Tell me about your sensory issues!

[neoratz]

i struggle the most with touch and hearing - i cant stand to wear pants unless it's under very special circumstances, i can't wear crew socks (they have to be taller than that), i can't wear any pants/shorts/shirts that are a little tight, hate certain waistbands, so on... it's so inconsistent too, sometimes i'm fine with something that's a little tight but it's under such specific circumstances. it makes clothes shopping a pain in the butt :|

as for hearing i hate hearing scratching/rubbing on specific fabrics, sweeping/brushing the ground (like specigically with a broom or something broom-like. with exceptions), papers rubbing against each other... it makes me physically cringe and sometimes even lurch it sounds soooo bad that it HURTS it's a feeling i can't even describe

 

[whimsu]

Not sure if this counts but I also hate whistling, it makes me want to deafen myself. Like, nails down a chalkboard but 10x worse.

Omg!! Finally someone else who hates whistling!
I am the only person I know who hates whistling, and people like to joke it's because I don't know how to whistle.
No, it's bc I seriously & honestly can't stand it.
For some reason, it makes my blood start to boil and it can make me angry real fast.
I wish it didn't, bc I definitely know people whistle when they're happy.. and it's not fair for me to get so angry over it.
What makes it worse, is when they have the same tune they whistle periodically throughout the day. (Yes, I am speaking from experience LOL)

 

[Neb]

There are too many to list, so I’ll just share a few of the most common ones.

I hate having a part of hands be wet while the rest is dry. It makes the dry parts feel uncomfortable. The only fix is by dipping the rest of my hands in.

Before I took my current medication certain sounds would cause sensory overload. Loud vehicles, dry hands being rubbed together, and sharp, sudden noises really bothered me. Now they’re just in the background.

 

[Alienfish]

Oh, now that you mentioned wood I remembered another thing. I get goosebumps all over and cringe visibly every time I lick something wooden. Like popsicle sticks or wooden spoons. It only happens if the wood is untreated, it feels like the wood fibres stick to my tongue like velcro can’t get behind wooden cutlery or cooking utensils for that reason.

yeah same, I absolutely hate those one-use wooden things, both to touch and taste.. ugh. sorry climate people but NOT using them.

 

[rip]

i’m almost 100% sure that i have misophonia, i have always had really sensitive ears and my sensitivity to sound has only seemed to gotten worse over the years. i don’t like sitting down and eating with anyone especially if it’s multiple people because the sound of chewing irritates me so much that i actually get upset/angry and have to leave the room. i also hate the sound of teeth scraping on a fork. almost every eating-related sound is hell for me lol
i also can’t stand sudden loud noises and grating, repeated noises. it’s the worst when i’m trying to fall asleep and i notice a pattern of sounds and then can’t stop focusing on them / anticipating the next sound.
most of the time i have to just pretend sounds don’t bother me or slip away from the source because i don’t wanna seem weird idk. but yea my sensitivities affect me on a daily basis sometimes causing great distress n i hate it

 

[michealsmells]

Its a lot of general touch things that I don't like. Velvet is one I really can't stand, eugh.

Though does anyone have an issue where if they're experiencing sensory overload, especially physically, their teeth feel it? My teeth feel it. In addition to my entire body feeling tingly my front teeth start feeling like I just bit into an ice cream bar, but like, less.

 

[ChocoPie22]

I only really have issues when my emotions get overwhelming, especially when I get really angry. Mainly with my sense of touch, it gets overloaded and I can feel everything, from the material of my clothing being too itchy or a slight twist of the fabric on my pants, I definitely cannot wear socks when I get overwhelmed, they make my feet feel trapped. I also cannot stand the smell of eggs, every single boiled egg smells like sulfur to me.

 

[skarmoury]

I’m very cold-sensitive. I hate aircons majority of the time. I have aircons installed in both my apartment and my room at home, and at most I probably only turn them on 3-5 hours a month. I used to hate it in college when I was living in a dorm with friends, one of my friends loved turning on the aircon because she loved the cold; meanwhile I would wake up at dead hours in the morning because I was freezing. I would wear a jacket and cover myself in a blanket before going back to bed (my friend hates it when I turn off the aircon). I also find it hard to take a bath, even though I usually bathe after exercising when my body is hot. It feels just as cold as when I turn on the aircon, lol. I don’t have a shower heater where I’m currently staying so I just kinda let the water run and wait for it to get warm (which in most cases, it doesn’t). Even as I’m typing this, I’m wearing a jacket in a room with closed windows and no aircon/fans running, because I’m that cold.

Sound-wise I hate loud noises. Not just the “oh wow loud noises are annoying”, but I will jump off my seat and shout back the moment I hear a loud noise. It’s gotten to the point where people would tell me I‘m overreacting, but I swear I can’t control myself because I feel so sensitive to these things. That’s why I hate fireworks and I hate jumpscares, they make me so uncomfortable and so.... unhinged. I remember one time I was so focused on my paper that some kids just started lighting fireworks and when one exploded, my soul just left my body and I had to recover for a few minutes. It became harder to breathe and focus that I had to take time to ground myself.

