Human touch

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I don't know if this has been asked before, but I was thinking about this earlier.

So aspies are sensitive to a lot of things and human touch can be a powerful thing. Making a physical connection and all even if brief.

So how do you feel in regards to human touch? A pat on the shoulder, holding hands, a friendly jab or a hug?

I think I general like it. I'm sensitive to touch like many, but I'm not over-sensitive.
I kind of crave it though with attractive girls. Well that shouldn't be surprising. There are girls I work with that playfully poke me sometimes and I do kind of like it(as long they don't sneak up on me and do that).
Not that all situations are enjoyable... I one time had a rather odd co-worker who hugged me a lot. She was attractive, but the way it went about was creepy and I didn't like it that case. (She left the job now)

Edit: Oh, whoops. There's supposed to be four options on there. The last one being you fear touch. I don't know why it didn't show... I put it in there...

Last edited by Zara on 10 Aug 2007, 11:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I wasn't sure what to vote.

I don't mind playful touching and I like romantic touching (though I'm very picky about with whom that will occur). I also am very affectionate with the children I care for.

What I don't particularly care for is friendly touching, like hugging or kissing people upon meeting or saying good-bye. I just don't have any urge to initiate anything like that the vast majority of the time, though I will indulge whoever seems to require it.

Touch isn't a sensory issue of mine though. Mine are sounds.

Well yeah, it does matter who it involves. Like I'm okay with hugs and kisses from my mom and dad, but I'd rather not be hugged or kissed by relatives.

Yeah, same here. My family isn't very huggy that way, but there have certainly been friends and boyfriends I felt totally comfortable touching.

For me, history seems important, too. I'm more likely to be comfortable being close to a relative stranger than someone I've known for years but have never had much physical contact with.

I enjoy being touched by romantic partners, friends of the opposite sex, or escorts. For all other people, I can tolerate touch to a fairly good extent, but "tolerate" is the key word.

I don't like being touched at all.
I avoid hugs, kisses, hand shakes etc. For me, the skin-on-skin feeling is un-natural and doesn't feel nice.

For me, if I know I'm being touched, it's a lot more bearable than if it's a surprise. Also, I'm more comfortable being touched by people I know than by strangers, and the closer someone is to me, the less uncomfortable the touch.
Handshakes give me the creeps.
While I was dating a friend, while we had crushes on each other, contact was electric, in a good way. Cuddling up, hugging... When it came to kissing, well, it was like fireworks in my head, I tell you.
Other than that, I really dislike touching. I can tolerate it, yeah, but it just makes me very, very uncomfortable.

I crave touch.

Tim

I too can't pick a single category. Its true that I do sometimes crave touch, but a lot of types of touch bother me. I used to go in for alternative forms of treatment when I was little and I enjoyed having hands laid on me as is done in reiki and polarity therapy. Sometimes it took me by surprise and I'd jerk away slightly, but then their hands settled in that spot, in some cases for the whole session. I like the feeling of getting my hair cut, even when I do it myself. The vibrations of the clippers feel nice, and the digital stimulation of my scalp. But I'm sensitive when it's a surprise touch and I'm not comfortable with a lot of the hugging and kissing that's expected when I see family or say goodbye to them. Not only is the contact a little uncomfortable but I have no clue what type of greeting is expected of me. If it's a hug, once it's been initiated it's not as bad. It's easier with my parents, and even my grandparents who I used to see a lot. But sometimes that can still be a little uncomfortable and I've avoided hugs from my mom before out of sensitivity, not embarassment.

I can handle firmer pressure in a touch much better than I can handle very light touch. When it's very light sometimes it's almost like, not necessarily ticklish (that can happen too) but more like my skin is raw for some reason, or irritated, mainly if it's a surprise. If I have warning then it's still irritating but not in the same way. I tried rolfing once and that was extremely painful, near unbearable. I hear it is for everyone though. Fight or flight mechanism kicked in on the table and I screamed and started swinging at the guy administering it. He was pretty tough though and just pinned me down more firmly to continue the session. Eventually because the pain didn't go away the panic stopped. I quit before the full series was over. It was too painful and I think I was getting too comfortable with the screaming and the rush of endorphins.

If I go a long time without any physical contact with other people I start to feel like I really need it. Not the socializing so much as physical contact.

I have a desire to and be touched... but I don't really like touching. That doesn't really make much sense...

I think I didn't start hugging my mom until I was 20 years old... it just didn't come naturally.Maybe slight hugs... not the deep heart felt hugs you are supposed to have with family. Now I do it... and see the need and desire.

I completely hate random touch... it drives me crazy.

I guess I don't have a problem with touching... but it's just not something I am used to. I am paranoid about future romantic relationships... I have no idea where I should start with touching or what may be too far... or too soon.

I am afraid I'll drive away someone I really like because of this.

The thing is... I really desire and crave touching in this way. Just holding someone in my arms... sounds good to me. Translating my desire into the appropriate response... bah... I'm just not acutely aware of the process.

Last edited by Pugly on 11 Aug 2007, 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

I crave touch, depending on the situation. Situations where I don't like being touched:
-Sneak behind and tap on the shoulder. I feel like jumping.
-Comfort touch on the shoulder.
-Pat on the back. <.<
Touches I like..
-Open hugs from friends.
-Handshakes. Maybe too much since my psychologists said I hold the shake way too long. I've gotten better. ^^;;

For the most part, I like hugs, male or female. As long as I know them. Granted, I know I wouldn't be satasfied by this, but one day I hope to have a girlfriend just to cuddle with. I know when I go to sleep, I have a tendancy to hug one of my pillows for comfort. So yeah, I like hugging. ^^;;

I crave holding my partner. I love holding cats. but by and large for everyone else its keep your hands off of me.

For the most part I hate it. My friends found this out the hard way by constantly hitting/poking me during conversation (apparently it's what normal people do) and having me scream at them as a result. The only person who's allowed anywhere near me is my boyfriend.

I hate being touched. I don't hug/kiss people or whatever. I think I could eventually be OK with it if I had a girlfriend or something, but it'd take a while.

I think you will find that with the majority of aspies, it will be a combination of all three poll options, depending on the circumstances.
I love hugs, but oddly, only with someone I totally trust and feel is protective of me, and who is generally of the opposite gender.
I hate shaking hands.
I will get angry if anyone pokesor prods me or touches my back etc when talking to me, or if they get too physically close to me.

And oddly...does anyone else have this issue?... I cannot stand touching other peoples' skin... it just makes me feel so uncomfortable and repulsed for the most part. My ex used to give me massages and I loved it, but when it came to giving one myself, I really had to battle to do it as I hated touching his skin.

As to hair... although I get uncomfortable, I have a very sensitive scalp and love having my hair brushed, combed, played with. It has always calmed me down a lot.

I don't like touching other people either. I don't know why though. I never really touch anyone at all.