how severe are your sensory issues?

Post Reply New Topic

i heard that substance abuse is more common in non nts because of stress and anxiety or depression from social rejection and adding sensory overarousal to these stressors most likely makes it harder to resist something that numbs pain. these individuals may have much potential, but they do not seem to have the occassion to use it, most likely because they spend their energy trying to avoid a society which does not really accept them. i do not know anyone in person who has/had substance abuse problems, but it seems as if people with asd would be very prone to addictions because we already stim a lot and fixate on certain sensations and some of us occasionally self harm, which is like a mild addiction (because physical pain numbs unpleasant emotions).



i have similar coping mechanisms. i usually chew gum to offset tmj and numbness in my cheeks, although i do not always do it because chewing too much gum gives toothaches.



i get tons of random bruises and i used to be very accident prone. once i was skiing and when i got onto the chairlift, i did not feel that i was at the edge of the seat, so when i was 20 feet in the air, i almost fell off.



that sounds like a good idea, since many of us seem to struggle to distinguish external from internal pain. good luck.

Generally, they cause moderate impairment, but I picked the "severe" option. This is because I do have to live my life around sensory issues and make many choices based on avoiding them. For example, I will take every precaution against getting wet (especially getting my face wet), and I must wear very specific types of clothes. This means that shopping for clothes is a nightmare. Also, I have very heightened pain sensitivity, so most medical procedures that are not bothersome to most are awful for me. My main problem is that I never stop "feeling." Even when I'm wearing clothes that I like, it's a matter of "How do I feel the LEAST?" I always am aware of clothes touching my skin, my butt and legs touching a chair's seat, the feeling of an IV in my arm, etc.

I am hypersensitive to every sensory experience except for movement and vestibular stimulation. I constantly crave motion and fast speeds. I am a roller coaster addict. I love going in circles/upside down, the feeling of "air time", and just moving in general. I think it's because all of these sensations make me focus on the sensation itself and not my body. It's when I "feel" the least.

The sensory issues definitely are the thing I hate most about my Asperger's. They definitely interfere in my life and stop me from enjoying most days. And few people understand sensory issues, so it's hard to explain that you're in a bad mood because you feel pressure from tight pants, or that you're ready to scream because of fluorescent lights. After being wet and needing very specific clothes, my biggest sensory issues are bright and/or fluorescent lights and crying babies/children. Clothes cause the biggest interference, though. And one of the only ways I truly feel comfortable is by sitting on my knees. This decreases stimulation and gives increased "good" pressure. Whenever I can, I kick off my shoes (I never wear socks) and sit on my knees. I also have toe-walked since I ever learned to walk, and I think it's because it, too, decreases stimulation and gives "good" pressure. I toe-walk 100% when barefoot (the degree while wearing shoes varies on the shoes' style), so that's another reason I love being barefoot whenever I can.

Sensory issues have always been the most obvious and most severe symptom of my AS, after the special interests. I had clear-cut sensory issues when I was an infant. I was the stereotypical Aspie toddler who demanded that all tags be cut out of her shirts. (Interestingly, tags don't bother me much anymore.) I've never been able to wear pants with zippers, "regular" tennis shoes with the elevated sole in the middle, or sandals with that plastic thing that goes between your toes. I've thrown many fits throughout the years because of sensory issues, and clothes shopping is still tantrum inducing.
-OddDuckNash99-

that must be helpful. since you seem to have very good auditory discrimination, do you like music? i can hear all the detailed sounds in a piece and memorize them.



i actually like looking at moving objects, strangely enough. i especially like seeing the complex moving designs on windows media player that accompany music.

that sounds very disagreeable. i'm glad that you have managed to assuage some of the symptoms. my mom seems to have similar problems although hers have more to do with arthritis and a herneated disk. i think perfect health is very underrated.

I'm not sure how I would categorize my sensory issues. Pre-diagnosis I thought my nerves were just shot (maybe they are). Certain things make me flinch. Sometimes they still make me flinch even if I know they are coming up. For example, if I see a dog when I'm walking and I know that it might bark.....and it does bark... I still flinch. I try to downplay my reactions in front of others so I don't seem like a nervous wreck.

Although, sometimes I don't know if it's sensory or just plain nerves. Or maybe I think it's nerves but it's sensory. For example, during one of my jobs I was required to process product that had a market value of way over a million dollars. When I handled the product I got extremely nervous and would shake. I would go back and do my calculations many times before processing it. Granted I never screwed up product (had a close call once though)....it was extremely nerve wracking for me. Of course, the job required a lot of planning so that didn't help either.

Mine are pretty bad, but not as severe as when I was a child. I couldn't wear jeans until I was in high school and hated wearing shoes. I now rarely dress in anything other than soft pajama-type clothes and loathe having my hair cut and did it myself for years.

My tolerance level is inversely related to my stress level. Lately, I've been experiencing a lot of stress and when I had to go buy groceries today it was almost unbearable being in the supermarket with all the fluorescent lights, noise, people, etc. I nearly panicked in the line because the person in front of me was taking so long--took a lot of discipline not to just leave my cart full of food and run. But I have to eat!

