Managing Hypersensitivities in Adults with ADHD

If bothered by visual over stimulation, try:

• Sunglasses
• Low brimmed caps or hats
• Avoiding places that overwhelm you, or when that's impossible, limiting your time at such places.
• Finding "safe" places where you can retreat to when overwhelmed.
• Replace florescent lights with full-spectrum lighting.

If bothered by food textures or other oral sensitivities, try:

• Using a child sized toothbrush
• Making your dental appointments later in the day. Dental related gagging is often worse in the morning.
• If you're a picky eater, stop apologizing or fighting it. Simply find alternative choices, or avoid offending foods altogether and supplement your diet with vitamins. If food textures are bothersome, get creative! Try pureeing vegetables and adding to soups, for example.
• Chewing gum- it is often calming to the nerves

If bothered by smells and odors, try:

• Perfume-free detergents, deodorants, cleaning products, etc.
• Using scents at home and at work that calm you. For example, boiling cinnamon, using oils or incense, etc.
• Purchasing houseplants to improve air quality indoors
• Nose plugs!

In general:

Don't feel that you have to force yourself to fit in to an environment that spits out daily assaults on your senses. Work around it, using strategies that work. Try to fit in daily:

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Down time
• Warm baths ...to help sooth your central nervous system.

Also, consider consulting with an OT (Occupational Therapist) who can help develop a sensory diet especially for you.

Resources:

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World, by Sharon Heller:

http://tinyurl.com/64mjq9