Anyone else here deal with sensory overload?

I'm not sure if it's a bipolar or anxiety thing, or even a psychosis thing (I've had one doc tell me it's related). Basically I get into situations where everything seems louder and more irritating than it should be. I nearly had to leave class in the middle today because the sound of everyone's voices was painful to be near. I just want to hide and hide and hide.

Advice on how to handle this?