 

[Firesquids]

Peeling eggs triggers me so much. I hate the feeling they're slimy and crunchy and when they fall apart in my hands it's so frustrating.

 

[timecapsule]

x

 

[Aquilla]

Tinnitus + being unable to filter irrelevant noise is annoying as hell. Things can't be too quiet or too noisy. People moving around and making normal noise leaves me on edge and unable to relax.
Yelling anywhere near me will make me cover my ears and flinch. Loud noises almost hurt, but not in a physical way, if that makes any sense. Worst noise ever: metal hitting the floor.
I have difficulty processing speech sometimes. Some times it's like "I have literally no idea what you just said can you repeat that" and other times I have to repeat what they said to understand what they meant. Any kind of muffling or other noise can make it nearly impossible to just understand what someone is saying.
Lights sometimes make super obnoxious noises that noone else notices. My ceiling light in my room is awful so I don't use it. Have never heard anyone else talk about this, but I am very sensitive to lighting temperature. Cool lighting (like white or bluish) or bright lighting makes me uneasy and anxious. Warm and dim lights are nice and comfy. Also flashing lights make me feel very weird and uncomfortable.
I have bad eyesight but I also misread words a lot and miss letters which is both frustrating and funny depending on how I read it. (just the other day I was really confused when I read "OUCHDOWN" instead of "TOUCHDOWN")
Most kinds of touch is very uncomfortable and can make me panic or cause anxiety. It's much easier to handle if someone asks before doing so.
Sensory overload is an absolute blast cause I might just shut down if it's bad enough. Sometimes I'll dissociate if I can't escape it, leaves me exhausted either way.
ADHD is a pain but I'm working on it! please tell me if any of this is TMI I have no idea lmao

Not at all! I can relate to some of the things you said too (fellow ADHD gal here). I’m constantly worried about oversharing as well, because when I get carried away I just - talk

I feel very similar about light -can’t stand blue/cold light. Unfortunately my plant lights are that colour. I also feel like my eyesight is even worse in warm light because it makes the edges of everything more fuzzy - but I can’t relax in cold light. Wth man - what kind of light do I use now?!

I hate when my hands get wet (or my feet/socks for that matter). Every time I rinse salad I cringe so hard. Wet lettuce leaves feel so horrible to me. Doing the dishes is a nightmare. When I worked in a boarding school I usually helped with the washing up after meal times. They insisted the dishes should be washed in a way that all plates soak in the sink in water (with the plug plugged in) and then rinsed off. I hated the lettuce leaves that floated in there and would stick to my hands like cold nasty algae. Such an unsanitary way of washing dishes too blurgh

 

[JellyBeans]

absolutely the first thing that comes to mind is certain food textures - namely cooked fruit for some reason i absolutely cannot STAND. so any kind of fruit crumble for me is an absolute no go, which is a shame because i love the actual crumble part, but something about the slimy (yet also still crunchy if it's apple) texture combined with it being hot just makes me gag. i can force myself to eat it if i'm being polite but it's rough. also things like cooked courgette and mushrooms - similarly something about the texture just is Not It, but i don't mind the taste

 

[Aquilla]

absolutely the first thing that comes to mind is certain food textures - namely cooked fruit for some reason i absolutely cannot STAND. so any kind of fruit crumble for me is an absolute no go, which is a shame because i love the actual crumble part, but something about the slimy (yet also still crunchy if it's apple) texture combined with it being hot just makes me gag. i can force myself to eat it if i'm being polite but it's rough. also things like cooked courgette and mushrooms - similarly something about the texture just is Not It, but i don't mind the taste

Oh my goodness a partner in crime! Courgette and mushrooms are the two vegetables I absolutely can not eat. I can force myself to eat them, but only with a lot of gagging and eyes watering. The texture is the worst. It’s similar with aubergine as well. I really like the flavour of mushrooms, but the second I bite on one it’s game over. Nobody in my family gets it, because I love some other foods that are jiggly and slimey (like jelly, tomatoes, bananas etc). With mushrooms it’s that they are slimey but have that weird resistance when bitten. Reminds me of slugs - and that’s why I can’t chew them. Do you also hate aubergine texture?

 

[mitfy]

like. all of my senses are sensitive i have a lot of issues. if i don't have autism i know i at least have sensory processing disorder. i'm very sensitive to light, too much of it easily makes my head hurt and it's not fun. the sound of forks against ceramic plates literally makes me physically react and i'll start crying if it's too much because it hurts my ears and brain so bad. i also usually prefer to play my music out loud (if i'm alone) and only wear earbuds when i go out in public/around people or wear headphones when i need Mental Illness Music (will wood) blasted directly into my brain. i'm not as sensitive to smell but lots of strong smells at once can be very overwhelming and can also make my head and brain hurt, though this isn't as often. i also feel like i have a hard time telling if a food (like bread or deli meat) has gone bad. taste... yeah. im a very picky eater. unfortunately i'm very sensitive to spicy stuff so even if something is just a Little bit spicy im like A. i also don't like any seafoods. i think my biggest texture thing is fruit chunks, like if a bit of smoothie doesn't get fully blended, or when ppl put gooey fruit chunks in yogurt (yuck!). i thnk i have the least problems with tactile senses, though definitely had more when i was younger.

