How do you feel about people touching you?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm all right with being touched as long as I'm not stressed out due to sensory overload or something like that. If that happens, hands off.

I enjoy it very much if it's erotic touching from a lover, or affectionate touching from a family member or friend.

In other cases, it's either a neutral experience, or something I'm not happy about, depending on the context.

Hate hate hate! I make it very clear that I don't like being touched. When someone does touch me I get extremely upset, and if it's on purpose I yell at them. It ruins my mood and it takes some time for me to get over it. If someone asks I might let them but even then, I most likely won't.
The only time I would allow it is with a significant other and close friends.

Dry skin and certain fabrics are intolerable for me.

It depends on who touches me really.

It depends on who it is and the context and how they are touching me.

I like hugs from people I feel at ease with, so long as they are gentle. But some people hug too hard or clumsily and it hurts. Like throwing their hand against my ear and folding it over the wrong way or something.

I don't like to be tickled, ever, and I don't like any kind of hard pointed touch.

I have had both good and bad experiences with massage. I have a lot of back problems and some extremely sensitive nerves in my back and hips, and other odd spots that are unusually sensitive.

What I really hate is when someone touches me in a way that is painful and then can't believe that it was actually painful. One time my aunt poked me in the hip with her finger. I forget why probably just for emphasis while she was talking and I really dislike that kind of thing anyway, don't ever poke me just to make a point. But it was one of those really sensitive spots and I said OW. She couldn't believe it, she said that couldn't have really hurt you, so guess what? She poked me AGAIN in the same place. Unbelievable and I really hate it when people do things like that.

I don't like people touching me and often involuntarily flinch if they do. The school hallways are a nightmare for that and sometimes I nearly have panic attacks. I weary of relatives hugging me. However, I do like giving hugs and like cuddling with certain people I know and love.

^Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. I don't like being poked at all, even if it's in a friendly way.

I dislike it unless there is a warning, but even then it can be difficult. Recently my sister was holding my hand for a few minutes, then she let it go and said "I know you can only take so much of that." It's true. Light touch for me is horrible. I hate it. So. Much. Like if someone is holding my hand and rubbing with their finger? *shudder* Deep pressure is fine. Like hugs can be awkward but they're okay. In general though I'm hyper-aware of anyone touching me and I can't concentrate on anything but that. It's very distracting and irritating.

I'm okay with touching as long as I either know about/expect it beforehand, or if I'm the one who initiates it. I also keep in mind that other people might feel the same way, so when I hold out my arms and ask a person, "Do you want a hug?" or "Are hugs okay?" I'm not being weird, I'm being respectful of their physical boundaries in the best way I know how.

The older I get, the less able I am to tolerate being lightly touched without permission or forewarning....when my stepmother lightly touches my shoulders it tends to range from feeling uncomfortably ticklish to tiny, burning hairline cracks all over the touched area, depending on how sensitive I am feeling at the time. It's enough to make me need to rock back and forth or stim with one of my stim toys (I always carry one or two in my pockets)....the less socially acceptable response being to yell, "Can you NOT??! !" I also feel uncomfortable with people looming over my shoulders/pushing down on me/getting in my personal space for reasons I don't want to talk about here.

I'm not uncomfortable with all touching, tho...I'm okay with hugs, as long as they involve the abovementioned parameters, and I don't mind deep pressure, cuddling next to somebody, or being piled on. I think that's why I've always liked sleeping with a heap of stuffed animals next to me in bed. My aunt remembers that when she and I, along with my maternal grandparents, went on a summer road trip, the two of us had to share a Murphy bed in one of the hotels we stayed in. We'd each fall asleep on our own sides of the bed, yet every morning without fail my aunt would wake up to find me all curled up against her, snuggling. I was 9 or 10 at the time.

I also like having something heavy-ish in my lap when I'm sitting or riding in a car. At home, I usually have my laptop in my lap, and in a car, it's usually my bag made heavy with my phone, keys, wallet, comfort items and stim toys. I do have a soft, floppy elephant that I turned into a weighted stuffed animal once. I found her again and have decided to add more weight to her after I order some more plastic pellets.

If a total stranger touches me or even someone I know vaguely without any warning first, it's like a toxic venom has been injected into that spot, but instead of pain and illness the venom makes me feel violated and heavily annoyed. Like when someone notices the tag on the back of my shirt sticking out, and they just fold it back in. I. HATE. That. And one time I was at the grocery store and some lady suddenly came up to me and started adjusting my purse strap which was messing up the collar on my coat like I'm her 7-year-old kid or something. And I just stood there, hoping my face was telling everything I was thinking but she didn't seem to notice or care. I wondered if she had OCD and can't stand to see even other people's clothes not looking perfect. Anyway, she was lucky she didn't try that on someone whose reaction might have been a lot worse.

But I like friendly touching from my parents and other people I'm close to. I'll do the universal "Can I give you a hug?" thing by holding my arms out, like when I said goodbye to my grandmother after her visit on Xmas Eve.

I have a very large and well-honed space bubble.

Every once in a while though, i may get a hug from someone i know extremely well..usually during something major like one of my dogs died and i'm in pieces. At those moments, it always strikes me how very long it has been and how little physical contact my reclusive life allows..and a tiny bit misses it. Not the hug itself, but the depth of feeling and connection that goes with a -real- hug.

I absolutely detest those pat pat hugs. Though often not intended as such, they're almost condescending 'there there'. If you're going to hug, do it..the partial tap tap is far more intrusive and awkward.

If you replaced 'people' with 'non-human animal', pretty much any touch but ripping my face off is great.