So I am dx bi polar which currently comes with many ups and downs and cycles through mania, depression, and anxiety. My anxiety comes with sensory overload. It always has but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I was able to verbalize what I was feeling. For reference I’m 22 and have been this was since as far as my memories go back. And after speaking to my mom I’ve been this way since I was a baby. More often than not my sensory issues are triggered by noise and clothes on my body. I wanted to post this to show that there are ways to help yourself you just have to find them. I’ve been in therapy and on meds since I was 14. Recently my fiancé bought me noise cancelling headphones mainly for music purposes but as I put them on in the store I began to cry. He hugged me freaking out asking if I needed to leave and I said no, I’ve just never not heard so much noise in my life. So now whenever we are out of the house, sometimes even in the house if he’s playing video games I wear my headphones. My other tool is sort of odd for a 22 year old but found in a similar situation. We were at the drugstore for a bottle of Tylenol and he showed me these Winnie the Pooh themed kids toys.

I know super childish but he handed to me (he only showed them to me because I love Winnie the Pooh) and as I grabbed it I put it up to my face and rubbed it on my skin. Which is how I found yet another soothing sensory technique. So now as a 22 year old adult I carry headphones and this little Eeyore. It might be confusing to others when I pull him out of my purse but as I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to not care because it’s better than having a panic attack because my body is on fire and my ears hurt.

If you’ve read this far thank you and if it’s helped you at all I’m glad. There are ways to help you out there. It might not be the norm or what your therapist recommended but I promise there is a way to help you.