Your Most Problematic Sensory Issue?

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Any issues I do have get worse when I'm stressed and/or tired. When they become more noticeable than usual, I know I'm burning out.

Sight: lights seem too bright, but in a subtle fashion, like they were just turned up a little bit on a dimmer switch. That makes them seem "glare-y". I have been using sunglasses more often lately, which is probably a good idea anyway. Also, my workplace (see below) has skylights and regular lights, the latter of which are on a timer according to how much sunlight is coming in. The way they flicker on and off is VERY distracting (granted, a lot of the customers don't like it either).

Sound: this one is incredibly paradoxical for me, and probably the worst of all of them. I have difficulty understanding what people are saying in loud environments to begin with. Background noise will seem to get worse, even if it isn't objectively, and verbal sounds become muted and muffled, like they're underwater. People seem to be mumbling (and it feels like it's on purpose). All of this makes me feel panicky and kind of angry, like others are screwing with me deliberately.

Those of you who mentioned loud noises becoming phobic, I can relate. Smoke detectors with horns/buzzers--when I was younger, I couldn't bear to see them in their boxes on the store shelves.

Sometimes, I can hear a small sound (like a cellphone ringing) three rooms away, when others can't.

Smell: I have to deal with this at work all the time. I am at a Walmart with a deli and bakery. Being assaulted by whatever is in the oven/fryer the moment I walk in is pretty awful. Interestingly, other associates have told me the same thing, so maybe this isn't exclusively an Aspie thing.

Taste: semi-related to smell (of course). Usually not too much of a problem unless I'm feeling nauseous for another reason (like a light/sound-induced migraine, for example). It can seem muted if my mouth's dry (does that count?).

Touch: probably the least of them. Don't like tight clothes, but that's about it.

My daughter is the same. Loves deep pressure so is a sensory seeker, but avoids light touch, tickling, and only wears certain clothes.

I don't have sensory issues that get me to a full meltdown, but I have some issues.

I can't stand being touched (hugged or squeezed) or tickled, though there are a few exceptions to that. Some people can touch me, but I have to be 'ready' for it.

I do love turtlenecks, for some reason I find that tightness around my neck soothing..
But I always cut off all tags of any items of clothing.

I can get sort of obsessive about certain sensations, like my cats furs, I just keep running my fingers through it until they get iffed at me and go somewhere else. I just got a silk scarf, that I also am obsessively running through my fingers. I love textures, I can spend hours figeting with a regular sponge for dishes, you know with one rough side and one 'smooth' side. I suppose those are stims?

Some lights (flourecent mainly) gives me a slight headache, because of their flickering, and also the sound.

I have big issues with music/radio/TV with the sound turned off, I don't know why. I can't actually hear it, but it makes my teeth hurt, somehow.

One thing that I have more or less grown out of is diesel exhaust from cars/trucks/etc. I am prone to motion sickness, and when I was in a car behind a diesel engine I would get really bad. My dad used to have a jolly good time (sarcasm) when driving to visit my cousins (6-8 hour drive) trying to stay away from buses and trucks... I am also very sensitive to the scent of gasoline. When I'm in a car and we have to fuel it, usually I have to get out of the car and move a fair bit away from the pumps.

Yes, I had to wear a turtleneck for choir and baseball as a child and H-A-T-E-D it more than anything in the world. I would stretched the necks out as much as I could but still hated the sensation of anything on my neck unless it was -20C or lower. I also love pressure and being hugged both then and now. I only wear collared shirts for work, where I have to. They might look professional but I hate them with a passion.

As for me, my biggest sensory issue is food smells, especially sauces, chocolate and vinegar. The smell of these things is unbearable and ruins my appetite instantly and makes me very nauseous. It further drives me insane to see that many people think this is an attention seeking behaviour: I am deeply embarrassed by it and only a handful of people in my life know how difficult it can be to eat out in most restaurants.