TOUCH Sensitivity

Post Reply New Topic

There is always a lot of talk here about sensitivity to sound, but I'm not sensitive to sound so much as touch. Especially in the inner elbow area. It bothers me if I wear a shirt that is tight around my arms because of the feel when I bend my arms. It's fine if I keep my arms straight, but if I bend them, ugh. I don't have this problem with pants so much.

This is a real problem when I go to the doctor. Most people describe a blood test as a "prick" or a "sting", but I find it much more painful than that. I don't like needles in other circumstances, like vaccines or dental work, but blood tests are the worst of all. Also, I can't tolerate the blood pressure machines. My granddad was thought I was "making excuses" to not check my blood pressure because "it doesn't feel that bad at all" and I have never meant anyone ever that complains about the feel of the machine. I also don't like the pressure very much. I can tolerate it until they start to inflate it. It doesn't help that when I little, my mom and the doctor chuckled a bit when I clammed up when they took my blood pressure.

Most doctors think I'm nuts when I say I don't like the blood pressure machine, but are understanding of the fear of needles because it's more common.

But that's not the whole story. I don't like the feel of tags on the back of my shirt or most shoes. When I was two, I would have major meltdowns when my mom made me wear shoes. She didn't get it and at the time, probably thought it was a non-compliance thing, rather than a sensory thing. She finally figured out that I'd wear canvas shoes, but I was not thrilled because she was a bit of a girly girl and wanted me to wear pretty shoes. It's always disappointed her a little bit that I'm more tomboyish than girly girl. I mean, she gave me a girly-girl sounding name (which I don't use in non-legal settings), but that's another story.

Anyone else with touch-related sensory issues?

I am sensitive to any touch from the shoulders on up. My startled reactions to "friendly" shoulder taps or "bro slaps" have offended people and almost caused fights. I am also sensitive inbetween toes.

Tags can be a problem, yeah. I usually buy tagless clothes or cut them out. The seams on my socks have to be on the top of my toes. I can't stand the feel of certain kinds of polyester, or really stiff denim.

I don't like really soft light touch. It feels ticklish and unpleasant. Firm touch doesn't bother me at all, though.

Yep, anything tight is no good. Jeans, no way. Shorts or pants with too tight of a waist must be returned. It's hard to find anything that feels good enough to wear. When I finally do find something, I hang onto it for dear life wearing it until it gets real old. I know how hard it will be to replace.

I used to think I didn't like jeans because I was fat. But then after I lost a bunch of weight, I still didn't like them. They're too hard, too tight. I have to wear dress pants for work and just a pair of gym pants outside of work. The belt I wear at work is too tight. Wish I could find one that wasn't, but I haven't been able to.