Are You Really Overstimulated—Or Is It Just a Buzzword?

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Mental-health lingo has peppered conversations for years. Look no further than “gaslighting,” which ushered in a new era of therapy-speak, and its counterparts “trauma,” “toxic,” and “triggered”—all generally used in oversimplified or inaccurate ways. Perhaps you’ve noticed a newer addition while scrolling social media: “overstimulated.” Across the internet, people are reporting being overstimulated by fresh photos of their favorite celeb, weekends packed full of plans, grocery stores loaded with too many choices, and the exhausting demands of new parenthood.

“I think people mean that there's too many things going on at once, and they feel overloaded by it—like task paralysis for your senses,” says Dr. Jessi Gold, chief wellness officer for the University of Tennessee System. “It resonates, and it sticks. It becomes almost like a slang word.”

Yet experts say that most of the time, people aren’t experiencing true overstimulation, but something else.

What it really feels like to be overstimulated

In clinical terms, overstimulation—or sensory overload—means your brain is unable to process all the sensory information it’s receiving. That could include loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, unexpected physical contact, or being around too many people in a small space. “You’re experiencing sensations, and you feel them more than they actually are,” says Naomi Torres-Mackie, a psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and head of research at the nonprofit Mental Health Coalition. That makes it different from overwhelm, which is an emotional reaction caused by stress or anxiety—like when your responsibilities exceed your capacity—and isn’t necessarily tied to sensory input. Though anyone can experience overstimulation, it’s particularly common among those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia, she adds.

Imagine you’re body-to-body with strangers on a subway car, for example. While many people would find the experience unpleasant, they’d be able to stick it out until they reached their destination. Those experiencing true sensory overload, on the other, might need to exit sooner than planned. “For somebody with PTSD, ADHD, or ASD, it would feel intolerable,” Torres-Mackie says. “You might feel the need to escape or flee; you might feel restless, like you just cannot calm down; you might have feelings of anxiety. You might experience a panic attack, or feel agitated or angry or rageful, and become highly emotionally reactive.”

Read More: 4 Signs Your Body Is Telling You It’s Time to Take a Break

That's because your nerves are on edge, she says; if you're overstimulated, you feel unsafe and, as a result, react strongly. Some people also report physical symptoms, like lightheadedness, headaches, muscle tension, and heart palpitations.

Exactly what triggers sensory overload can vary depending on a person’s underlying mental-health condition. People with PTSD, ASD, ADHD, and anxiety disorders tend to become particularly overstimulated by crowds and loud noises; those with autism are often especially triggered by touch. Schizophrenia can lead to overstimulation around visual and auditory signals: "These can feel so strong and intense that they often get kind of jumbled,” Torres-Mackie says, “and one theory is that’s what leads to hallucinations.”

When people have PTSD, meanwhile, their sensory overload is often tied to traumatic experiences. Being around a person who was present when the trauma happened, or who reminds you of the perpetrator, could trigger a feeling of overstimulation, Torres-Mackie says. Certain smells could, too. “We see this a lot around the Fourth of July,” she adds. “The sounds of fireworks can be triggering if you've seen active combat.”

Why the term resonates so much

Caitlin Slavens, a psychologist specializing in maternal mental health in Alberta, Canada, often hears from overwhelmed moms who are drenched in the sensory bombast of modern parenting: rat-a-tat noise, touch, little sleep, and constant demands. “They describe it as ‘overstimulated’ more than any other word,” she says.

The internet has molded sensory overload into a catch-all phrase for parental burnout, frustration, and exhaustion, Slavens says. Are these moms overstimulated in the technical sense? Sometimes. “Other times, they’re overwhelmed, touched-out, or emotionally drained,” she says. “But ‘overstimulated’ seems to be the most straightforward explanation for how it feels when their systems are maxed out.”

