I think I'm getting sensory overwhelm more often

Could you be going through a stressful period? In burnout my window of tolerance completely shrinks for sensory sensitivity, I've noticed that when going through a stressful period the same thing happens. I was in a supermarket 2 mins from my house last week and the noise from the self service beeps was excruciating. I've been going there few times a week for years and this was the first time that happened.

How do you know if you’re in burnout or if it’s something else?  Like, for me menopause could be causing me to be incredibly fatigued, but I wonder if it could also be burnout.  

[Soaps and perfumes] I find they can make my eyes water.

I get random electric shocks, if I use an escalator I get an arc of sparks running from my little finger to my thumb, I get shocks from almost anything.

I did have exceptionally good hearing when I was younger, I was told a couple of years ago that I have normal age related hearing loss, but as these things don't happen evenly across all frequencies I wonder if I can still hear ones most humans can't?

I'm quite stressed so that might be a cause, but I do think the world is getting noisier. Why can I hear peoples phone conversations when they're in their cars, probably louder than they can.

The smell incident is the first of it's type I've had for a long time, if strong smelly perfumes come into fashion again I will have to have another epi=pen, in case I get to the point where I can't breathe properly again and my skin become inflamed.

Pietro, I can't use headphones as they trigger PTSD

I get times when it opens up I try to treat it as if it is hypersensitivity just at that moment  but It affects when I can do things, or sometimes at special times. I have been preparing months for. Walked out of a best friends wedding once because of it. It just doesn’t feel right. The distressing thing also is that it doesn’t seem to get better although im not sure if it is getting progressively worse. I have worn headphones every time o go out for well over a  decade thes are invisible like a hearing aid and let no noise in. I also started wearing ear defenders recently at major events.

It can happen when in Burnout, increase senses, do you feel you might be in an burnout (

There is this Science behind Human Frequency. Which could explain how people could receive a random electric shock. Happened me, a few times. Even happend Victor Meldrew, in a 'One Foot in the Grave' episode from 1991/92 where he was stuck in August Bank Holiday Traffic; on a Motorway. His used Honda gave him shocks.

Yesterday, I volunteered for an hour, at the local ASDA, at a Charity-Donation table. Got overwhlemed, all evening, afterwards. And I didn't get up, today, until 1:45 pm. Though downing a four-pack of Tenzing Energy Drink, bought at that ASDA, didn't help matters.

I'm way past menopause, so it's not that.

This was the first time I'd smelled anything so strong in ages.

I think playing birdsong and stuff would just irritate me more to be honest. Its when I'm out that it's at its worst, even in the garden there's kids screaming and competing music.

I too want to mpve somewhere more rural again

This has been my experience also 

I started HRT to see if helps and I've been listening to music by a program called the listening program, recommended to me by an occupational therapist I had an assessment with, I also play brown noise (only one I can toralate, was recommended to try white noise, but that was to much) and I also play waves and birds and also starting to play audio books to help distract me from the overwhelm I've been feeling with regards to noise 

Ot said if I can control the noise this can help, but I'm reacting to noise I can't control, I'm trying so hard not to wear the headphones all day, but I do give in, especially when there is compound noise 

I honestly want to move somewhere remote and peaceful to get away from the noise 

I have become even more sensitive to noise, smell and textures recently, but presumed it was due to my current high stress level. 

Regarding noise level I go out at quieter times where possible. The worst noises at the moment are lots of people having landscaping in gardens, drives put in etc. I keep changing routes to try to avoid them and when at home and I notice noise I try to put on music that covers background noise.

Regarding smells, that is a difficult one. If only people with strong perfume could sense it like us and vapes are similar. I try to avoid shops.

I’ve noticed recently that it’s harder to cope with smells and noise. I wonder if I’m generally becoming more intolerant to other people’s behavioural habits because I’m older or if it affects mainly autistic people who have had sensory sensitivities for years. 

Most of the time I can avoid noise and smells as I dislike shopping. I shop mostly online. Most of the other places I go to are tolerable to a degree. If it gets noisy I can use my noise cancelling AirPods. If smells are too intense I just have to escape.

TheCatWoman said:

The other day I had to leave a shop because somebody had really strong perfume or aftershave on, it made my breathe catch in my throat

I’m wondering if people are wearing more intense perfumes than they used to because I had a similar experience a week ago. In fact, my clothes were smelling of the perfume when I got back home yet I hadn’t made contact with the person or anyone else.