Hitting and decreased sensitivity

Post Reply New Topic

I have a tendency to hit/punch/tap things (inanimate objects, usually walls or tables). I find some sort of enjoyment out of it and just have been noticing the frequency is increasing. Walking down hallways is the most frequent occurence. Its usually not softly either, I notice my hand is redened, and I feel a slight discomfort but its not particularly painful. Based on the sound it makes (and sometimes the mark on the wall) I assume it should be hurting more than it does. It seems odd to me to have a decreased sensitivity to pain while over-the-top sensitivity to other senses (ie light, sound, touch).

Anyone out there with similar experiences, or is it just me?

I do enjoy punching walls or should I say used to since my hands are now fecked from punching walls. If you have to punch something I'd recommend a heavy bag or some other soft thing, I don't even think I'd be able to punch a bag these days. Seriously, arthritis hurts save it for your old age.

It sounds more like a bit of a stim for you while I used to do it when freaking out/having a meltdown. We stim for the dopamine reward isn't it? Or is it endorphin? Stimulating the nerve endings releases those chemicals. Punching stimulates a lot of nerve endings. The endorphines are what stops it being painful too.

Get a bag, you'll love it and get fit at the same time.

Mostly touching things, not hitting them. However, I will rattle an object that responds, such as a handrail. There's not any real meaning in this, it's just something I do. During a conversation pause, I will sometimes wander away and start touching the edges of things or look at things.

When I was in high school, I used to rub my fingers on the brick wall while walking through the hallway. I used to slide my fingers through the horizontal groove where the mortar joins the bricks, and occasionally this would result in the removal of the outer layer of skin on my fingertips. Then I would be sore for a couple of days, which kinda sucked. I still rub my hand on the handrail at the indoor track where I go to exercise.

No, it's not just you bonuspoints. Many Aspies report both hypo- (lack of) and hyper- (too much) sensitivities across different modalities. I, like you, am hypo-sensitive to pain and hyper-sensitive to sunlight and sound (especially high frequency ones), amongst others. It's not that odd really; our brains process incoming sensory information differently, but those differences are not always in the same direction. Also, it's not something that is restricted to people on the spectrum. Sense perception varies widely in the general population too and even non-autists can be especially over- or under-sensitive. Apparently 1 in 20 people in the general population have Sensory Processing Disorder, but this incidence is much higher in people with an ASD.

hmm, i've never enjoyed punching something! i sort of enjoy ripping off scabs and i used to stick needles into my arm....normal people would probably think seeking pain is odd. inf act the habit got me into cutting due to depression (i stopped cutting, though!)
i love touching stuff though. in clothing stores i just walk around and drag my hand on the fabrics, stopping to feel something particularly nice. . i also love smelling things. whenever i pick something up, it usually includes smelling it....at school i often ask my friends if i can smell their lunch. XD.
i do love tapping things though. i like checking the density and whether things are hollow or not.