When the World Feels Too Loud: ADHD and Sensory Sensitivity
Have you ever had to leave a room because the lights were too bright, the noise was too much, or your clothes felt suddenly unbearable — but you couldn’t explain why?
That’s sensory sensitivity. And for many people with ADHD, it’s more than a quirk — it’s a very real and very misunderstood experience.
I used to think I was just “fussy” or “overdramatic.” I didn’t realise my overwhelm in noisy classrooms or crowded shops wasn’t weakness — it was a neurodivergent sensory system reacting as it was wired to. Learning that changed everything.
🧠 What Is Sensory Sensitivity?
Sensory sensitivity (also called sensory over-responsiveness) is when the brain reacts intensely to certain sensory input — like sound, light, touch, or even smells. It’s commonly seen in ADHD and autism, and research shows the two often overlap (Bijlenga et al., 2017).
In ADHD, this sensitivity is thought to stem from differences in how the brain filters and regulates sensory input. Instead of “tuning out” unimportant information, your brain might register everything at once — leading to overwhelm, distraction, and sometimes shutdown.
🔄 What Sensory Overload Can Look Like
Sensory overload is a bit like a traffic jam in the brain. Too many signals arrive at once, and there’s no filter to sort them. This might show up as:
🎧 Feeling panicked in loud or busy places
🧣 Irritation with certain clothing textures or tags
🕯️ Difficulty concentrating when there are background smells
🔦 Avoiding bright lights or flickering screens
😵💫 Needing quiet or dark spaces to calm down
The tricky thing? These responses are often invisible. People might not realise you're struggling — they just see you “zoning out,” leaving early, or seeming “dramatic.”
📚 What the Science Says
Studies have shown that individuals with ADHD report higher levels of sensory sensitivity compared to neurotypical peers (Ghanizadeh, 2011). In particular, auditory and tactile sensitivities are especially common.
These sensitivities are often linked to emotional dysregulation — when your brain is already working overtime to regulate input, your emotional responses can spike more quickly too. It’s not a character flaw — it’s a different way of processing the world.
🤝 How Mentoring Helps with Sensory Overwhelm
In mentoring, we explore these experiences together — not to “fix” them, but to understand and work with your brain.
🔎 Identifying Your Sensory Profile
What are your specific triggers? What sensory environments help you feel calm and focused? We map this together.
🧰 Building Your Sensory Toolkit
From noise-cancelling headphones to weighted blankets or even clothing changes — you’ll build practical strategies that actually help in daily life.
🧠 Regulating Without Shame
We also explore nervous system regulation practices like breathwork, visualisation, or sensory breaks — and build them into your routines.
💬 Being Understood
Sometimes the biggest relief is simply being able to say, “That felt like too much,” and have someone get it. You don’t have to explain or justify your sensitivity in mentoring — it’s part of what makes you, you.
🌱 You’re Not “Too Sensitive”
If you've ever been told you were “too sensitive” or felt like the world was just too much, I want you to know: your experience is valid. You're not making it up. Your brain just processes things differently — and that deserves support, not shame.
Mentoring offers a space where your sensory world is seen and respected — and where we work together to make that world feel safer, softer, and more manageable.
🧾 References
Bijlenga, D. et al. (2017). Atypical sensory profiles as core features of adult ADHD, irrespective of autistic symptoms. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(3), 293–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1053-1
Ghanizadeh, A. (2011). Sensory processing problems in children with ADHD, a systematic review. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 52(6), e70–e74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.06.005