What really gets me is trying to understand what people are saying when there is a lot of background noise--it's impossible for me to filter out the noise. I tell people at school that I have a hearing problem, but that doesn't explain the fact that I have trouble taking a lot of verbal instruction even when it's relatively quiet. This presents a bit of a problem because I'm especially capable in other areas and so my professors have higher expectations of me. I've got encyclopedic knowledge and write well, but then I blow simple things or have to ask for them to repeat simple instructions over and over before I understand them... I'm seriously considering just coming out so I can explain what the real problem is.

Speaking of sensory issues, maybe you guys have some suggestions as to a problem I'm having with a classmate. I dislike her, but can deal with her except for one thing: in what I assume is an attempt to be friendly, she keeps patting my arm or thumping me on the back. I don't want to be rude, but it really bothers me and it's all I can do not to deck her. The best excuse I can think of is saying "ow" the next time she touches me and telling her that I've been working out a lot and I'm very sore. It's a pretty lame excuse, but it might be better than punching her.

Double post

Last edited by Odin on 28 Mar 2010, 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

For me it's generally only bad when i am already over-aroused, A lot of things still bother me a lot but I can cope with them as long as they don't all come at once, though they will often make me start stimming.

This very much sounds like me. When I;m stressed out even a very little thing can send me into a meltdown.

sounds familiar instead overarousal under stress causes panic attacks and twitching for me rather than meltdowns, although i have tons of those when i'm alone in my dorm.

Regarding substance abuse I got into drugs because people always said I was on them so I got curious. Marijuana intensified my sensory problems and made it harder for me to go from seeing just shapes and colors to seeing objects (and same in my other senses), but also gave me weird hallucinations. LSD made my sensory problems far less and most of the time I was on it nobody would have guessed (people routinely said I was when I wasn't and that I wasn't when I was) unless I took large amounts. But it did things to my mind I didn't like so I stopped. I never got into anything harder because I was scared. But I did do drugs to cope with stress and overload and suicidal feelings. Problem is all those things come right back when you're off the drugs again. (And I was very lucky to have paradoxical reactions to acid or in my already depressed state it would have done a lot of damage. As it was my neurology protected me from hazards I saw people around me succumbing to.)

Yes, I love music ! I enjoy music much more so than my peers, as I do hear all the nuances and truly get lost in the beauty of intricate musical numbers. I also have perfect memory pitch, so if a singer is off key, or sings the song different from how it was originally recorded, I can hear that difference very acutely. I have scores of musical pieces and songs memorized.



Oddly enough, although I don't like moving objects, I do like to watch the moving designs on media player. They are fascinating, aren't they.

I highlighted the things in your post that are also true for me. I also picked the severe option, only because so much of my life is determined by sensory issues as the top priority, which of course is totally baffling to the neurotypical world. "What ! !! ! You can't go to this restaurant with us because the music hurts ??" "Don't be ridiculous, we need to go to Costco to shop, they have the best prices. Fluorescent lights do not hum, what IS your problem"

I have given up trying to get the neurotypical world to understand. Instead I have learned the power of saying "NO". lol (No, I am not going to wear flip-flops, No I am not going to that restaurant, No I am not going to the Mall to shop, No I don't want to go to the movie theater (I don't care that it is in 3D, I am not going!)

I have enjoyed excellent health for over 5 decades, and it is a good thing, because I cannot tolerate even simple medical procedures (like drawing blood for tests). In my case I always have to ask the question: "is the treatment (including all tests) going to be actually more painful for me, than the illness?" Many times I have found the answer to be "yes it is more painful", and have instead relied upon alternative ways to secure good health, other than what is commonly used in Western medicine.

I also have this same problem, (and also have encyclopedic knowledge). What I found from years of trial and error, was that I think in pictures, so if I stopped the person from talking and said "excuse me I think in pictures, could you explain that by painting a picture for me?" that I would better be able to understand what they were saying. The person would not be offended because it meant I was really trying to understand them. I found that I remember (and understand) what I SEE not what I hear. So when someone TELLS me something, I won't remember it (and often don't understand it), but if I see it written my photographic memory locks it in. Is it possible that you also think in pictures, and just don't realize it ? And this is the reason you have a hard time processing what people are telling you ?

Telling the neurotypical that you have Asperger's Syndrome, probably won't do much good, as it is incomprehensible to them. We are in the minority, they will just expect you to "change" to more closely resemble the neurotypical standard. Indicating that you have any "disabilities" is often counter-productive, as it gives people what they feel is a good reason to not value what you have to contribute.

thats good that you have been able to avoid trips to the hospital. i think that someone should be extremely greatful if they are in perfect physical and mental health. i think i actually dislike trips to the dentist the most since i had my teeth pulled out when i was much younger, and although I was given enough novacaine for my age and weight, i still felt my front teeth being ripped out from my gums.

My sensory issues relate to noise (especially shopping malls and restaurants) and bright lights or strong sunlight......

so I couldn't vote