Read More: Do Less. It's Good for You

Torres-Mackie, who runs a group for new parents at Lenox Hill Hospital, also reports hearing “overstimulated” pop up among those adjusting to parenthood. “There’s so much sensory information or sensory experiences all of a sudden that you didn’t have before,” she says. “It can feel overwhelming.” Of course, Torres-Mackie acknowledges, overwhelm isn’t unique to parents: Most people have days when there’s so much going on, they just want to hide under a heavy blanket. “You don't have to be a new parent to feel overwhelmed in a sensory way,” she says.

Is it sensory overload or overwhelm?

When Torres-Mackie works with clients who describe themselves as overstimulated, she dives into what’s causing those feelings—and how the person’s day-to-day functioning is impacted. “If you’re feeling really inundated with certain tasks and requests at work, and you’re still able to perform, you may be overwhelmed," she says. “But if you completely freeze, and you're not able to perform—maybe you even have a panic attack—then you’re likely overstimulated.”

It can be particularly revealing to ask yourself if whatever’s bothering you is uncomfortable or intolerable. If it’s simply uncomfortable, working on finding a way to adapt to it is key, Torres-Mackie says. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective way to overcome a tendency to simply steer clear of your triggers. “Avoiding something that’s uncomfortable often backfires, because you don't build the muscle to deal with it,” she says. “If it feels absolutely intolerable, that's one thing, but if it is somewhat tolerable, I do recommend staying in the discomfort to give yourself the experience of living through it and knowing that you can handle it.” That way, the next time you experience it, you’ll be better equipped with the sense of agency and empowerment you need to persevere, she adds.

What to do if you’re overstimulated

Many of the same strategies are helpful whether you’re overstimulated or overwhelmed. Here’s what experts recommend.

Seek out a soothing space

Slavens teaches people to designate a space of their own where they can seek solace in order to feel more regulated. That might mean plopping down on the bed, taking a whiff of a favorite essential oil, or hugging a pillow for a few minutes. “Deep pressure helps calm the nervous system down,” she says. The goal is to “go from being really amped up to calmer than you were.”

Try grounding strategies

One of the most effective ways to self-soothe is to focus on your five senses. “You’re tapping into the very thing that’s feeling fraught,” Torres-Mackie says. Spend a few minutes noticing what you’re feeling on your body—like the way your fuzzy socks warm your feet—what you see around you, what you hear, and what you taste. Or, you could choose to zero in on just one sense, like scent. When Torres-Mackie is feeling overwhelmed, she lights a woodsy candle that reminds her of happy times. “I also have perfumes I use that are soothing,” she says. If you’re more of a touch person, you might find solace by holding your own hand, or if you find sound calming, you could turn on your favorite relaxing song.

Read More: How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating

Enlist a friend’s support

If you’re struggling in a social situation—maybe a loud dinner party or sold-out concert—let a trusted friend know you might need to go somewhere quiet for a few minutes. You could agree on a gesture you’ll make to indicate that you're going to step away and will come back when you feel better, Gold says. Use that time to gather yourself on the fire escape or balcony, or even to spend a few minutes practicing deep-breathing techniques in the bathroom. “And if you can’t come back,” Gold says, “then you’ll try it another day.”

Test out noise-canceling headphones

Putting on a pair of noise-canceling headphones can help create a quieter environment and reduce stress caused by external noise. If you’re worried you’ll look standoffish if, for example, you wear them at work, let your colleagues know that wearing them allows you to focus better.

Talk to a professional

Psychotherapy is effective for both overwhelm and sensory overload. Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are typically considered the gold standard. Sensory integration therapy is also an option, though it’s most frequently used with children. “Psychodynamic and insight-oriented work can be really effective,” Torres-Mackie says, because these approaches help you figure out how to cope with daily stressors.

The most important thing to do, experts agree, is explore what’s going on if you often feel overstimulated. “If you’re really resonating with the word, and want to know what it means about you, you should use that as fuel to go talk to someone,” Gold says. Whether it turns out you’re overwhelmed or overstimulated, it’s possible to achieve both calmness and balance.

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