by If your children have received ADHD diagnoses, even if they take over the counter meds for ADHD child, they may also experience anxiety. These conditions may make your child especially sensitive to sensory overload. Lights and sounds can become overwhelming, feeling like they are brighter and louder than they should be. When this overstimulation occurs, it can cause other emotional and mental challenges.
Causes of Overstimulation
Your child may be exceptionally sensitive to loud noises, such as music during a concert, traffic noise, construction sounds, humming fans and even people clicking pens. However, your children may also feel overwhelmed in crowds or enclosed spaces. They could react to strong smells, even pleasant smells, such as food and perfumes. Some textures can also overstimulate those with ADHD.
Unfortunately, your children may also find it difficult to multitask or solve complex problems. Making their brains focus on more than one task at a time can cause overstimulation and mental overload.
Heightened Stress Levels
Children who receive too much stimulation begin to experience increased stress. As their stress increases, your children may act out in ways they normally would not. They can become fearful, anxious or generally uncomfortable. They may see threats where none are present. They can even activate their fight-or-flight instincts and seek ways to escape. You may even observe panic attacks.
Physical Reactions
Overstimulated children can also have physical reactions. They may start shaking, have increased heartbeats, headaches, light-headedness, restlessness and dizziness. They may feel like they will faint and could experience common signs of sickness, such as nausea. These children could even start shaking.
If your child experiences these physical reactions, you can ask your physician if natural anxiety medication for teenager can help prevent overstimulation and reduce its effects.
Emotional Challenges
Overstimulation also impacts your child’s emotional health. They may have unexpected outbursts and find it difficult to sleep. They could gain fears and start to panic. They could have difficulty controlling their emotions and thoughts.
Difficulty Concentrating
The mental reactions of overstimulation include challenges in focusing or concentrating. This exacerbates the initial overstimulation in some children because they may not understand why they can’t concentrate. You may see them jump from one topic or task to another seemingly without cause or reason.
Overstimulation Prevention Tips
If your child experiences overstimulation, you need to learn what triggers it. Communicate openly with your children. Then, help them avoid some locations, such as restaurants and crowded areas. You can help them learn to manage events and social situations.
Ask them to try new foods, but pay attention to their reactions and don’t force them. Install blackout curtains in their rooms so the early morning light doesn’t impact them as they sleep and get up.
Purchase soaps, detergents, body products and other chemical products that do not have scents. Help them find clothing that doesn’t cause overstimulation, and help them learn about fabrics and items that set off their reactions. Relaxation techniques and treatment also help children with anxiety and ADHD.
Ask a physician questions such as does Lexapro help with anxiety or what other options are available to help your children manage their ADHD and anxiety and prevent or reduce their reactions to overstimulation.
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