What things in the house caused you problems as a child?

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(1) Smoke detector. It was an older model, wired into the apartment itself, that made a horrible buzzing/honking noise *shudder* I would tense up every time anyone had to walk under it, for fear that would somehow set it off--irrational, I know, but there were times that thing would go off for NO F***ING REASON AT ALL. (Burned toast, steam from the bathroom if someone took a shower with the windows shut...stuff like that.)

(2) Anytime anyone was arguing, even if it had nothing to do with me. I guess loud, angry voices upset me...I had stomach problems as it was.

(3) The other stuff was school-related (bullying, sensory stuff related to school, etc.) so I guess that doesn't count for the purposes of this thread.

Ticking clocks, buzzing lights, whining electronics and vacuum cleaners. Bright light. The cones of light from passing cars sweeping across the ceiling at night.

The idiotic brainless custom of turning on the television, the moment my father was at home. Better idiotic advertisements, than a minute of silence. God beware us that our brain could start working as intended, if we dont euthanasia it all day with television.

My siblings and other family members deliberately provoking me in order to make me throw a tantrum.
Being bossed around.
People fussing over me and not leaving me alone.
Being criticised and teased over my avoidance of certain foods and the way i ate.
being teased because sudden loud noises such as thunder and a kind of cannon the local farmer had near the house to scare off the crows would really scare me.
Luckily we were out in the sticks so there weren't any neighbours or much noise.
When I was very small being made to wear frilly party dresses with elastic
My parents getting at me all the time because i was extremely untidy and always losing or forgetting things.

Vacuum cleaners, airplanes, hair dryers, lawn mowers--anything that hummed or whined or roared

Bathwater smelled funny, shower water tickled or stung. Toothpaste burned my tongue

Fluorescent lights seemed to flicker; certain colors such as burnt orange and brown nauseated me

Ballet tights and socks wouldn't stay up on me. My socks were always bunched up under my heel and the crotch on my tights would wind up at my knees

Vacuum cleaners, blenders, mechanical drills and any construction noises really. Excessively loud motorcycles and other vehicles still piss me off. Lol

I don't remember being any pickier about foods than any other kid, but I did not like different foods touching or running together on my plate. It changed the taste and texture and it took me a long time to get used to that. When I was real little I remember pushing my plate away and asking for a new one. My grandmother had to convince me it was ok and the food was the same whether or not it touched other food on my plate. And since I wasn't getting a new plate of food, I had to deal with it.

I would get easily frustrated with other children and I either got mad or withdrew.

I also hated bright lights and flashing lights and both of them are still awful.

Bright lights, my dad's alarm clock and ticking of the clock.

Yes !

The worst is when it is dark outside and I go into a shop full of fluorescent lights.
Even if they arent flickering ( I usually can detect on before others) the intensity of the fluorescent lights - plus the visual information ( I cant filter stuff out - so its as if I see all the details of things - which is information overload ). Despite knowing that it will happen, I can't switch it off.

What I have to do is use techniques to divert my attention from the nausea/ feelings of vertigo and overwhelm... These are mindfulness techniques and the type you get taught in CBT based treatments.

If lights are too bright, when they switch off, it is as if someone flicked a calm switch ON in my mind....

I've had an assessment and was advised to wear Irlen glasses ... blue tint ..
Cant use computer without tint - claro view

Anything else ? let me know !

About the bright lights: I felt a pain in my eyes as if I was being stabbed, and then a headache as if a metal band had been tightened around my skull and was being made tighter.

Fluorescent Lights: the color was often very disturbing, nauseating--like I would vomit if I was in there for too long--this was not the brightness but a quality of the light. It was like fake light or diseased light. I had to close my eyes on those, but they also usually had a noise which I could not ignore. A horrible experience.

As I recall this, I am becoming aware of the cacophony of my office. I still hate this kind of light and these sounds, but I have become very good at filtering them out and not paying attention to them.

sounds such as -
fluorescent lights (the flickering and humming)
vacuum cleaner
hair dryers
garbage disposal
smoke alarms
washing machine
loud music
loud tv (especially anything with gun shots)
any high pitch or repetitive sound

smells such as -
sauerkraut
warm dairy (there is a smell to it that would cause a meltdown)
any really strong smell

tactile such as -
labels in clothes
seams in clothes
having to touch anything metal (especially if i had to put it in my mouth like a fork)
things like polyester (can't stand the smell of polyester also)

then there was the general stuff like i couldn't stand if my stuff had been touched or moved in any way.

Lol. One person's poison is another's drink. I loved the washing machine noise. Used to watch it like other people watch TV. They put it in my bedroom for me.

When I was a kid, when I'm an adult, the problem has always been about people coming home. When I was young, I was a latchkey kid, which gave me the time to get really into my gaming or my homework, then Mom & Dad would come home, and the place would go from silence to chaos. Doors opening and closing, loud talking, asking me how my day went, asking me to do this or that, mom dropping her purse, hanging up their keys... all that noise, dropped on me suddenly... how can anyone deal with it. I still have problems with it as an adult.

Oh, and the phone. I hate it. I should just disconnect it and communicated by writing.

thats funny - I read this and just realised instead of answering the phone ( I knew who it was ) I just stared at it.... and tried to turn the volume off. ... my reaction was oh no, someone wants to talk now? I'm not ready....

I can cope with phones at work, but... exactly - I'd rather text or write.. it feels so invasive at times.

Wow guys, there's some really interesting and useful stuff in here.

I'll reply when I next wake up =)

Cameras. I cried whenever anyone pointed a camera at me. No one could figure out why.

Lights, the sun. In many early photos and movies, I'm shielding my eyes.

Many types of clothing were unbearable. Smart shirts. Scratchy trousers. Labels. Wool made me scream.

Refraining from chewing everything was difficult. I chewed everything. Pillows. Shirt collars and cuffs. Curtains. Pieces of plastic. Wood. Toys.

Ahh, how could I forget?! Phones. I still hate 'em. I have to carry a portable at work, bloody thing rings only when my hands are in water or when I am helping a customer.
Even waiting for a gf call was a pain.

Sincerely,
Matthew