Do sounds stimulate a physical response?

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cmoonbeam1
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04 Apr 2012, 9:47 am

Do any of you get an overlap of the senses? I know that certain smells or sounds elicit strange responses from my body. For instance, the smell of buffalo sage makes me feel hungry in my nose and kind of makes me feel like crying...? That's the only way I can describe it. Also, the sound of creaking floorboards tickles my sinuses and I hate it.

I have tactile stuff going on, too. The feeling of a towel on my lips makes me gag. I also get tingly hands and feet when I look down from high places...but maybe that's typical.



mushroo
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04 Apr 2012, 10:04 am

Overlap of the senses is fairly common these forums, some people use the word "synesthesia" to describe it.

It can be a curse but it can also be a wonderful blessing; for example in the field of music for me.



ValentineWiggin
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04 Apr 2012, 11:01 am

Dry raspy sounds (think chapped hands on a soft sheet) drive me bonkers and (ok, this might sound very weird) I've noticed that when I'm using whitening strips, the sounds intensify tenfold. I learned a few years ago that a lot of the way sounds are processed has to do with the oral cavity- our tongue, teeth, and jaw.

I can't think of any other reactions I have to specific stimuli, though in general, my ears physically go up and down whenever there are gratuitous loud noises- which is confusing to NT's, because it has to do with control: my favorite music blasting = a-ok. Children screaming/people talking extremely loudly = an adverse physical reaction and a rage response.

When I was first diagnosed, one of the first "God, how could I have missed this?" moments was realizing what a low tolerance my father (whom I take after) and I both have for screaming/loud children in public, while my (very) NT mother doesn't seem bothered in the slightest.


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Ann2011
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04 Apr 2012, 12:10 pm

Loud noises like sirens, car horns or alarms cause me physical pain. Kinda like a startle response x 1000. It takes me a few moments to get my breathing back to normal and relax my muscles.