It’s easy to confuse a Sensory Meltdown with a Mental Health Breakdown, but treating them the same way can actually make things worse. One is a neurological reflex; the other is a psychological collapse. Here is the breakdown (pun intended): 🧠  The Sensory Meltdown (The Electrical Surge) What is it?  Your brain receives too much input (noise, light, demands) and the "circuit breaker" trips. It’s an immediate, biological fight-or-flight response. Timeline:  Minutes to hours.