Hi,
I was told that my main diagnosis is bipolar disorder and I also experience intense anxiety as well. However, I noted that I seem to have problems with sounds and noises, especially when I don't feel well. It seems as though at some periods of time, ordinary sounds became noisy to me and I feel irritated at everything.
There are also times when I feel overwhelmed by what I see, as though things are too bright or too dark and it feels scary. I discovered that my doctor has previously diagnosed me with agoraphobia as I have panic attacks under certain situations. Yet I am confused by why my sense of sound and perception of my surroundings are so bad, especially when I'm experiencing any mood episode, especially if its a mixed episode.
It can get so bad to the extent that I feel like melting or hide in a hole when I have an 'episode' in town, when everything seems so bright and noisy. I would get so desperate that I feel like crying and screaming.
I think my tendency to be anxious do make things worse.
Why is this the case? What's wrong with my senses?
Hi “Overloaded senses”
Thank you for your enquiry. Difficult to cope with conditions can be made worse when we don’t know why it’s happening & worry more about it.
Persons with mood disorders such as bipolar may also experience heightened sensitivity. This means that they can become extremely sensitive to light, sounds, touch, taste and smells. What seems a very quiet sound or a normal level of light to one person can be a source of discomfort to someone with such sensitivity. Even so, it may be helpful to consult your doctor in order to rule out any medical condition that may be causing such sensitivity.
In the meantime, you may wish to consider temporary relief measures. Some have gained relief by wearing dark sun glasses, even while inside the house, or resting in a darkened room. Wearing earplugs can also help to reduce the painful noise levels.
It helps when you are aware that one of the triggers to such sensitivity is a high level of stress -- a circle where your stress (don’t feel well, mood episode) activates your sensitivity & this sensitivity in turn causes you to experience even more stress. So you may wish to consider how to improve your management over this condition. For the long-term, it can be useful to learn techniques that help you relax & manage stress better. Frequent practice of such techniques can also help you to reduce the frequency of panic attacks.