Post automatically merged: Dec 5, 2021

absolutely the first thing that comes to mind is certain food textures - namely cooked fruit for some reason i absolutely cannot STAND. so any kind of fruit crumble for me is an absolute no go, which is a shame because i love the actual crumble part, but something about the slimy (yet also still crunchy if it's apple) texture combined with it being hot just makes me gag. i can force myself to eat it if i'm being polite but it's rough. also things like cooked courgette and mushrooms - similarly something about the texture just is Not It, but i don't mind the taste

oh my god, yeah. i just Do Not Like it when fruits are warm.. like... that's supposed to be cold? huh? like my dad thinks i'm crazy because i don't like apple or cherry pie for that reason. like sorry i don't like warm mushy fruits and it's even Worse if there's like, a solidish core to it that crunches. like eughghgh blah its just bad. i can like, sometimes have pineapple on pizza but again if it's like, Hot, then i don't like it. i can eat it room temperature or a bit cooled though. even then while i don't dislike it the texture/flavor clash is so offputting. funnily enough though cooked carrots are usually ok despite being soft with a harder inside - but i still prefer raw carrots.

 

[BluebearL]

-Can't stand any obnoxious chewing/eating sounds
-Crinkling/plastic or foil noises while I am in the car (passenger or driving) - this one is probably the one that angers me the most, somehow makes my travel sickness worse.
-Not at all a fan of asmr
-Can't look at the colour yellow when I feel nauseous lol

 

[JellyBeans]

Oh my goodness a partner in crime! Courgette and mushrooms are the two vegetables I absolutely can not eat. I can force myself to eat them, but only with a lot of gagging and eyes watering. The texture is the worst. It’s similar with aubergine as well. I really like the flavour of mushrooms, but the second I bite on one it’s game over. Nobody in my family gets it, because I love some other foods that are jiggly and slimey (like jelly, tomatoes, bananas etc). With mushrooms it’s that they are slimey but have that weird resistance when bitten. Reminds me of slugs - and that’s why I can’t chew them. Do you also hate aubergine texture?

yess i totally get the mushroom thing, just pick being either slimy or chewy!! i don't like aubergine taste really so i tend to avoid it on that grounds, but yeah it definitely has the similar texture i dislike

 

[Kaiaa]

I have touch and photosensitivity, sometimes it's quite aggravating! I have a hard time dealing with wearing socks and shoes or people touching me, even if they're being affectionate like a hug and a back pat/rub. It's definitely caused issues in my relationships, no matter how I explain the situation, people think I just don't like them. I also can't wear most jewelry because I constantly feel it and I hate the feeling of it! A necklace is okay as long as I can keep it on the outside of my shirt. Oh another one I just thought of...liquid running down my arms/face makes me extremely uncomfortable! Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable!

As for photosensitivity, I have a hard time with light in general. It's like too much comes in at once and I can't control it. If I have a light on in the house to see, it's always a light from an adjacent room so it's not as bright. I keep my screens at about 20% or so.

 

[jefflomacy]

My only real sensory issues come from noise. I absolutely despise unsolicited noise, two in particular really bother me: 1) audible rhythmic sounds such as music or repetitive machinery, and 2) slamming car doors. I have a history of being abused at a young age by neglect, loud music, and being surrounded by strangers. It has had a long term impact on my inability to tolerate unsolicited noise from others. I moved out of my last apartment due to a bad neighbor who refused to be compliant and make less noise into the suburbs. So far it's been good here but if anything ever threatens the quiet of the neighborhood I will fight tooth and nail to destroy it.

I get very upset when people tell you you should just be less cranky and tolerate the noise around you. I simply cannot do that, and it's very disrespectful to dehumanize people and ignore their history of abuse and expect them to tolerate that nonsense.

Post automatically merged: Dec 7, 2021

i struggle the most with touch and hearing - i cant stand to wear pants unless it's under very special circumstances, i can't wear crew socks (they have to be taller than that), i can't wear any pants/shorts/shirts that are a little tight, hate certain waistbands, so on... it's so inconsistent too, sometimes i'm fine with something that's a little tight but it's under such specific circumstances. it makes clothes shopping a pain in the butt :|

Oh, also, I used to sturggle with this a lot. I feel your pain. I had a nasty injury that made it painful to sit for very long and also made jeans or anything tight very uncomfortable. I was running around wearing basketball shorts all year long for like 2 years. I feel your struggle here so much.

 

[tessa grace]

Because I have Covid-19 Parosmia with my taste and smell, its really difficult to eat, drink, and smell certain things. The worst issue I have with smell is bleach. I'll walk into my kitchen and if someone has just used even a small amount of bleach cleaning on the counter, I smell it everywhere in the house I get such bad chills and shudders from the smell that I have to hide in my room til the smell wears off. It's really frustrating because bleach is used in so many cleaning products.

 

[tumut]

I can't stand when spiders crawl inside my mouth while I sleep.