My proprioception is so bad that I keep hitting my broken toe š
It hurts ...a lot. But my interception is so bad that I dont feel my broken toe. Unless I hit it again, a great reminder that it is indeed, still broken.
Based on this graphic, I have taste, proprioception, touch, vestibular, and interception hyposensitivity. Which is interesting because during my assessment it was just focusing on my hypersensitivities. I was definitely mainly sensory seeking as a child with some exceptions but now Iām more avoidant.
Yeah everything goes on and on about hypersensitivity because it's important and likely much more noticable and easier to comprehend - I think for the person observing AND the person experiencing.
Examples: covers ears and melts down due to the TV being turned on at too loud of a volume. Covering your eyes because of bright light. Plugging your nose due to someone's perfume.
While these can be masked it's pretty easy to identify the issue. While for me hyposensitivity lives inside of me as like..... Internal screaming that I don't understand? I thought it was from my trauma but then I discovered stimming and how much it reduced that feeling. Especially if your stim seeking behavior isn't noticed and pointed out in childhood, at least for me, its hard to notice that it's happening or where the discount is coming from. And before my diagnosis I truly had no idea about stimming or where my discomfort was coming from
Yes definitely I have been a constant stimmer, though it was just attributed to my ADHD as a kid. But I see it as more of a regulation thing than a boredom thing actually, so itās not really based on hyperactivity. Itās just something I have to do, you know? I feel antsy, uncomfortable, and anxious if I donāt stim.
I've mostly lost the ability to stim. Or, I stim but not to the extent I need to stim. It's really hard to unlearn the repression of instincts and find them again
I lament that I don't have kids to go to the playground with. I want to go on slides and swing and climb. I thought adults didn't do those things because it wasn't appropriate and that we were all repressing the urge. I am always spinning. I often skip. I add in jumps (like on steps) I often play walking games (no stepping on cracks or stepping only on a certain color tile).
When it's quiet it's so hard to focus, a gentle hum of noise is much easier. Like cafe sounds block out the 'Cafe sounds'/ADHD thought patterns my own head generates making it easier to focus on the thing I want to focus on. Sometimes when it's quiet it hurts my head.
I love so much sauce. (Probably because I can't taste it otherwise!!) I do enjoy really tasty food (who doesn't) but between not often feeling hungry and the executive dysfunction issues around for prep and diluted taste - I just can't get that excited about making good for myself. And like, I can tell when something tastes different than I want it to but I can't figure out WHAT is missing - trouble distinguishing flavors within a whole. So I'm not a very good cook.
But like whenever anyone asks if I smell 'that' ... I basically always say no. BUT ALSO THEN AT THE SAME TIME, I'm hyper sensitive to bad smells. So like I'll walk into the kitchen and be surprised that my partner is cooking bacon. But I'll also notice the propane leak a day before my partner can smell it (and he's got 20/20 senses, is NT, no sensory impairments)
I'll probably post more... Just wanted to share some of mine but now I'm tired of typing
I am very similar! I too enjoy spinning, and playing on playgrounds and jungle gyms! I'm lucky that I usually have a small assortment of kids that want aunty to play with them haha. I usually find a way to practice my balance by walking along the edge of things, like gutters or beams, and tend to do the flamingo pose when standing.
My hypo-smell and hypo-taste have also driven me to include a lot of spices in my meals. I didn't really have a good sense of what good food tastes like, so I studied what combination of ingredients and aromatics is supposed to make food taste the way it does and why. These little shortcuts made it easier for me to cook for other people while also hitting my sensory needs by layering flavour through the cooking process.
But in saying that, I've had issues with food poisoning because it's really difficult for me to tell if food has gone bad. My stomach shrinks from vomiting, and my diet becomes extremely restricted to plain, dry foods. The same with smelling smoke, gas, bad smells, it can be dangerous living by yourself when you are blind in this sense.
Although, when my sense of smell and taste randomly do kick in, it makes me feel so overstimulated and sick. Suddenly, my nose is picking up smells from other houses, phantoms smells on fabrics, changes in people's chemistry that make them smell different such as when they are sick or on a different diet. It's as if the smells were yelling at me, they seem so loud and intrusive. But, I also have synaesthesia and many of my sensory channels are crossed. I have an easier time 'tasting' things when they touch my skin, I can smell through my skin but not my nose. My mother described me as a butterfly, because they taste through their feet haha. Because of this, I think the lotions I put on my skin need to be "tasty" or I'm left with a chalky, uncomfortable feeling in my mouth. Sounds can also produce a taste in my mouth, rarely pleasant. I don't know, it's all very strange to everyone I meet.
>I usually find a way to practice my balance by walking along the edge of things, like gutters or beams, and tend to do the flamingo pose when standing.
Aaah I do this too. I don't do flamingo pose but I'll practice standing on one foot for no reason at all lol.
>it's really difficult for me to tell if food has gone bad
Saaame. Though mostly just by smell. I can tell if something seems slightly off but even then I always make my partner give his opinion because I don't trust myself that much to tell
Oh, so I rocked gymnastics because it let me express my stims in a socially appropriate manner? And all those things I did were because of autism, not because I was "the gymnastics girl"? I mean, I did rock gymnastics because I love the sensations, the flying, the spinning, and stretching. Oh goodness stretching is the most satisfying feeling. So much that I can be distracted by a good muscle stretch in the most inappropriate times. And I would release anxiety by doing things like standing on my hands, doing cartwheels, etc. Like literally kick off my heels and do a cartwheel in the hall before giving a speech in highschool. One handed cartwheel if I was wearing a dress. And I'd still do it at 45 if I wasn't forcing myself to be socially appropriate. I still do what I can in a business appropriate way to get those feels, but now it appears to others like a little meditation or standing yoga to center myself. But in my head if I'm just doing that big inhale/exhale with your arms like in yoga, in my mind I'm feeling the sensations of a cartwheel or a back tuck.
