Help me with my sensory need, please

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Does anyone have experience with some type of... um. Let me just explain from the beginning.

I wouldn't say that I have body boundary problems. I do experience some such confusion, but it seems to be about what's normal for NTs. I do note that I have (rarely) had to make use of my sense of touch to reassure myself of what shape I am, and that I like that my clothes provide a barrier between "me" and "not me."

I would say that I crave deep pressure, but have rarely had a chance to indulge that craving for the last several years, except in the form of an extremely heavy backpack. Even when I do indulge it, it's quite intense. I scoff at "weighted vests" and "weighted blankets" that weigh in the neighborhood of ten pounds. When I was really little, I needed twice that.

Seemingly unrelated to this was something that was bothering me. A craving I thought I understood. I was way too willing to ignore the knowledge that every craving has a healthy reason. (You have to interpret it right. A craving for chocolate is a magnesium craving. A craving for salt could indicate adrenal problems. Food cravings are your body telling you to seek the taste of the food that has the right nutrients.) I spent my entire life feeling what I thought was a desire for something shameful.

That went away when today I covered the backs of both hands, the underside of my right wrist, and all of my left arm from the wrist to halfway between wrist and elbow... in tape. (Please don't ask why I did that.)

Tape is not a feasible solution to my problem. It's disposable. It leaves my skin somewhat disfigured afterward. It slightly restricts my movement, looks obviously strange (ah, how wonderful it would be to live in a society where looking normal ranked lower than being comfortable) and makes funny noises when I move. (Pulling it off isn't a problem.)

I spend most of my time just around the house. I hate to get too hot, need to keep my fingers free (to stim with) and don't really want my family asking questions. I hate itchy things and tags in shirts (all my clothes are either cotton knit or denim, except some PJs) and I hate tight clothes.

I'd like help finding something that looks nice (both to me and to others), breathes, doesn't make my skin look like I've slept on my keyboard and will cover my arms up to the elbow without covering my fingers (and preferably without covering my palms). Preferably not satin or velvet or wool. Maybe something that could be worn to bed.

Does anyone have any advice? Please help. And thanks to anyone who even read through this.

hi DandelionFireworks,

when i read your post i was instantly thinking of the leather splints which are worn by sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome.
there is one here:

http://mysplint.com/public/images/hand- ... eather.jpg

this one seems to cover the palm, and i do not know how you would soften the lining to make it more agreeable to your skin
( silk comes to mind ).

the same website seems to offer compression garments for scar management
http://mysplint.com/hand-therapy/scar-a ... management
but i think it could be helpful for your case as well.

try compression socks against varicose veins form the pharmacy, you might again need to line them with a material that is acceptable to your skin.

another idea is to email temple grandin and ask for suggestions, i am not kidding!
this seems to be similar to the anxiety of the cattle being eased, maybe some aspies with the same sensory problem have contacted her to say how they are feeling the same and she might point you in the right direction.

i used to tape myself round my finger as a small child and watch the fingertip go blue and cold, but i can't recall doing to ease anxiety, i think it was just exploring my pain threshold, .

the only concern in my eyes is the bloodflow in your arm?

Thank you for the suggestions, PaleBlueDotty. The only problem is that I really need this to be surreptitious; I have enough of a problem with being accused of faking as it is. So anything meant for a medical need is right out, and I'd rather not try to explain this to my family. Not only would it be too hard to get the words out, they'd probably say I was doing it just because someone else on WP was. (If someone else on WP is, I hope they'll advise me.) And then there's the matter of going out in public.

But soon enough I'll be off to college, and I suppose it's reasonably likely that no one there would look askance at the splint you linked to.

Blood flow may indeed be a problem with the tape, but with it all coming off whenever I need to be visible or wash my hands, it's not staying on long.

