Processing Difficulties in Adults: Signs, Triggers, and Coping

Veronica Silver
Published: 11/12/2025 | Updated: 11/12/2025
Authored by: Veronica Silver, MA
Edited by: Jemma Strain, B.S. Psychology
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Many of us quietly struggle with taking in, organizing, and responding to information, sensations, or emotions. Difficulty processing information has nothing to do with how intelligent or motivated we are. It’s actually often about how the brain and nervous system respond to the world around us.

When we recognize what’s happening beneath the surface, we can begin to replace self-criticism with self-compassion and learn strategies that make life feel more manageable. Because of how frustrating and demoralizing difficulties processing information can be, we’re here to provide information on:

  • What processing difficulties in adults are, and the types of difficulties
  • Common signs of processing difficulties in adults
  • Triggers and causes of slow processing speeds in adults
  • Coping skills and therapy to improve cognitive processing
  • Answers to commonly asked questions about processing difficulties
woman sitting in living room with head in hands due to experiencing processing difficulties

What Are Processing Difficulties in Adults?

Processing difficulties are related to our ability to process information. Also known as a “processing disorder,” these difficulties can make it harder to follow conversations, manage responsibilities, or regulate emotions in high-stress situations. 

Though processing disorders are generally first diagnosed in childhood, when left unmanaged, they can affect us into adulthood. In fact, adults with processing difficulties often say they become overwhelmed easily. When the brain feels overloaded, it may struggle to filter sensory input, manage multiple thoughts, or process emotional cues.

However, difficulties processing information can come in different forms, which can affect us in various ways. 

Types of Processing Difficulties

Processing challenges can affect different areas of functioning. The types of processing difficulties include:

Sensory Processing Difficulties

Sensory processing challenges occur when the brain has trouble organizing or responding to sensory input such as sound, touch, light, or movement.1 If you have these challenges, you might:
  • Feel easily overstimulated by noise
  • Struggle to focus in spaces that are too bright, noisy, or crowded 
  • Notice that certain textures, clothing, or sensations feel uncomfortable 
If you experience sensory processing difficulties, you might notice that these reactions often lead you to feel exhausted or emotionally overloaded.

Difficulty Processing Sound

When we struggle to process sound, this is called “auditory processing disorder” (APD). APD is a condition that affects how your brain interprets and organizes sound.2 An example of this might be that you hear words clearly but struggle to understand the meaning of the words. This may be especially true if you’re in a noisy environment or engaged in a group conversation where multiple people are talking at once. 

You might also frequently ask others to repeat themselves, lose track of verbal instructions, or have difficulty following meetings or phone calls. This can lead to frustration, miscommunication, and a sense of isolation in both personal and professional settings.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Motor processing difficulties are also called “developmental coordination disorder,” or “dyspraxia.” This condition involves having poor coordination and difficulty in the movements of your body’s muscles, such as walking, running, or jumping.3 DCD can also affect fine motor skills, like writing or using small objects. It can make tasks such as driving a car, playing sports, or anything that involves balance more difficult. Further, DCD is also linked to problems with executive functioning, such as working memory. 

Cognitive and Learning Processing Difficulties

Cognitive and learning processes refer to how our brains organize, store, and recall information.4 When we exhibit challenges in these areas, we’re likely to have difficulty with memory, multitasking, and comprehension in areas like reading, writing, and numbers. The specific learning processing disorders are dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Dyslexia affects between 3% and 7% of the population and impacts reading and language processing.5

Dysgraphia affects handwriting ability and even the ability to form whole sentences. Dyscalculia affects the ability to understand numbers and mathematical concepts. When we’re stressed, these difficulties can worsen into cognitive overload anxiety, where our thoughts feel jumbled and focus slips away. 

Challenges Processing Emotions

Emotional processing challenges, called “alexithymia,” occur when we struggle to understand, identify, describe, or regulate our own feelings.6 For instance, you might find yourself overreacting to stress, shutting down emotionally, or feeling “numb” during conflict. These reactions often develop as protective mechanisms after chronic stress or trauma.

Signs of Processing Difficulties in Adults

Processing difficulties can make everyday life feel harder than it should. Tasks that seem simple to others, like following a conversation, finishing a project, or handling background noise, can feel draining or disorienting. 

If you’re dealing with processing difficulties, you might find yourself:

  • Thinking slowly or being slow to respond
  • Becoming easily overwhelmed by sights, sounds, or social settings
  • Struggling to organize your thoughts, stay on task, or keep schedules
  • Feeling especially tired or irritable after social or sensory stimulation
  • Avoiding situations that are new or complex
  • Dealing with miscommunications or missing verbal cues

This constant mental strain, over time, may worsen your emotional reactions and increase self-doubt.

Triggers for Processing Overload

You may not always experience processing difficulties; they can often come and go depending on stress, your environment, and how well you’re taking care of yourself. 

Common triggers for processing overload can include:

  • Dealing with chronic stress and cognitive fatigue. During times like these, your brain may struggle to understand, take in, and prioritize information. Being overwhelmed can lead to burnout and cognitive symptoms.
  • Experiencing sensory overload from things like bright lights, background noise, and crowded spaces, as this can overwhelm the senses, making it difficult to regulate emotions.
  • Not getting consistent rest or having a consistent routine. Skipping meals, sleeping poorly, or staying glued to your screen can keep the nervous system overstimulated, reducing your brain’s resilience to stress.7

These triggers are often cues that your nervous system has reached its limits, making it especially challenging to take in information when you’re already dealing with processing difficulties. 

What Causes Difficulty Processing Information?

There is no one cause for difficulties in processing information; they’re usually the result of a combination of factors that influence processing disorders. However, there are some common factors that can contribute to these difficulties. 

