Overstimulation

[TheBeans]

Does anyone know if over-stimulation is considered part of the whole circus where MS fatigue is concerned or is over-stimulation a stand-alone symptom?

I have an almost daily battle with fatigue so I'm familiar with how I feel when it hits. Lately, though, I've noticed that my tolerance for "too much" has become more sensitive. Too many people at the store....too many people standing near me....too much sound/too loud sound...etc.

This past weekend I added a new experience in the "too much" category. My DH and I have been talking about putting our house up for sale and having our retirement home built and as we talked about the steps involved in making this dream a reality, suddenly those steps seemed to be too many and too BIG!

The 'too big' thing really got to me and I ended up crying over something we haven't even done anything about other than talk about it! And it's not like a 'normal' major-stress emotion because we'd be uprooting here and only moving a few miles away so it's not like we're far from family or an area we love...it was just that all those steps were too BIG and I had a meltdown.

Now, I also know that this past week fatigue has hit me extra hard (with the exception of one whole day when I had energy to burn!) so I wondered if my episodes of over-stimulation are tied to fatigue? Or, are they just another mystery-symptom that I am only becoming acquainted with now? Has anything like this happened to anyone else out there?

[pennstater]

Definitely not alone. My poor husband, we discuss some things that should be exciting, and sometimes, I wind up crying. It is usually when feeling really fatigued, other symptoms intensify, and I wind up feeling overwhelmed. We both now know that it will be okay.

Even when we break things into steps needed, it sometime feels overwhelming. I just have to try to remember to focus on the one task at hand and not look at all the tasks.

BTW, MS or non-MS, the thought of moving can overwhelm many people!

[marti]

Does anyone know if over-stimulation is considered part of the whole circus where MS fatigue is concerned or is over-stimulation a stand-alone symptom?

I have an almost daily battle with fatigue so I'm familiar with how I feel when it hits. Lately, though, I've noticed that my tolerance for "too much" has become more sensitive. Too many people at the store....too many people standing near me....too much sound/too loud sound...etc.

This past weekend I added a new experience in the "too much" category. My DH and I have been talking about putting our house up for sale and having our retirement home built and as we talked about the steps involved in making this dream a reality, suddenly those steps seemed to be too many and too BIG!

The 'too big' thing really got to me and I ended up crying over something we haven't even done anything about other than talk about it! And it's not like a 'normal' major-stress emotion because we'd be uprooting here and only moving a few miles away so it's not like we're far from family or an area we love...it was just that all those steps were too BIG and I had a meltdown.

Now, I also know that this past week fatigue has hit me extra hard (with the exception of one whole day when I had energy to burn!) so I wondered if my episodes of over-stimulation are tied to fatigue? Or, are they just another mystery-symptom that I am only becoming acquainted with now? Has anything like this happened to anyone else out there?

I understand you completely. I have given up my life. I no longer have a life because it is all too hard and tiring. I refuse to learn anything new because I just don't want to tax my brain any more. My kids keep telling us to get Netflix ( or something like that ) and I just won't do it. I don't need any more gadgets to muck up my thinking. I don't want to have to keep track of anything else.

And I don't want any more people in my life. I have become a recluse to a point and the thought of visiting gets my anxiety going. I have one grandson and 3 step grand daughters. That's enough. I know it sounds cold and cruel and selfish. But I am just so exhausted!

My husband is almost deaf and he turns that tv up so loud it hurts me. I used to like watching a little tv with him. Now I just go to bed. And I avoid shopping or going out to eat. We NEVER eat out anymore. Part of my overstimulation is that I am his caregiver and I stopped taking care of myself.

I just don't wanna!