...But Temple Grandin? You do realize you're telling an Aspie to suddenly contact someone, don't you? *rocks in fear* I suppose it's not like I have much of a choice, though, is it? Thank you. I would never have thought of Grandin. Do you happen to know her email address?

you always could tell your parents that you are posting/typing on WP so much that you contracted carpal tunnel syndrome, .

seriously now - here is the contact for temple grandin that i could find

http://ansci.colostate.edu/content/view/79/56/

i did think about the difficulty of making contact, but
it is "only" an email,
no face to face,
you can take your time composing it ( and rephrase it over and over again, ),
you are contacting somebody, who knows what you're on about and you are probably of "professional" (the pressure thing) interest to her, which is always a plus when communicating with an aspie - ( i'm not calling you a cow here, ok ? ),
it's a bit like posting here,
i think i can't think of anything more to make it easier at the moment.

give your heart a push - aaaaarrrrrgh ( one of my most hated NT motivational mumbo-jumbos ).
here are some more:
jump over your shadow, give it a try, you can do it, it won't be that bad, you can't always chicken out in life - get a grip, -need any more ?????

i hope you are getting your needs met soon.
life can be quite ok sometimes, you know - or so i'm told at least.

Thanks a million.

you're most welcome,

I have the same view. Cravings fade if you give your body what it needs.

For your arms, have you considered this type of thing:
http://www.delasco.com/pcat/1/Wound_Car ... Surgigrip/

Readily available in pharmacies, easy to peel off, holes can be cut, washable. Different thicknesses and sizes available.

I had chemical burns on my arms, and the pressure was the only thing that helped them heal, and yes, it is comforting, and it doesn't need to be too tight.

What about an elastic bandage kind of wrap, the kind that you put around a joint if you get a sprain?

re. weighted blankets: If you need double a ten-pound blanket, have you tried an extra-heavy one (twenty pounds can be found), or two at once?

Should not the explanation, "It's comfortable" be enough, even if it is a "medical" solution? I've worn the wrist braces for carpal, and also just because they are comfortable. At what point in life are you finally old enough to determine for yourself what is comfortable, and what isn't?

What truly reasonable person would argue that point? Who else knows what's comfortable for you better than you? No one! That's who.

I understand your "family" concerns, believe me. Couldn't just the simple explanation, "It just feels good" be good enough? Wrist braces, ace bandages, and the like may well be designed for medical purposes, but they are available over the counter (we decide if we need them), and there is no harm in wearing them for comfort alone. A lot of people do it, who don't have carpal problems or sprains or whatever. Heck, it's not like you're popping cold pills all the time, or trying to get illegitimate scripts filled (I hope not anyway). There is no harm in wearing whatever makes you more comfortable, and I have no idea why your family would make a big deal of it. If one of my kids wanted to use something like that, I'd let them. I don't see any problem with it.

Ask to see an occupational therapist. These are the people qualified to advise and make recommendations about what is available to help you.

Thanks. I never thought to use multiple weighted blankets... (No, twenty pounds wouldn't be enough if it were over my whole body... I only barely feel it when the weight rests solely on my shoulders and lower back.) I actually haven't tried weighted blankets or vests because I never realized they came anywhere near heavy enough (I have tried my backpack and other things, and when my mom first learned about the benefits of deep pressure she was the one who thought of having me stand on a scale with increasing weight on my shoulders until it was enough; I was still pretty little when it was twenty pounds, so I expect it will have gone up).

It would be nice if that explanation would suffice, but I don't want to risk it... and we have a history of fights on matters that seem like they should be trivial to the people around me (but aren't to me), like the state of my fingers (the nails are generally sharp and ragged, and if I don't have at least three hangnails, it's because I've been abducted by aliens and replaced with an imperfect replica).

I found that a stretchy exercise thingy (handles on both ends, you pull it taut and then keep pulling until your arms are fully extended) works somewhat, except for being ridiculously inconvenient and difficult to work.

I have seen an OT in the past, and to be honest have no intention of doing so again.

But I definitely like the thought of using one of those wraps.

ladyrain, it's so simple in theory, isn't it? Alas, it's so complicated in practice. Almost makes me wish I hadn't realized what the problem was. Because I've spent my whole life forming an association between this and something bad, so there's more than the craving itself to deal with. But sorry to hear you had chemical burns. *hugs*

The wrist splints are definitely out, because I need to move my wrists. But it is interesting, at least...