The following are some of the most common contributing factors to adult processing challenges:

Neurodevelopmental Differences

For people with conditions like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or specific learning disorders, how the brain processes information may contribute to differences in processing ability.8 For example, someone with ADHD may experience ADHD information overload, making it difficult to filter out distractions, switch focus, or focus on specific tasks. So what might look like forgetfulness or laziness may actually be a reflection of how the brain manages competing stimuli.

Emotional or Developmental Trauma

Trauma can change the way the brain processes information and how we express emotion. These trauma cognitive effects can include difficulty concentrating, being more emotionally reactive, and experiencing gaps in memory or comprehension. We might experience processing difficulties related to trauma because the brain learns to scan for danger rather than absorb new information, making it harder to focus on and sustain information.9

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions often affect how we process information. Therefore, being overwhelmed easily and mental health issues can often happen together. For example, anxiety, depression, and PTSD can all interfere with cognitive processing.10 In particular, depression and concentration issues often go hand in hand, as reduced motivation, slowed thinking, and fatigue can make it difficult to stay organized or remember details.

You might find that these factors often overlap. For instance, you might experience depression and ADHD, both of which can affect cognitive and processing functions.

Coping Strategies and Therapy for Cognitive Difficulties

When we learn to cope with overstimulation and processing difficulties, we can strengthen our attention and reduce how overwhelmed we become. Some of the effective therapies and coping strategies to help with cognitive and processing difficulties are:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps identify unhelpful thought patterns, like I should be able to handle more, and replace them with realistic, compassionate beliefs. For those with anxiety-based processing struggles, CBT can improve focus, task initiation, and emotional balance by breaking down overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

Occupational Therapy (OT)

Occupational therapy is effective for managing processing disorders and difficulties by supporting how we regulate information, emotions, and sensations in the world around us. OT provides us with skills to improve the processes (executive functioning) that help us plan, organize, and manage tasks, and find adaptive strategies we can use in everyday life.11 With the help of an occupational therapist, we can create systems, such as visual reminders, grounding tools, and workspace modifications that reduce sensory overload and boost our productivity.

Relaxation Practices

Practices that promote relaxation can help regulate the nervous system and reduce reactivity. These practices include mindfulness, yoga, and somatic experiencing.12 When we learn to notice tension or overstimulation before it hits its peak, we can prevent emotions from overwhelming us, making it easier to process information and recover from cognitive fatigue.

Tools for Self-Management

Aside from therapy, there are small, consistent adjustments you can make to help you manage processing difficulties. These include: 

  • Creating calm environments, like minimizing background noise, using soft lighting, or wearing noise-canceling headphones to limit sensory distractions.
  • Breaking tasks into smaller steps. Simplifying expectations can reduce decision fatigue and enhance concentration.
  • Practicing grounding techniques, like deep breathing, gentle movement, or touch-based grounding (such as holding a textured object), signals safety to the nervous system.
  • Reducing constant notifications and screen time to decrease sensory and information overload.

With practice, the brain can become more flexible, and the body learns that it can handle stimulation and stress without needing to shut down.

Mission Connection: Support for Adults With Processing Difficulties

At Mission Connection, we understand that processing difficulties are signals from your nervous system asking for support and regulation. For this reason, our programs offer processing disorder help through therapies, such as CBT, mindfulness practices, EMDR, and trauma-focused therapies, to reduce overstimulation and improve focus and mental clarity.

Treatment can make a meaningful difference for those struggling with processing difficulties. To access a space where you can explore your experiences safely and begin to feel in control again, contact Mission Connection today.

man with arm around wife sitting on sofa smiling after treatment for processing difficulties

FAQs About Processing Difficulties in Adults

To help address any remaining queries or concerns about processing difficulties in adults, we’ve provided the following responses to FAQs on the topic.

1. Are Processing Difficulties the Same as ADHD or Autism?

Not necessarily. However, many adults with ADHD or autism experience sensory or cognitive processing differences. Yet not all processing challenges come with a formal diagnosis. Some people develop these struggles after chronic stress, trauma, or burnout, while others have processing difficulties since childhood.

2. Why Do I Experience Brain Fog or Mental Fatigue So Often?

You might be experiencing brain fog or mental fatigue so often because you’re system is overloaded or under-rested. Brain fog treatment typically involves improving sleep, reducing overstimulation, and addressing underlying causes such as anxiety, trauma, or hormonal changes. 

3. Can Processing Difficulties Get Worse Over Time?

Yes, especially if chronic stress, burnout, or unaddressed mental health conditions continue unchecked. With the right treatment, you can learn to improve focus and address other processing concerns.

4. Does Mission Connection Offer Treatment for Processing Difficulties?

Yes, Mission Connection provides personalized assistance for processing difficulties. If you’re struggling with sensory, emotional, or learning difficulties, we’ll help you develop the necessary skills to address these concerns and manage challenges in a way that works for you. We’re committed to helping you rebuild clarity, confidence, and connection.

References

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  2. Alanazi, A. A. (2023). Understanding Auditory Processing Disorder: A Narrative Review. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 11(4), 275–282. https://doi.org/10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_218_23
  3. Castellucci, G., & Singla, R. (2024, February 24). Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia). StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK603724/
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  8. Norman, L. J., Sudre, G., Price, J., & Shaw, P. (2024). Subcortico-Cortical Dysconnectivity in ADHD: A Voxel-Wise Mega-Analysis across Multiple cohorts. American Journal of Psychiatry, 181(6), 553–562. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230026
  9. McFARLANE, A. C. (2010). The long-term costs of traumatic stress: intertwined physical and psychological consequences. World Psychiatry, 9(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2010.tb00254.x
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