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wavefreak58
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22 Mar 2011, 2:00 pm

So far I've considered my sensory issues mild, mostly because I compare my perceptions to the descriptions of others and I don't seem to have the acute reactions that some describe. But I'm starting to wonder if they are a least a bit more pervasive than I've realized. Like maybe it isn't normal for background noises to feel more like actually buzzing in my head? Or maybe feeling certain vocal tones in my chest is atypical? Maybe some of my constant agitation is I'm more sensory overloaded than I realize.

I've always LOVED surfing because the sounds are something I can flow with (if that makes sense). The sound of the wind and the water muffle every other noise. NOTHING has ever felt that calming. Maybe it's a autistic sensory thing?

Something to think about I guess


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j0sh
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22 Mar 2011, 2:24 pm

wavefreak58 wrote:
So far I've considered my sensory issues mild, mostly because I compare my perceptions to the descriptions of others and I don't seem to have the acute reactions that some describe. But I'm starting to wonder if they are a least a bit more pervasive than I've realized. Like maybe it isn't normal for background noises to feel more like actually buzzing in my head? Or maybe feeling certain vocal tones in my chest is atypical? Maybe some of my constant agitation is I'm more sensory overloaded than I realize.

I've always LOVED surfing because the sounds are something I can flow with (if that makes sense). The sound of the wind and the water muffle every other noise. NOTHING has ever felt that calming. Maybe it's a autistic sensory thing?

Something to think about I guess


It's really hard to wrap your head around the idea that your sensory experience may be different than most people's. If you're also a bad self observer, then it gets even harder.

For instance:
I HATED the lunch room at school. It wasn't just the social dynamics, it was also the noise. Between 6th grade and 12th grade, I ate lunch in the lunch room less than 10 times. I was so uncomfortable there. I had no idea that the other students had brain-filters that automatically stopped them from hearing EVERYONE that was talking in listening distance.I felt like I was just weak for avoiding the lunch room for the last 6 years of my school experience.

A few months back I went to a local restaurant/bar, and it finally hit home for me that the lunch room thing really wasn't my "fault". I was reacting to the sensory experience; not just the social one. At this establishment there was so much talking going on at once that I felt like my brain was being scrambled. And while I sat there in pain, I watched everyone else. None of them struggled to understand what the person next to them was saying; while I struggled to hear the person next to me (because I heard everyone else too). They just sat there and had a chat and didn't take any notice of all the commotion going on in the place. Their sensory experience of this environment was very different than my own.



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22 Mar 2011, 2:38 pm

Oh I know THAT feeling! Loud sounds scare me so badly! Lunch rooms- FORGET IT! I'd much rather cook or order in, then eat out. I HATE shopping, not only because I don't wanna buy all that NT crap, but I also get so timid amongst crowds. Especially in crowds of people on a mission! Everyone hates food shopping, but I am so scared of people. I'm afraid someone will run me over with their cart and not even notice...I start making little distress sounds and my aspie husband knows exactly what my deal is and helps me get to a safe place post haste! He's great to have around! I love skiing! There's something about the swish of snow that calms me! I used to ride in the car with my head out of the window, as a kid, cuz the radio annoyed me so much!!


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wavefreak58
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22 Mar 2011, 2:40 pm

j0sh wrote:
And while I sat there in pain, I watched everyone else.


I don't feel any actual pain. That's what's made me consider it mild. The sensation is more a form of internal pressure and extraneous 'vibrating'.

Quote:
None of them struggled to understand what the person next to them was saying; while I struggled to hear the person next to me (because I heard everyone else too). They just sat there and had a chat and didn't take any notice of all the commotion going on in the place. Their sensory experience of this environment was very different than my own.


I really dislike cafeterias and bars and such. But again, no physical pain. And I thought everyone had to concentrate on filtering out the background.


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j0sh
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22 Mar 2011, 3:24 pm

wavefreak58 wrote:
j0sh wrote:
And while I sat there in pain, I watched everyone else.


I don't feel any actual pain. That's what's made me consider it mild. The sensation is more a form of internal pressure and extraneous 'vibrating'.

Quote:
None of them struggled to understand what the person next to them was saying; while I struggled to hear the person next to me (because I heard everyone else too). They just sat there and had a chat and didn't take any notice of all the commotion going on in the place. Their sensory experience of this environment was very different than my own.


I really dislike cafeterias and bars and such. But again, no physical pain. And I thought everyone had to concentrate on filtering out the background.


