Are you easily startled?

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Yep. I've had a lot of people take advantage of that and purposely try to scare me. It's the worst when you KNOW they're going to pop up somewhere and scare you, but knowing it doesn't prevent you from being startled. I've also had teachers berate me for screaming when hearing sudden noises, saying I was just trying to get attention.

I have this problem to a pretty severe extent. I've come close to punching or elbowing my wife in the face just for tapping me while I was doing dishes.

The other day I almost elbowed some woman in the park for tapping me while I was walking with headphones on. Unintentionally of course. I'm not that nuts. But it's a reaction.

Yes I startle very easily. Even if someone walks into my peripheral vision unexpectedly while I'm doing something. I'm also very sensitive to being touched unexpectedly. Either way it's almost like an electric shock & I feel like jumping out of my skin the reaction is so violent. Most touches done with finger tips do the same even if expected a large part of the time.

Yes.
I think it could be part of having a chronically hyperaroused autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system which I've been looking into lately. Like being in fight, flight or freeze mode all the time.

I have this problem in spades & have been (I think) misdiagnosed as bipolar.
It's quite common in PTSD, but I've come across a couple of studies lately looking at it in kids with ASD.
I've ended up with chronic fatigue, it's exhausted my whole system so much.

Zel.

I get startled by loud, sudden sneezes from people. I hate it when you don't hear a deep breath or even see a facial expression before they sneeze, yet they manage to do such a loud sneeze. That makes me jump out my skin, as there was no visible warning. Then it becomes annoying when they do about 20 more sneezes. I know a few people who do actually do lots and lots of sneezes once they start. I know they can't help it but I still get agitated and have to leave the room until they have finished their course of sneezes. Once someone I know done 52 sneezes!