Sensory stimuli you just CAN'T stand

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I hated turtleneck sweaters when I was a child. I felt like they were choking me. I also hated those "choker" necklaces that were a fad when I was in junior high. They lived up to their name.

I hate when people talk to me while my back is turned. It makes me jumpy.

Fern, I'm with you on the laughter. Some people have really maniacal laughs. I also hate when people laugh through their noses. The maniacal laughers are usually women and the "nose snorters" are typically men. People laughing at their own (non-funny) jokes annoys me as well.

This is an interesting thread. How can you keep it going for a couple more days to see where it might lead. Do you just type Bump!

The artificial smell of fake flowers. I'm just glad that I don't have to spend a lot of time in the Floral department at work or else I probably wouldn't last very long.

Ammonia. Good God is that smell nauseating. I feel like throwing up every time I catch a whiff.

Fish. Both the smell and the taste of it make me sick. Not quite as bad as ammonia, though.

This might be a personal thing, but I hate at work whenever a customer comes up to my register, either after I've asked how they're doing or before I can even get the words out, immediately stating "This is supposed to be on sale". I. It feels like they only care about what they think they can get out of me. And II. It makes me feel like a dumbass, like they don't think I'm competent enough to know what's on sale or not. Newsflash, I've been working at this place for over a year and a half now. I'm pretty sure that I have a good understanding of what's on sale and what isn't in any given week.

Surprise hugs. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy hugs every once in a while, but only when I'm the one initiating it, I'm expecting it, or if it's from someone close to me. Sneaking a hug on me when I'm not expecting it will just stress me out more.

Processed meats. I'm a pretty big time carnivore, but I cannot stand meats that have been overly processed like pepperoni or sandwich meat ham (though I loves me the Thanksgiving or Christmas ham we have for dinner).

As far as positive stimuli is concerned, I enjoy cats purring (especially my family's cat, Pepper, whenever I cuddle her close), holding my pet gerbil, Midnight (hopefully when she's not nippy), weighted blankets, ocean waves crashing on the shore, fruity and/or chocolatey smells, hot beverages in the winter (whether it be coffee, cocoa, tea, or hot cider), soundtrack music (especially if there's a dramatic choir), and I actually very strangely enough like the smell and flavor of garlic, just to name a few.

Kenya,

I love the sound of cats purring too! One of the sweetest things in life! I don't have any indoor cats now, unfortunately. The last one passed away of old age in 2017.

Most were already mentioned, but from worst to least bad...

* Barking dogs. Each sharp blare feels like my brain is vibrating. It makes me instantly angry.
* Dry hands, especially in winter.
* Having wads of dog hair stuck to my clothes takes effort to not freak out.
* Most Perfume - Especially one that smells like old bar soap.
* Someone suddenly talking (at low/normal) volume when I didn't realize they were there.

Touching anything sticky or having sticky fingers or hands.

Bathroom hand dryer

Styrofoam.

Hate the look of it.

Hate the taste of it (ie the way styropfoam cups taint the flavor of drinks).

Hate the feel of Styrofoam cups in my hand.

Hate the sound of it (the way big Styrofoam containers squeak while you're porting them around in a car. Chalk on a chalkboard sounds like a sweet symphony compared to squeaking Styrofoam.

But I LOOOOOVE the sight of Styrofoam cups burning on top of logs on a campfire.

The way the horrible things first melt, and then revert to their petroleum origins (get liquidy), and then....spout beautiful exotic colored flames....blue and purple flames. Kinda like watching the Wicked Witch of the West melt at the end of the Wizard of Oz, but better (even the WWof the W didn't burst into awesome purple flames).

Dislike of artificial scents seems to be common to a good many of us, myself included. One of my most hated sensory stimuli is taking a single bite of food and feeling 10 different textures in my mouth at once. Which is why I will never like salad. And I also hate the slimy yet crunchy texture of cooked onions.

And don't even get me started on those confounded paper bracelet things that are used for entry to many paid events! Those things are the bane of my existence! Worst. Sensory. Stimuli. Ever!

I hate it when people chew gum with their mouths open or if they repeatedly pop it.

Dislikes: the smell of yogurt, the smell of cold leftover food, the feeling of dry chalk or charcoal on my skin, dry hands, the texture of rice when it is mixed with other foods, cherry tomatoes because of the way they pop in my mouth, warm seats, when I can feel someones leg is warm when they sit next to me.

Likes: Eating anything crunchy like salad or chips, anything extra soft, blankets/hiding under blankets, the feeling of drawing with wet chalk on a trampoline, the feeling of wind on my scalp when I can feel each strand of hair blowing, im a bath addict, bubble wrap, peeling and picking most things.

There are tons more but thats all I can think of right now.

Fluorescent lighting, I had special glasses made I keep in my bag.
Artificial scents, perfumes etc. ( but I love natural ones, like lemons and roses, coffee etc)
High pitched garden equipment. Sirens. Traffic jams!!. Busy stores Costco is one I last about
10 minutes then need to leave. Showers I prefer a bath. The smell of greasy fast food.
The smell of eggs cooking in butter. The smell of ground beef cooking - except on the BBQ.
Bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans that change in pitch or buzz or have repeating sound patterns.
Make up on my face - foundation, and fake nails I had them done once and ripped them off when I got home, nail polish too.
Hair spray or anything in my hair at all. Fluctuating temperatures. Tags on clothing.
Stinky fruity smelling shampoo. Car lights at night as a passenger.

For sensory calming, I love my garden, I am lucky to have it. I made it into a private
retreat.

Artificial scents (surprise, surprise). I can't stand to be in some stores or aisles of stores. All the conflicting scents make it even worse. I really hate going to someone's house and it reeking of fake flowers because I feel like I can't politely escape.

The sound of metal clinking against glass. Soprano voices. The higher or shriller the pitch, the more irritating. Opera is sheer torture. In general I prefer instrumental music far more than vocal, both because of high pitched voices, partly because my brain has trouble sorting out the words of many songs. Too many overlapping sounds can completely overwhelm me.

I'm very particular about the voices in audiobooks. They have to be calm, fairly low pitched, even in timber. Even then I prefer reading. Listening seems to wear me out.

Sounds I hate: Babies crying/screaming, Revving motorcycles, Styrofoam, chalk on a chalk board, people chewing, static on a t.v, lip smacking, nails tapping on hard surface, wind, heavy footsteps, anything ASMR, etc.
Sounds I like: classical music, typing on a typewriter, cats purring, rain, ocean, bubble wrap, etc

I hate fluorescent light or LED lights. I prefer warm lights because they're calming and aren't headache inducing. Certain fabrics I can't stand are suede, velvet, and satin. The feeling of having chalk in my hand or anything that has that texture is unbearable to tolerate. That goes for any sticky substance. I also hate various textures of walls. There are so many sensory stimuli I absolutely hate, but can't seem to put all on this list.