it was placed fully in my ear canal. Prescription eardrops calm down the irritation when my ear canals get irritated.
One downside of wearing strong ear protection is that it makes it difficult to understand people. My solution is to pull one earplug out about halfway during the conversation.
Also, I ask people to face me directly, without a glare behind their heads and with light on their faces. That way I can partly lip read and partly hear them. (I recommend www.lipreading.org, which has a lip reading course with videos.)
Headphones
Another category of ear protection is headphones. First, I tried headphones somewhat like the ones airline employees use around jets. They were not very comfortable, but were effective and inexpensive.
I also have some over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones. They are great where there is a constant background rumble like a loud fan. They don't work as well on sudden or higher pitched sounds, but it's easier to hear people talk with them on.
And they are also much more comfortable than the plain earphones. I have often used my noise-canceling headphones along with my earplugs.
Another note on using tools for ear protection: they usually have a decibel rating for how much protection they provide. The higher the number, the more protection.
Other Strategies for Sound
I can't use the telephone because it sends me up to the ceiling in seconds. So I save that for 911 calls only. Otherwise, I enlist other people to make calls on my behalf.
I often have to ask people to stop doing something loud or bright because either I don't have my tools, or what they are doing exceeds what my tools are able to do to protect me. One time I had to have a friend call the police because the neighbors' house sitter liked extremely loud music.
When people talk in a monologue too long without a break I ask them to stop talking briefly. I need the break for my brain to catch up with what they’ve been saying.
Toolkit for Leaving the House
I have a backpack of tools ready to go for whenever I leave the house. I wear earplugs, sunglasses, and a baseball hat. I carry extra earplugs, noise canceling headphones, regular headphones, another pair of sunglasses, and a sleep mask. I have learned the hard way that if I don't have something when I need it, I am likely to suffer a good long while because of it.
My baseball cap has a long brim and I curve it so that it covers the sides just a little bit. I wear the darkest pair of wraparound sunglasses I found and stack another pair of wraparound sunglasses on top.
Another strategy is to wear regular sunglasses on the bottom layer covered with sunglasses designed to fit over prescription glasses. I especially like the sunglasses with a blue mirrored finish; they provide just a slight amber tint to the blue light outdoors.
Weather permitting, I wear a sweatshirt or coat with the hood pulled up, which helps eliminate light from the side
In the car, I put on the sleep mask and recline the seat. If the car is too loud despite earplugs I sometimes add a layer of headphones. If I think I need more light protection, I put my sunglasses on top of the sleep mask. I’ve also used that combination at the dentist where their bright light is in my face.
Using all these tools to protect myself sometimes makes me look like a bit of a spectacle. It's something I've just had to get used to doing and it's surprising how little attention I attract.
Strategies for Severe Activity Restriction
Dealing emotionally with severe sensory restrictions can be more difficult than managing the practical aspects. My restrictions make it difficult to read, either because it's too dark to read a paper book, or because it’s impossible to tolerate anything electronic.
This level of sensory impairment means spending a lot of time lying around alone doing nothing. It's incredibly isolating.
Thankfully, I am able to spend more time online now and that makes my mood better. My iPhone connects me to the rest of the world. Meditation helps. I sleep a lot. Having the curtains open even just a little bit on a cloudy day is a big mood booster. And I can better-tolerate conversations now, which helps with the isolation.
Conclusion
I have learned many things to mitigate my sensory overload. As I described in part 1, medication, pacing, and avoidance have all been important. Also, using the tools I described in this article has given me a way to protect myself from overstimulation.
My tolerance has improved quite a bit over the last couple of years as my doctor and I have worked out a medication regimen which helps and I’ve integrated self-management techniques into my life.
Now, I can tolerate the curtains being open slightly, have lights on at night, engage in conversations without earplugs, and don’t always need multiple levels of protection when I leave the house. I look forward to even greater improvement as the doctor and I continue to tweak medication doses and I refine my strategies.
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