I feel a bit of a knob for posting about this or even thinking it might be a real problem, so bear with me!
I seem to get overwhelmed when other people don't. For example, today was DD's last dance class of term, and they invite families in to watch. DH and I were there with toddler DS, who was doing what toddlers do - pottering about between me and DH, playing with stuff in my bag and so on. We both supervised him and stopped him being too disruptive, and he made it through the hour without getting shouty or running off - it was fine. So I was handling that, plus watching DD dance, plus smiling at parents I recognised. Not all that taxing, right? I mean, DH was doing all the same stuff and he was fine.
By the time we got out to the car I felt at the end of my tether. I nearly burst into tears when DH started whistling as he drove, because I couldn't take in one more bit of stimulus without losing the plot. So I asked him to stop in a sort of strangled growl, and closed my eyes until I felt better, and then apologised. Luckily he's used to me and knew what was going on so didn't take it personally.
I've never been able to go clubbing and missed out on loads of nights out as a student, because the noise and the crowd is too much to cope with. I panic in cars if they change speed or direction suddenly - not due to any fear of accidents, just because the feeling of acceleration and deceleration is startling and horrible (I will never, ever set foot on a rollercoaster). I have been known to abandon my trolley and run out of supermarkets because the lights and people and colours were making me freak out. It's worse if DH is there too because then I have to process his presence as well - where is he, is he talking to me, is he about to walk past an aisle we need. If he touches me in that state I'll flinch or push him away because it's another piece of input that my brain can't handle. Even at home, if everyone's chatting, I sometimes close my eyes and cover my ears to get a break from the sound before I end up getting irritable and snapping at someone.
I think I've always been like this but it's becoming harder to ignore with small children around - not known for bringing calm and peace. Usually in the morning I have to ask DD to stop talking to me for a bit because my brain's getting full and I need to focus on getting everyone ready. I try hard to do that early on while I'm still able to say it kindly rather than snapping! She knows about Mum's tizzies and she knows it's not her fault, but I'd rather just not have the tizzy at all.
I have had an anxiety diagnosis in the past and it's definitely worse when my anxiety is bad, but it can happen any time, even when I'm otherwise feeling good. I've heard autistic friends talk about struggling to process sensory stuff and their descriptions sound familiar, but otherwise I'm totally NT.
Does everyone secretly feel like this and I'm just being dramatic about it? Or is it a thing? Can anyone relate?