Your Most Problematic Sensory Issue?

Post Reply New Topic

I am like this to some extent. The physical contact is something I crave (especially hugs - but it has to be someone I know and trust), but I can only handle it in relatively small doses. I cannot have anything touch my neck or my face other than my hands, and even then I can barely touch my neck without cringing. I cannot wear a shirt to bed - ever. It ends up making too much contact with my throat, and can wake me from a sound sleep.

I'd have to say it's a toss-up between smell and hearing. Noises can be real bothersome...especially with all the "noise" lots of places seem to think make it a better environment and that's before you get to the volume they set things at.

Smell is largely an issue because so many people either don't notice or don't care about their BO...heavy perfume use is tops as my list of offenders. However, some things don't really bother me (fresh skunk) because I know it's to be expected (and often it'll be gone in a few minutes as I drive past).

For me, it's probably particular kinds of toys that make noises and ALL musical greeting cards. The noise can be very unpleasant.
I feel very uncomfortable and scared when I go into card shops or Christmas decoration sections of shops, because of seeing or hearing these things. I used to scream and bawl when I was in any sort of shop, because I always heard the horrible sounds of some noisy toys. There are some I'm okay with, but others not. However, musical cards, they're the worst thing ever to me.

I'd have to say sound is the most sensitive followed by tactile. Any of my senses can be overwhelmed at times though.
I can't stand frenzied activity, like kids stampeding through the house or urban environments where there's a lot of things going on, which represents as more audio than anything else to me.

Sound. I am highly sensitive to sound. Clubs or anywhere with an atmosphere like them are absolutely terrible places for me to be. I can't even wear earrings because I can feel them vibrating from sound. Low, loud bass makes me nauseous. High frequency buzzing sounds that only I can hear drive me insane.

When I was a kid living at home, from inside the house, with absolutely no visual, I could identify specific people's cars in the distance. My family thought I had a sixth sense. When we got a dog, I felt comforted when his ears would perk up when he heard that a family member was driving home. It felt like validation.

Same home, on the street behind my bedroom there were these high-frequency buzzing sounds that I -- and only I -- could hear coming from a transformer. I would have to sleep with the radio on to try to cancel them out. My parents thought I was making stuff up. I moved out and would visit periodically. One day I noticed that the sound was gone and asked if the transformer blew recently and my mom was all, "Yes, about two weeks ago; how did you know?"

I'm also completely useless in a place where multiple conversations are going on at once. It's a weird cacophony of sounds where I could hardly hear what I want to hear, and just hear things I don't wish to hear.

My most serious sensory issue that I've had for as long as I can remember is loud bassy music, especially drums and guitars. It is so bad that I can feel it as well as hear it and that is why I won't hardly listen to music unless it is turned down low and have lots of treble. But, it doesn't stop there when it comes to sensory issues. Small yappy dogs sends me into meltdowns as well. My meltdowns would get so bad that I start shaking really bad at times. The other serious sensory issue is cigarette smoke which has sent me into a few meltdowns, especially when someone smelling like a dirty ashtray comes in my house and throws a cigarette butt in my trash without putting it out under running water first. One of my brothers was bad about that and he never got to come in the house again, as bad as he smells and disrespecting me. I have other sensory issues as well, but these are the main ones.

Noise at home. When it happens, and I can't control it, I start shaking and feel a tingly sensation shooting right through my stomach. I feel exposed, and as if my personal sanctuary is being invaded. Any sudden, unexpected noise sets me on edge, and I hate it when people get too close to me, although this might be more connected to my OCD.

I can't block out noise, so can't read and concentrate at the same time if there is the smallest amount of background noise. I also have to whisper as I read or I cannot comprehend the information. If I am sleeping and there is any noise, I have to put my fingers in my ears or I struggle to switch off.

auditory, definately.

Odors first and foremost.

I've mentioned before that the soap/cleanser aisle at the grocery store is almost suffocating to me, but yet it doesn't seem to bother anyone else. The odors of smoke (especially cigarettes, but also things like burning tires), pollution (ozone, car exhaust), garbage smells, perfumes, sweat, wet diapers, anything moldy or dusty...all of these things set off my sneeze and or cough reflex, and I'll sneeze SEVERAL times in a row for as long as I am exposed to the irritant. My mother swore for years I was allergic to her, and in a way, it turned out that I was...her perfume (Elizabeth Taylor Passion...bleh) and her anti-perspirant was setting me off.

Sounds are a bit of an issue for me, although not to the extent that some of you experience. Power tools are PAINFULLY loud, the cry of a baby drives me absolutely bat$#!+, dirt bikes, and trying to hear people over TV or radio interruptions, a fork scraping on a plate.

My taste and touch issues affect me in a more positive way...I love food and, while I started off being pretty picky about what I ate, I've now learned to appreciate lots of different foods and tastes (I still hate raw tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower and string cheese, though). I LOVE to touch things...I have an abstract piece of art that has a flowing form to it and is made of glass. I adore running my hands over its amazingly smooth surfaces. I used to a have a jacket that was made of fake sheared beaver. It was so soft that I almost couldn't feel it - it was like stroking the top of a pool of water. I have an old cotton T-shirt (12+ years) that has worn smooth on the belly and I rubbing my belly when I'm wearing it.

