Easily Overwhelmed?

[TheDeepestScar]

I don't know if it's a normal part of what is PTSD or not. But when there is alot going on in the house, like if the kids are especially loud and active, I get incredibly overwhelmed and start getting incredibly anxious.

Tonight it got so bad I had my husband go back and get me my anti-anxiety med, which I only take as needed.

Dealing with PTSD, understanding it, it's still foreign to me.

Is it normal to get easily overwhelmed by external stressors or loud noises? Does this happen to anyone else?

Or am I just nuts.

[veiled]

Yep, pretty normal. There is a PTSD cup explanation of this but I have to go find it... Will try to get that link posted when I get a chance.

[rt1967]

yes that might be the words sometimes notice that with sound better now for months when i can um think better and organise thoughts might be the words,sometimes i can't think when someone asks me question like instant clouds in my head and overwhelmedt oo and sometimes people say i don't hear or respond at all .Things are much better for some pieces of the time can listen to music etc couldn't do that for last couple of years at all .yeah i got lots of experiences i don't see or understand yet.Thankyou.

[hollyberry]

the past month my grandchildrens behavior has been getting to me, seems like they have gotton so spoiled...maybe its just the ptsd

[rt1967]

its weird trying to fit the experiences to the words,getting something then losing it or just not getting it.

[kers]

This happens to me, too. I find that I have a certain thershold for how much I can stand going on around me. For example, I can handle a loud restaurant or bar as long as I'm against a wall and there aren't many strange people around me. If there's a lot of movement or strangers, I'm done. I found that once I started to notice what I could and could not tolerate, I noticed similar patterns in other situations.

[hodge]

Oh, yes, I have been able to get easily overwhelmed for a long time. Too much of any kind of sensory stimulation will do it to me. I used to put it down to being hypersensitive. Since being diagnosed with ptsd, however, I've learned this is common with us. Be patient with yourself. I was diagnosed a couple years ago and I'm still coming to grips with it at times.

Also, the "ptsd cup" post that Veiled mentioned is in the Information section under Anger Management: http://www.ptsdforum.org/thread63.html

I never think to look for it there, because I get the overwhelmed stuff more than the anger, but that's where it is.

[TheDeepestScar]

That helps a little with the understanding, especially since I learn best with pictures. I get overwhelmed then that hooks up with anxiety and top it with irritability and I'm a joy to have around.

Then I start feeling guilty for feeling this way which is self defeating I suppose.

[hodge]

DeepestScar, yes, that is self-defeating - I've learned the hard way it doesn't do any good to go that route. We have an illness. It's just that it doesn't always show on the outside. My previous therapist (now retired) and current psychologist have both given me physical medical analogies for what we have. One example is, if you had to have your legs amputated, would you blame yourself for not being able to walk? Until you got prostheses and learned how to use them, that is. Heck no! So, we have to hang in there and learn new ways of being and doing, given the limitations of ptsd, many of which we may still be learning. I know I am. It's a huge learning curve, and we need to cut ourselves some slack sometimes.

[Marlene]

Too much input for me leads to a sort of sensory overload. It's like all of my senses become way too sensitive and everything is too loud/bright/hot/etc. Even the thought of having to go through the overload makes me scared. Probably why the thought of crowds does me in. The holidays are tough for me because his family all together is damn near a crowd.

Agreeing with Hodge...(BTW-good analogy). Beating yourself up for something you can't help doesn't help at atll. We've all got a really big learning curve to work through and it takes time, patience and practice.

Be kind to yourself as you learn.

Lisa

[She Cat]

The beating ourselves up after the fact, IMO is the the most damaging to us. We all have emotions, weather they are guilt, anger, frustration, overload, whatever.....We have the right to feel that way. Everyone in the world with or without PTSD feels these things. We just tend to beat the crap out of ourselves afterwards for feeling them. We shouldn't!!!!!!

It defeats everything. We have normal feelings, then we beat the crap out of ourselves for feelings those normal and healthy emotions. Vicious cycle that does nothing but hurt us more and cause more stress on us.

[rt1967]

Thanks for posting ptsd explanation .I get overwhelmed and angry.i might get some earplugs :-)

[rt1967]

Thanks for making some sense.

[pandora]

Normal PTSD...In my experience. Often at night when my son goes to bed, I like to have candles on..no music..just AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH quiet. I need that at the end of the day. Also...I found that sleeping with a mask over my eyes and a quiet fan (white noise) helps at night so I don't jump out of my skin if I hear anything.

[baileysemt]

Thank you for the comparison to having one's legs amputated and blaming yourself for not being able to walk....... that is exactly it, and yet 95% of the time I am beating myself up. Thank you for that new perspective. That's a gem I'm going to try to keep in the forefront of my mind when I'm in self-critical mode.

:D Bailey

[TheDeepestScar]

It's hard to keep anything in my head when I'm in, well I'm always critisizing myself. I have blinders when it comes to seeing anything positive. I should say thanks to my folks and my teenage peers. Besides being made fun of by my parents and my younger sisters (get upset and they'd say 'get a sense of humor, it's just a joke'...well those jokes aren't funny when they are at your expense), I was tormented by my peers. From 6th grade on through when I graduated.

I was even beat up in a girl's locker room for a rumor someone started about me which followed me through high school. People say kids can be cruel and rub it off but sometiems it goes beyond that. Sometimes kids can really mess up other kids, I think especially if they have a weak support system at home.