Overstimulation

[cyanessence]

About two weeks ago, I had a realisation that I very likely have ADHD. In an instant, my world made perfect sense and my long-lasting depression just vanished. I felt like I could finally start fighting the right battle.

Since then, I've been a little overwhelmed. I'm suddenly different and I don't recognise myself. My mind has been racing with new ideas and I feel constantly overstimulated. I couldn't sleep last night or three nights ago, and I've been struggling to eat.

I'm concerned that these new challenges will get the best of me and lead me back to depression. How do I shut my mind off? I just want to sleep.

[lostvibes]

Hey, I'm so sorry to hear it... I know the feeling all too well. I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, JUST as perimenopause showed up (fun fact : they are NOT MATES) 😞

One thing I used to do (when I didnt even know it was ADHD at the time), even though I had the stimming, the whizzing brain, the disassociation, the constant inner narrative, sounds/music in my head 24/7, the sensory overload/issues, sometimes my clothes FELT LOUD on my body?! weird I know - but what helped, is when I would remove any of the extra stimulating things around me (jewellery, clothes, shoes, anything that my mind was processing without me realising), making me anxious.

Also I would turn down the lights, lie on the carpet with my legs up the wall, close my eyes and just count... literally 1,2,3,4,5.... over and over, and eventually my mind went blank, if only for a few moments. SUCH RELIEF.

Also BIG LIGHTS (overhead lights) are super stimulating and can make ADHD symptoms feel worse, if you have lamps (esp ones with low wattage) use those when you're feeling overwhelmed. I changed all my globes to super low watt. Game changer.

For those middle of the night sleepless awful anxious moments, I do two things that have helped.

There's also a tonne of great playlists I've found that have a specific frequency that help us with ADHD calm the brain (honestly it feels like a brain massage), apparently our neurons fire a certain way thats unique and these sounds/frequencies help slow them to quiet the brain. (just search 'adhd hz' or 'adhd playlists', you'll find a heap of them for free).

The other thing is (weird but works) is an ice pack or ice skull cap (I think its called a migraine cap?) I keep in the freezer, I put it on and almost instantly my mind slows down and it helps my brain slow down. I have NO IDEA if thats actual science, but it seems to work for me.

hope any of this is helpful x

...also I've found lots of supplemments help with adhd symptoms (whether diagnosed or not), like L-Theanine, Magnesium Threonate, Zinc, B6 etc. And protein, first thing in the morning - as much as you can handle - helps w dopamine/ neuro transmitters to get em firing so you don't feel so overwhelmed.

These helped me heaps before I got diagnosed (turns out I was self-medicating for decades and didn't know?!)

Hope this helps... x

[cyanessence]

Thank you for such a prompt and helpful reply! Means a lot as I still haven't managed sleep.

Just looked up perimenopause. I can imagine that would be hard to deal with on its own but with ADHD as well? I hope it's better for you now!

Eliminating anxiety-causing stimuli is a great idea. I can do a bit of that right away.

I too sometimes find myself in curious positions when seeking comfort. I'll combine that with counting and see if that makes a difference.

I'll have to get an appropriate lamp as I rely on a very bright overhead. Often I'll leave it off but then it's too dark.

Play lists sound interesting. I think I'll try a few techniques you've recommended and see what sticks. Kind of keen to try them all.

I'm wondering if there's a reason the ice pack works for you. Glad it helps. I don't have one but I have cold things I could try.

Supplements and protein sounds good. I've seen others mention their efficacy so glad there's ways to tackle this from multiple angles.

I'm midway completing an ADHD assessment, but they openly told me they reckon I have the inattentive kind. I've learned a lot from you today, feels like the fight is already getting a little easier. Again, thank you in kind for your time and experience!

[Eagle Ray]

Hi cyanessence and lostvibes,

I just wanted to say I relate to much of what you both write and I have suspected for a long time I have ADHD, most probably the inattentive kind. I have the very obvious polar swing between hyper focus and being completely scattered.

One thing that I am using at the moment is something called myofascial unwinding (which I mentioned in the other post I talked to you on about perimenopause lostvibes). It's letting the body kind of intuitively unwind itself, which can involve ending up in odd postures/positions. It's like letting go of all thought and following the body in terms of how it wants to move. It's something I started to learn a few years ago but it is particularly helping me at the moment. I have a lot of bracing and tension that can sort of escalate in my body and this seems to unwind it and release the bracing patterns. There are various versions of it on videos on YouTube that may be helpful. It can involve quite subtle movements or more major ones, depending what the body naturally wants to do. I find it can be more beneficial than just trying to sit in meditation, for example, which I know can be hard for people with ADHD. I still value meditation, but movement seems to help because by just feeling into and following the body it becomes possible to let go of thoughts. I just wondered if it may help you sleep cyanessence.

