MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel ADHD and sensory overwhelm: Itchy tags and tight clothes
Sep 23, 2025
Discover how itchy tags and tight clothes can trigger sensory overwhelm for women with ADHD. Delve into why this discomfort is often overlooked and learn practical strategies to ease daily challenges. Dr. Monica Johnson shares insights into sensory processing difficulties, including how they affect attention and emotional regulation. Explore gender differences in sensory struggles, along with tips for mindfulness and environmental adjustments to create a more manageable routine.
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What Sensory Processing Means
- Sensory processing is how the nervous system receives, organizes, and filters sensory input.
- When it works well we ignore itch or flicker without thinking, but dysregulation makes that filtering fail.
Three Sensory Response Patterns
- ADHD often involves sensory dysregulation in three patterns: over-responsive, under-responsive, and sensory-seeking.
- These patterns explain why brightness, textures, or the need for intense input can disrupt attention and behavior.
Sensory Load Steals Attention
- Sensory input competes for limited attentional capacity and increases emotional reactivity.
- In ADHD this shift happens faster and recovery takes longer, undermining executive functions.