It's not a "physical pain" to me (usually... fire alarms and sirens actually cause a physical pain). It's more of a extreme discomfort. Like listening to the type of music you hate most, at top volume, with no end in sight. Not physically feeling pain, but feeling so uncomfortable that you wished you could just jump up and run out of the disturbing environment.



wavefreak58
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22 Mar 2011, 3:51 pm

j0sh wrote:
It's not a "physical pain" to me (usually... fire alarms and sirens actually cause a physical pain). It's more of a extreme discomfort. Like listening to the type of music you hate most, at top volume, with no end in sight. Not physically feeling pain, but feeling so uncomfortable that you wished you could just jump up and run out of the disturbing environment.


Well, OK. Maybe that. I just shut down.


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Yensid
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22 Mar 2011, 6:39 pm

Mild sensory issues are a puzzle to me. I have no idea if I have anything which would be considered a sensory issue, of if I'm just a bit more sensitive than most people. Certain sounds that people make really, really annoy me. I can't ignore them. I'm not sure if that is a sensory issue, or if I am just an uptight, cranky old guy. I constantly touch things as I walk. I like the feel of them. I like the textures. That might be a sensory issue, or it could just be that I'm a bit quirky.Sour tastes really bother me. People tell me that some fruit is really, really sweet, but I can't eat it, because it is so incredibly sour. This might be a sensory issue, or maybe I'm just someone who doesn't like sour things. Bad smells just stay with me. Even when the source is long gone, I continue to smell them. It's not an actual scent. It's in my mind, but I cannot ignore this memory of a scent.

I wish that I could be inside someone else's head for just one day. Maybe that would help me figure out what is normal variation and what is really unusual.


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daydreamer84
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22 Mar 2011, 8:25 pm

j0sh wrote:
wavefreak58 wrote:
j0sh wrote:
And while I sat there in pain, I watched everyone else.


I don't feel any actual pain. That's what's made me consider it mild. The sensation is more a form of internal pressure and extraneous 'vibrating'.

Quote:
None of them struggled to understand what the person next to them was saying; while I struggled to hear the person next to me (because I heard everyone else too). They just sat there and had a chat and didn't take any notice of all the commotion going on in the place. Their sensory experience of this environment was very different than my own.


I really dislike cafeterias and bars and such. But again, no physical pain. And I thought everyone had to concentrate on filtering out the background.


It's not a "physical pain" to me (usually... fire alarms and sirens actually cause a physical pain). It's more of a extreme discomfort. Like listening to the type of music you hate most, at top volume, with no end in sight. Not physically feeling pain, but feeling so uncomfortable that you wished you could just jump up and run out of the disturbing environment.


That's exactly what it feels like for me! When I was a child I used to wander out of the lunchroom with my hands over my ears talking/humming to myself and start wandering around the hallways.....until they put me with the grade one class (grade 1 children ate lunch in their classroom not the cafeteria). So, often I actually do "jump up and run out of a disturbing environment. Even as an adult I get off of buses (at the next stop of course) when they are too crowded and noisy and can't stay in crowded malls for too long. Sometimes I get anxious (if I'm stuck ) in these situations though as well and my heart starts racing and I get panic attack symptoms ........sometimes full out panic attacks. I don't always though...sometimes I just feel unbearably uncomfortable. The thing is my sensory issues (in terms of sensitivity to particular noises, smells, etc) aren't that severe......but when I get sensory overload it is (severe)....I think it has to do with the lack of control (feeling overwhelmed).



Mithra
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23 Mar 2011, 2:06 am

uuugh, I hate my sensory issues.

Physically: I must wear pantyhose/tights at all times (exceptions are swimming, bathing, and other essential naked activities). I wear them under jeans, skirts, shorts, sleepwear...And I need long sleeves. My skin being exposed to the air, or leather seating, carpet, what have you is just not cool. I can only wear short sleeves/tank tops outside if it is really hot (in Texas). Inside, I must have a sweater or something on my arms. It really bugs me, because it is not a body issue (like so many assume). I'm trim and fit and have no problem showing that off. But the sensations make me crazy!

Sound: If the tv is on, or music is playing, at a loud restaurant, or even someone on the phone...I cannot understand what someone says to me. The words get jumbled. I cannot concentrate on one conversation. I am hearing all of them. I have become a decent lip reader because of this, but my conversations are still 50% Huh? What? A raccoon ate your bacon? No? Say again?

