Weird a versions to things/words
Hello,
This is a bit of a weird problem, so bear with me.
I'm 14. Although I have not tried to get a diagnosis, I show signs of Asperger's. May not be the case, but we haven't ruled it out.
My problem is that I have some words/things that I (trying to find the best way to describe it) have a strong aversion to. I never have anything to do with these things, and I've actually run away from them in the past. Here's a list of some of them (note: I don't actually say/type the words, so apologies it this becomes a guessing game...):
All words with a silent 'b' on the end. For instance, when we sing Jerusalem in chapel, this is how I sing the second line: "and was the holy [cough] of God...".
The things you wear (the general term, 7 or 8 letters, beginning with 'c').
The two things on the ends of your arms.
The things that come from the above... being a pianist makes these last two seem very out-of-place.
The common name for the patella.
The two things, one above, one below your mouth, beginning with 'l'.
Items of (^) that are mostly worn in the cold weather, but have other purposes too, such as in a science lesson or for protection. I once bypassed the opportunity to touch a lung in my biology class. I claimed it was because I found it too disgusting, but in reality, I didn't want to put these on. The thought made me shiver.
I have been trying to get some of these words 'back'. For instance, the other day, we looked at a heart in biology, and I pushed myself very hard, but managed to get past putting them on so I could hold the heart. I never said their name, but I wore them. It was very hard, and was the last time I've been able to push myself that much. It stayed in my mind all day.
I've managed to not let my few friends or my family know, somehow, but I fear it's only a matter of time before it will become obvious. I can only cough so many times during that anthem before people become suspicious...
I'll admit, this is pretty weird, but it's not a joke. I just don't know how to put it clearer. I really want to be like everyone else in this sense, but for some reason, it's so hard. Thanks for reading this rather-difficult-to-understand post. Is this something familiar to anyone? I don't tell because all my friends and family are fine with all the above, so I don't think they'd understand. Actually, I don't expect you to either, but any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely.
I never thought I'd find someone who had this too! I can't tell you how excited I am to find out that I'm not the only one with this problem. I can't so much as type the names of my aversions, either, or read them. It's been that way since I was very young, but no one, professional or otherwise, has ever reacted to my explanations with anything other than confusion.
I think you're right to be careful about who you tell. It's difficult to explain to someone who doesn't experience it, so people are loath to take it seriously for lack of understanding. A friend of mine found out which words set me off when I was about your age, and she ended up using them to intentionally mess with me. Not a pleasant experience. But my family has always known and shown sympathy. They even keep the things I've averse to out of the house as far as possible.
For advice: Exposure can certainly help. But in my own efforts, I've only managed to lessen the severity of my response to them. The feeling won't go away entirely. Because of that, I think at some point in the future it might save you a lot of distress to explain the problem to someone who can help, either professionally or with support where you need it. I can understand your reluctance to share with anyone, though. I thought people would believe I was crazy when I was a kid, and it still embarrasses me. But realizing why I was reacting to these words/things helped me a great deal in my efforts to explain myself to people. It wasn't until I was able to make the connection between this issue and sensory dysfunction that I felt I could really make other people understand. That made it much easier.
_________________
I have not the kind affections of a pigeon. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sure. The impression that the words/things themselves make is a severe sense of disturbance. I described it in the past as an acute sense of "wrongness", which is somewhat vague - maybe "sensory abrasion" is a better description. A part of my consciousness starts to feel rubbed raw by its presence or name. It's strange because, although I have many sensory problems, these aversions are slightly different in the fact that my sense of being overwhelmed is instant. Alarm bells go off the moment I see them. Is that how yours feel?
The way I outwardly respond to that feeling has changed as I've gotten older. When I was really young I'd react by crying and yelling. Later, I learned to be embarrassed by it, and instead, I'd just bolt whenever an aversion was present or its name was spoken. Some are unavoidable, and my exposure to them has led me to have no physical reaction at all, except to avert my eyes.
_________________
I have not the kind affections of a pigeon. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
That's interesting. I don't seem to have quite as severe a reaction as you do. Usually, I just try to avoid the thing as much as possible. This involves putting things off to 'later' or wimping out.
That said, they don't 'set me off' if they are used. For me, the thought is way worse than the actual event. For example, last year, we looked at a lung in a biology lesson and were given the chance to touch it. Almost everyone in my class did, which meant using one of the things on the list I made^. I just watched. This didn't 'set me off' at all; I just kind of shivered a lot, but there was no really visible reaction.
