I was recently hospitalized for major depression. When answering all the background/history questions I made sure to mention SPD to the therapists, psychitrists etc that were working with me. None of them had ever heard of such a thing. When I tried to explain it they looked at me like I was crazy. (A look they don't often give in the psych ward ).
I am seeing a new psychiatrist on Tuesday and my question is how do I explain SPD in a way that makes her take me seriously.
I think I'll also be evaluated for bipolar disorder, and don't want my stimming to be misinterpreted as psychomotor agitation or vice versa. Does anyone on here know the difference? My google searching makes me think they are similar.

All the people I have ever met with Bipolar Disorder also had SPD. In fact, sensory inputs triggered some of their Manic and Depressive swings. I had to learn to not bring food that contained Vinegar to one friend's house because it would set off a Manic episode.

I don't know the best way to explain it to doctors or psychiatrists. I have better luck with Nurses for some reason.

I just explain that my senses were overly sensitive and minimal environmental changes can cause an overloading of my brain putting me in Fight or Flight mode.

My body overreacts to the adrenaline rush from the "Fight or Flight mode" and triggers a paralysis attack (I have Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis), because adrenaline binds with the available Potassium in your blood stream and can make it unavailable for your muscles. Since I have Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, even the smallest drops in available Potassium puts me at risk for a paralysis attack. Normal people take large drops in Potassium before they have problems (sustained adrenaline usage for hours in a normal person could cause a similar effect to one of my weakness/paralysis attacks).

As you can see, I tend to either get the "you're crazy" look or "you're too complicated for me" discussion. Getting the "you're too complicated for me" discussion from the top of the profession researchers and Neurologists is incredibly depressing.

Just a thought, but when I received my SPD diagnosis and then knew I was visiting my psych, I took a couple of my SPD book along with me and dropped them on his desk. He admitted he didn't know anything about SPD, but he borrowed the books and told me that he would be much more informed the next time I saw him. It worked really well.

Beck, it's weird, but of all the Bipolar people I've met none have had SPD. I wonder what's going on? Too small a sample size or maybe different parts of the country? Totally weird.

Raven, I really like the idea of bringing some books for the psych. I'm totally going to do that so it isn't all on me to explain something complicated to someone is looking to diagnose me with something else.
Beck, it feels good to know others get the "you're crazy/too complicated" look from people trained not to give looks like that.
I don't really know what to make of your everyone/nobody you know with bipolar having SPD. Honestly, I don't think I am bipolar. I think my SPD symptoms make people think something else is going on.

Their sensory triggers weren't as extreme as my own, but they definitely were triggered by sensory input. They could also be calmed down by changing the sounds, light, smells, and touch they were experiencing. I have found that true for people with a variety of disabilities.

One of my friends is a Cancer survivor and another is a Diabetic. Both have mild sensory problems, but when they activate I know what to do to help them calm down.

It isn't so much that they have sensory problems at the level where it is itself a disability, but it negatively affects their ability to deal with the disabilities they do have.

My SPD is at a level where it is itself a Disability. I haven't met many other people in person at that level.

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By Disability with a capital "D", I mean a disability at a level where working is almost impossible due to it.