I can generally deal with these things, but if something stressful happens, or more than one happens at a time, I utterly freak and withdraw.



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23 Mar 2011, 11:13 am

I've noticed that autistic people often underestimate a lot of our issues as we're first working our way through finding out about autism, and then as time goes on and we realize what things mean, we become a lot more accurate.


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wavefreak58
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23 Mar 2011, 1:00 pm

anbuend wrote:
I've noticed that autistic people often underestimate a lot of our issues as we're first working our way through finding out about autism, and then as time goes on and we realize what things mean, we become a lot more accurate.


I suppose this is my task for awhile. Figuring out what is autism and effectively can't be change on a neurological level, what parts of autism can be worked around, and what isn't autism that can actually be changed with new habits and such.

More work. Ugh. I'm tired of trying to fix me.


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DragonKazooie89
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23 Mar 2011, 1:06 pm

I can easily handle noise, it's the silence with whispering that drives me up the wall. That's why I hated silent reading in class because of some of the students would constantly whisper to one another. I also have a few sensory issues when it comes to touch such as I hate weraing 3/4 sleeves because of how they rubbed against my arms and I'm constantly scratch at my head because of dried skin in there/some dandruff I have to get rid of.



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23 Mar 2011, 1:12 pm

wavefreak58 wrote:
anbuend wrote:
I've noticed that autistic people often underestimate a lot of our issues as we're first working our way through finding out about autism, and then as time goes on and we realize what things mean, we become a lot more accurate.

I suppose this is my task for awhile. Figuring out what is autism and effectively can't be change on a neurological level, what parts of autism can be worked around, and what isn't autism that can actually be changed with new habits and such.

More work. Ugh. I'm tired of trying to fix me.

Sometimes I think it is more like just trying to keep our "run whatcha brung" jalopies running!


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draelynn
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23 Mar 2011, 1:57 pm

Mithra wrote:
Sound: If the tv is on, or music is playing, at a loud restaurant, or even someone on the phone...I cannot understand what someone says to me. The words get jumbled. I cannot concentrate on one conversation. I am hearing all of them. I have become a decent lip reader because of this, but my conversations are still 50% Huh? What? A raccoon ate your bacon? No? Say again?


^^^ this! I thought maybe I just damaged my hearing at concerts when I was younger. My hearing is fine but ^^^ THIS^^^ is a constant source of aggravation. Sudden loud sounds feel like a bullet through my skull. My German Shepards bark, inside the house, has me clutching my head. Same with my 5YO neice's shriek. Nearly has me in tears it hurts so bad.



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23 Mar 2011, 2:13 pm

anbuend wrote:
I've noticed that autistic people often underestimate a lot of our issues as we're first working our way through finding out about autism, and then as time goes on and we realize what things mean, we become a lot more accurate.


I am constantly underestimating issues, and issues that I was mostly oblivious to in some contexts even two weeks ago tend to be more obvious to me all the time now.

I am not sure if I am moving fast or slow. Given I really realized it was actually true three years ago and finally admitted it in November-early December I'm going with "slow."



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23 Mar 2011, 3:03 pm

I am having a super good sensory processesing day today. Reason? I have given myself 2 weeks off from football and other obligations in order to rest. Feelsgoodman! But more important it drives home (to me) the point that my sensory issues are very much exagerated when I have stress or other things in my mind. I am looking at post counts of some of you posting on this board and am in complete awe at the time you spend here and probably obsessing RE Autism/ASD issues. I recently had a communication (email) with my shrink RE having a hard time accepting my DX and understanding my "new" way of being. He gave me the best advice ever. He told me to just relax about it and let it happen over time. He told me there is no way for me to "force" my new being/awarness into happening overnight without significant issues as having this in my thoughts 24/7 will not allow for things like sensory processing to happen. We all have made it this far in life with skills that we have developed sans a DX. We will develop new ways and new skills in light of our DX but we cannot force this without a price.

The secret to having good sensory days (at least for me) is to keep anxiety levels way down....

I think these are VERY wise words from the NT. ;)

BTW: My sensory processing issues are so severe that every now and then I am completely frozen from them. I haven't been in a mall in at least 7 years. I wear earplugs to many places and always in concerts/theaters. Last Sunday I attempted to go out with friends and the sounds of cars on the streets caused me pain. I have good days and bad days but my bad days can be VERY bad.



Last edited by kfisherx on 23 Mar 2011, 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.