Another time, fairly recently, we were doing the same thing. Everyone went, put (^) on, and started looking at the lung. I kind of regretted missing out on the opportunity last time, so, after much 'Will I? Won't I?'ing, I too went and did the same as them. At first, I felt maybe a bit embarrassed, but I hid this by reminding myself that no one else would judge me because they wouldn't even comprehend what I was feeling. To them, wearing (^) was normal, so I tried to act as if it were for me, too. As the time went on, I actually started to enjoy it, and looking at the organ made me almost forget about it. I realised that everyone saw me, but no one even batted an eyelid. I had it on my mind and was sometimes a little shaky during the rest of the day, but I felt as if I'd achieved something. This is what I mean by trying exposure to try and 'regain' these words. That being said, given the opportunity now, as I probably will do next year (I'm taking GCSE biology (out of my own choice, I must add)), I'd still be a little shaky at first. It might be easier, but I don't know yet.
I feel like it is a losing battle, though. Some of the words on the list weren't there, say, five years ago. I'm trying to stop gaining more of them, but for some reason, every once in a while, another word just feels 'wrong' and unnatural.
Does this sound familiar?
That said, they don't 'set me off' if they are used. For me, the thought is way worse than the actual event. For example, last year, we looked at a lung in a biology lesson and were given the chance to touch it. Almost everyone in my class did, which meant using one of the things on the list I made^. I just watched. This didn't 'set me off' at all; I just kind of shivered a lot, but there was no really visible reaction.
Another time, fairly recently, we were doing the same thing. Everyone went, put (^) on, and started looking at the lung. I kind of regretted missing out on the opportunity last time, so, after much 'Will I? Won't I?'ing, I too went and did the same as them. At first, I felt maybe a bit embarrassed, but I hid this by reminding myself that no one else would judge me because they wouldn't even comprehend what I was feeling. To them, wearing (^) was normal, so I tried to act as if it were for me, too. As the time went on, I actually started to enjoy it, and looking at the organ made me almost forget about it. I realised that everyone saw me, but no one even batted an eyelid. I had it on my mind and was sometimes a little shaky during the rest of the day, but I felt as if I'd achieved something. This is what I mean by trying exposure to try and 'regain' these words. That being said, given the opportunity now, as I probably will do next year (I'm taking GCSE biology (out of my own choice, I must add)), I'd still be a little shaky at first. It might be easier, but I don't know yet.
I feel like it is a losing battle, though. Some of the words on the list weren't there, say, five years ago. I'm trying to stop gaining more of them, but for some reason, every once in a while, another word just feels 'wrong' and unnatural.
Does this sound familiar?
Yes. I remember back when I was nine I tried to get over it. I forced myself to use the words and told my family that they were free to bring whatever they wanted into the house. It didn't last very long. Like you say, even though interacting with the thing wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, the idea of it stuck to my mind and became a source of anxiety. I do wonder if, had I continued to push past it, perhaps I would have been able to overcome it. I don't think it's impossible, considering how much progress I've made with some words/things that I can't avoid.
As for gaining new words, that doesn't happen for me very often. The words that I react to more severely were almost always there. I have gained new aversions to some words, but those aversions (mostly) seem to be of a different nature. I'm afraid to say them and uncomfortable when I hear them, and I'm certainly afraid of what they represent, but they don't produce that distinct feeling of semi-horror. It's more of a momentary shudder and I quickly forget that I encountered them at all. They don't "stick" like my original aversions do.
It occurs to me now, though, that it's somewhat significant that all of my fiercest aversions have a thing in common. Namely, their texture. The only occasions when I've gained new "true" aversions, they also had this in common with the originals. If that's the case for you, as well, it might be possible that overcoming your present aversions will prevent you from developing new ones in the future, if it's the root problem that you're desensitizing yourself to.
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I have not the kind affections of a pigeon. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
goldfish21
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I understand and have some wierd aversions myself. My grandmother used one word and one sound that drove me nuts, I still can't bear to hear the word. The word is tasty because she used it without providing a better description to what she was tasting, I never knew if it was a good or bad taste. The sound is te he he (as in a small laugh) because she used it in an immature and childish way when speaking to me until I was in my mid thirties.
The word chunks is the third one. I can't bear to hear that one because my ex husband used it to describe just about everything and overemphasized the word each time he used it including when it wasn't called for.
Also I have a serious aversion to certain songs. Upon hearing the first two or three notes of these songs I will immediately recite the ABC's as quickly and loudly as possible while turning down the radio as fast as possible. If for some reason I am unable to turn the radio off then I must run away from the noise.
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