Sensory Overload in Adults
Parent Q&A
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So, as long as I can remember, I've had a ton of tactile sensory sensitivity. Think how annoying seams on the toes of your socks are, then make that much worse and more disruptive. When I was a kid it was tags of shirt, seams on socks, and you know how when you put a jacket on over a long-sleeved shirt and it pulls up your sleeves a little inside? That was horrible.
It's varied in intensity throughout my life but is getting worse again (I'm in my 40s). I talked to my psychiatrist about it and he said the only people he's ever seen this in are autistic kids (and I've worked with autistic people before and have some autistic friends who are adults and I know that can definitely be a characteristic of living with autism. However, I am not autistic and that would be literally the only autistic trait, so I don't know what's causing it.
It's driving me CRAZY. When I wear socks that are tight, it pushes my toes together and I hate how they feel when they touch. If I put my hands together in kind of a "namaste" move like after yoga, the palms of my hands touching is too much. If I'm sleeping in shorts, my legs touching feels bad. When I wear a backpack, I'm constantly shifting the backpack strap because I am so aware of it. None of it hurts or itches, it's just THERE and sensory overload.
I don't even know what I'm asking because I don't think there's actually any help in solving or lessening this but it's just driving me crazy. Has anyone had any experience/have any ideas??
Jul 3, 2022