I'm reading the book Self-Care for Autistic People by Dr. Megan Anna Neff. The first chapter covers sensory triggers. It says that we tend to be more sensitive to the "big five" senses (ie sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell), but poor interoception, masking, and dissociation can cause use to be unaware if it. The book suggests that I keep a sensory journal in which I keep track of my triggers and preferences. Since I'm new to this, it would be helpful to hear what your triggers and preferences are, so please share away.
Triggers
Sight
- Driving into sunrise or sunset
- Glare
- Dirty glasses
- Eye contact with people I'm not intimate with
- The insides of bodies
- People in pain
- Deserts are depressing
- Other people's gross body fluids
Sound - Gas-powered lawn equipment
- Loud fans
- Babies crying
- Dogs whining
- Loud noises in general (except for music I want to hear)
- People trying to talk when it's too loud
- Clubs
- People talking for too long when I'm not ready to hear it
- Alarms
- Phone rings
- Static
- Slamming doors
Taste - Mushrooms
- Eggs
- Cooked cinnamon on meat
- Slimy stuff
- Food that squeaks on my teeth when chewing
Touch - Wet when supposed to be dry. It drives me insane.
- Oily/lotion (I don't know how people walk around with thick lotion on and then go in bed)
- Dirty/sweaty legs in bed
- Very light touch
- Dry skin
- Sand
- Air drying after going in the ocean and putting on a shirt without showering
- The post-haircut itchy fest (Don't put product in my hair because I'm going straight home to shower)
- Feeling full from eating
- Tight pants/waistbands (they need to be loose but not falling off)
- Wet clothes, especially socks
- I'm not touching bugs, stingrays, sharks, or live fish. GTFO out of here with that
- Wool
- Rock in my shoe
- Headaches (I have no idea how people function or even yell with a headache)
- Feeling bloated
- Having to urinate is super distracting
- Hard shoes
Smell - Anything strong
- Cigarettes (used to give me headaches as a kid, but dissociation, alcohol, and ADHD helped me overcome that enough to smoke)
- Vomit
- Other people's burps, farts, BO, breath (good or bad), and feet (too much intimacy and distracting af; shared public bathrooms are rough)
- Rotting flesh
- Perfume shops
- Burnt hair and popcorn
- Cooked liver (I will leave)
- Dialysis and C.Diff.
- Food-scented candles
- Farms/ranches/coops
Preferences
Sight - Saturated colors contrasted with black
- 3-4 colors matching
- Mountain landscapes
- Beautiful natural scenery
Sound - Thunder storms!!
- The same song over and over
- Beats and dance songs if I'm in the mood
- Noise cancelling headphones
- Loop ear plugs in loud environments help
Taste - Lime (I'm a straight addict, probably top 2% worldwide)
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Spicy
- Oily
- Vinegar
- Gummy
- Sour
- Corn dogs
Touch - Weighted blankets
- Human touch if the intimacy is right
- Soft fleece-like material
- Products placed out for sale or demonstration
- Smooth items
- Warm shower when I'm cold
Smell - People I like
- Soft calm smells
- Lavender
- Aqua Velva
- Fabric softener
Anyone similar to me? Are there any patterns? Things I'm missing? I think I'm having trouble with the preferences part.
What are you triggers and preferences?
Yesterday, 5:58 pm