The ice skull cap is interesting and I have often used an icepack on my head when I have a migraine. I think that could be helpful for me at times.

All the best,

ER

[cyanessence]

Thanks Eagle Ray! The more help the better. This is a bit of a strange time for me so any relief is much appreciated.

That technique you mentioned makes a lot of sense to me. I'll definitely check out some videos. I too appreciate meditation, but I do get fed up with the stillness. This seems like a way to make it more effective!

Also, I did manage some sleep last night. I eliminated distractions as they became apparent and put on one of those ADHD play lists with a certain frequency. At first I didn't think it was doing anything, but eventually I entered a state where I couldn't think any more (in a pleasant way). It did startle me a bit as I'd never experienced that and I became alert again, but soon drifted off. It wasn't a particularly long sleep but it was enough.

I'm eternally thankful for both your replies. I feel I've learned some very valuable things from your experiences, and I only hope others can similarly find solace.

Much love, I will use what I've learned here to help others.

[Eagle Ray]

You're welcome cyanessence,

I love your user name by the way. I'm so glad you got some sleep. The myofascial unwinding is very much about just allowing the body's intuition to take over, to just let it move in space however it wants to. I've found allowing this to happen quietens the mind. We live in a society that is so focussed on mind all the time, when often what helps is listening to the body and allowing it to speak instead, if that makes sense.

I just thought I'd mention that like lostvibes I have found protein helpful too, basically having it with each meal. At breakfast I often cook something with eggs such as an omelette. That works out better for me than something like cereal. The protein seems to have a stabilising effect on brain function and also blood sugar levels. From my understanding there can be a link between ADHD and insulin resistance, so having balanced blood sugar levels seems to be a good thing which I read also helps with dopamine signalling.

Take care and much love to you too.

[cyanessence]

Thanks for the compliment on my user name Eagle Ray! That really brightened my day. I quite like yours too - sounds majestic and enlightening.

I like the idea of focusing on body rather than mind. Letting it do its weird little things for the sake of comfort. I have been utilising this and found it calming. Helps to get out of my head.

I don't have the ability to cook where I live currently unfortunately, so I thought I'd at least get some protein powder. I could barely afford it, but I want to prioritise my health. I'm considering supplements too, might just have to wait. I feel I've had massive problems with insufficient dopamine (not so much now, fingers crossed) so anything that helps in that regard is highly interesting and important to me.

Sleep is already improving a lot. I really needed a lifeline there for a moment, and I never thought I'd get such great help from strangers on the internet. So thank you both, you are truly exemplary.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi cyanessence,

I just thought I'd say too, and you probably know already, but having an ADHD-type brain has advantages and there will likely be certain things you excel at because of how your brain works. Sometimes the hyper focus ability can be really useful in terms of certain skills and talents.

The challenge I think is balancing everything  - so eating healthily, sleeping well (finding what helps to sleep such the sound frequencies lostvibes mentions or I know some people are helped by sleep stories or in my case I often fall asleep to podcasts), getting some daily exercise etc. So basically doing grounding healthy things which can balance out the at times excessive hyper focus, racing thoughts etc. Sometimes the best thing for me is to go for a walk in nature and just open up my senses to my surroundings.

Sometimes my brain feels so overloaded with ideas I have no idea how to begin following even one of them. It can be quite hard to direct myself at times. But I am gradually learning to choose the thought threads that feel the most important and kind of focus on those, otherwise I can be kind of swamped.

I think the depression you describe can come from that feeling of overwhelm from the racing thoughts, but I think over time you can learn to hone in on the most helpful and creative thoughts and it starts to feel more productive instead of paralysing. Your ADHD-type brain can actually become a kind of superpower in a way. It's just keeping that balance and groundedness at the same time.

I am neither diagnosed nor medicated. The expense of diagnosis has felt prohibitive and I've been unsure about pursuing it. Though I imagine it can be validating. There are organisations supporting people with ADHD in each state so there would be somewhere to go for advice if you did want to go down that path. 

Take care and all the best,

ER