There's much more but you get the idea...

EDIT:
I've seen some mention of turtlenecks. I didn't even think of that one, but I NEVER wear turtlenecks -- or any other kind of collar or neckline that touches my chin or the front of my neck. They look nice on me, but I feel like I'm choking when I wear one!

Last edited by Webalina on 14 Jul 2013, 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, I'm like that. I'm extremely finicky about the clothes I can tolerate (no ankle socks, sleeves that stop at the elbow, scratchy fabrics, v-necks, etc) and about the types of touch I can stand (refuse to let anyone brush me lightly, poke me or touch my head) but I love pressure over large areas of my body. I like squeezing hugs and have a weighted lap-pad that I sleep under when the weather is cool enough. I also still sleep with stuffed animals because squeezing them provides me with pressure on my chest that I can't sleep without. It's not uncommon for aspies to have inconsistent tactile needs.

Touch: Static cling feels like I'm dying. Things in the air feel like there's something on my skin and I can't get it off. Candles, incense, anything burning, food, et cetera, leave my skin feeling dirty and disgusting. Certain fabrics feel unbearable, like silk, nylon, wool, and yarn. Things that cause inconsistent tactile sensations are horrible. I can hold something hard in my hand, or I can hold something soft in my hand, but things that are in-between, like foam rubber, are horrible. Air blowing on me is horrible. Clothes which feel different to different areas of my body are horrible. Things touching parts of my body in unusual ways are horrible, like if I have a sock on it has to be exactly the right height, absolutely not touching my ankle. Or pants have to be somewhat tight everywhere, not tighter around the waist and looser around the legs. And never loose around the waist. Shirts cannot be loose around the collar. And if there is a small(rice-sized or dime-sized) particle of anything anywhere on my body I will be completely frustrated until it is gone. And people touching me except for holding my hand is very bad, unless we have mutually agreed to touch in certain ways. Unexpected touch is bad.

Hearing: I can hear things so far away, and I wish I couldn't. I can hear high-pitched whines and can't enter certain rooms without ear protectors. I wouldn't wear ear plugs because ear plugs are painful. I can hear things happening across the building, so I sleep with a pillow over my head. I either need lots of very very very low indistinguishable white noise or I need silence. If there is distinguishable noise I can't sleep with it happening.

Sight: My sight issues are easier to deal with. Things are too bright, and I have dimmers on all of the lights in my home. In my office, I can turn the light off. The lights do flicker, but as long as they're not in my peripheral vision, they're not a huge problem. Some of the lights at my workplace are too bright, but I can almost always avoid going into those rooms. In the full daylight I can't open my right eye outside, and in the full daylight I can barely open my left eye outside, but I can wear sunglasses, and that solves that problem.

Smell: I don't like strong chemical smells. No, candles do not smell good. No, incense does not smell good. No, Febreze does not make things smell better. Febreze makes whatever is sprayed smell worse. Many types of deodorant, soap, cologne, et cetera smell unbearably strong. If you think those things smell good, there is something wrong with your sense of smell. The smell of many processed foods smells wrong, like it's not food, but I don't know what it is. It's just wrong, and I hate it. It smells like you are cooking and eating strange chemicals, and it's really scary to think of people eating them. If you smoke please do not come near me. I do usually like the smell of freshly chopped spices.

Taste: This is one of the easiest to deal with. I do have a lot of texture issues with food, but if a food tastes bad, I won't eat it.

I have other sensory issues but I dont have much of a problem with them because they are avoidable but screeching screaming or crying children seem to be my biggest problem

This aisle gives me serious trouble as well. If I need laundry detergent or dish soap, I have to hold my breath and make a run for it. The produce section gives me trouble sometimes when the fruit is ripe enough to smell.

The fact that I have zero sensory issues: but this wasn't the case as a kid. I used to have processing issues that were so severe and distracting that I found it extremely hard to focus in school and in different, changing environments. These issues started fading around the age of 7-8, and they were completely gone by the time I was 19-20.

As a result of this drastic change, I've figured out recently that I am now extremely hyposensitive and seem to crave stimulation of all kinds. I crave flavorful foods, good music, abstract/weird art, psychedelic experiences, massages, and anything to do with movement - especially roller coasters and fast rides.

I don't know if I can say that one sensory issue is worse for me than any other. Being touched, and especially when unexpected, is probably the most likely to cause me to come near a meltdown. A good example would be if I'm standing someplace, and an old friend comes up and grabs my arm or shoulder. It might as well be a bullet or a knife ripping into me, as far as my reaction.

Charles

When I was young, my mom cut my hair into China Doll bangs. It was the worst day of my life. I remember pulling out the entire front portion of my hair so fast it bled and people trying to figure out "what the hell was wrong with me". To this day, I can never wear my hair down.

Head shaving would be ideal for me, but is out of the question because of my professional career's expectations.

My brother is NT and he has China Doll bangs, like Mr. Spock from Star Trek, and girls think he's hot. I would look cute with the same hairdo. So I know it's an autistic thang.

Also I wear earplugs whenever outside, the usual no clothes tags, no turtlenecks, no tight clothes thing, have to psych myself up to take a shower due to water-fear, etc, etc. Just par for the course.