sensory overload

[sen-suh-ree oh-ver-lohd]

noun

Physiology, Medicine/Medical.

1. a condition of being overwhelmed by an excessive amount of such stimuli as noise, activity, the company of emotional people, etc..

   An anxiety disorder like PTSD can make sensory overload especially easy to trigger.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sensory overload¹

First recorded in 1955–60