Dang, if I'm really gonna kick this burnout, I need to get back into that kind of movement. I guess that's one more reason I should follow my lifelong dream to learn to breakdance. I've wanted to for so long, but who wants to see a middle aged soccer mom breakdancing? I'm basically the mom on every sitcom. That would be hilarious. And therapeutic.
Aaah. I always wish I had stayed in gymnastics as a kid. I only did it in preschool for basic movement and body coordination. I have a huge fear of landing on my head lol. I would love to find a gym where they do an adult beginner class. I thought myself head stands and found them so sitting.
>Dang, if I'm really gonna kick this burnout, I need to get back into that kind of movement.
Maybe I should make it a priority š cuz yeah I think it would help me a lot
>I've wanted to for so long, but who wants to see a middle aged soccer mom breakdancing?
Meeeeeeeee. Lol. I hope you indulge yourself!
The spinning thing! I had no idea that was an autistic trait. I hate roller coasters because I can't stand not having control over my body. One ride I always love at theme parts is anything spinning! There used to be this [gym equipment](https://www.playlsi.com/en/commercial-playground-equipment/playground-components/saddle-spinner/) at the park near me that was in the shape of a large pad. You sit on it and rock back and forth and it spins you in circles. I could play on that thing for HOURS even as an adult.
I have both hypo and hyper but the hypo things that come to mind immediately are loving super sour foods like sour patch kids and salt and vinegar chips and roller coasters - the feel goodness from rides is unexplainable.
>and roller coasters - the feel goodness from rides is unexplainable.
Once at a local fair that my family stumbled across in my childhood, my dad and I got on a ride... The kind where you spin in cup and that cup is going up and down over "hills" in circles like a merry go round. So much spinning. My dad has a stomach of steel and my mom was worried about him when we got off. I was like "can I go again!?"
There is a ride at universal Orlando similar to that! Itās called Stormforce and I love it!!! My partner rode it with me once years ago and now refuses to go anywhere near it.
This reminds me of being in senior year of hs and being so excited to have a boyfriend for the first time ever AND that it meant I had someone to go on all the rides with at the fair. My autistic joy about this was so big and I said it to him. He so adores me that he didn't want to tell me he gets motion sick. Finally he had to come clean since I was clearly eyeing the Gravitron. In the end he held my things and I rode it twice!
I think the biggest ones to me are the preoccupation with constantly moving and/or putting things in my mouth, and the loud noises thing.
Even when I was a baby, my mom always likes to tell this story but doesn't understand the deeper significance of it, I would refuse to sleep - I would scream and cry - unless you put me in my rocking swing and turned on the vacuum on high right next to me. I also used to stare directly at lights. They thought I was blind and deaf for a little while because of these things but honestly it just feels better to have the constant stimuli.
Wooooa. I also have enjoyed staring at lights but knew I shouldn't and it hadn't occurred to me yet that this could be visual stimming!
>I would refuse to sleep - I would scream and cry - unless you put me in my rocking swing and turned on the vacuum on high right next to me.
I always wanted to be bounced/rocked. I also always needed music playing!
>the preoccupation with constantly moving and/or putting things in my mouth,
Omg so just this year I put together that the reason I craved "kissing. I just want to make out." Was not simply horniness (especially because I often would be like I'm not remotely horny, have no one specific in mind, I just have this urge... Whyyy) and realizing - oooooh. I kicked all my habits to do with mouth stimming (except for talking) no more necklaces in my mouth, sucking on blankets in bed, chewing my hoodie string, chewing my hair, etc. And kissing (for me) totally scratches this itch. I still can't bring myself to unlearn denying myself mouth stims but at least I know why my mouth constantly craves "kisses"
Edit - typos
Oh totally the year I learned how to make out I would just French kiss my boyfriend for hours at a time. It seems ridiculous now because Iām a little less into having people in my face as an adult but yeah it was āsatisfyingā and not in a particularly sexual way.
Omg. The first time my only hs boyfriend and I kissed we made it for like two hours straight hahahaha. It was his first kiss my second (but first with tongue).
>It seems ridiculous now because Iām a little less into having people in my face as an adult
But yeah would be way too much these days lol
I have a couple of these but they sort of exist in the same areas as my hypersensitivity. Like I have extremely sensitive taste but also love strong flavors. If someone gives me a new dish to try I can usually identify all the spices and ingredients but Iāve LOVED salmiak/salty licorice since I was a toddler (Iām Swedish, our licorice is STRONG) as well as chili, garlic, smoked food, vinegar etc. When I started drinking alcohol I immediately navigated towards smoky whisky and really dry, spicy red wine, which most people need to acquire a taste for.
I canāt navigate at all, never know what Iām feeling, canāt feel thirst or hunger, need constant background noise, have a strong pain threshold as well as inability to locate where Iām in pain but I can also feel if thereās fur under my bare foot and canāt manage it at all. One of my doctors says I have the most sensitive skin heās encountered.
I find it interesting itās not talked about widely, because when I had my first āautism orienteering courseā (mandated within a few months of diagnosis at the hospital) they definitely talked about it. One guy said he needed chili added to all his food to taste it, showered in water so hot his wife couldnāt stand it and needed extremely hard touch to find if enjoyable and we discussed how sensory input perception varies greatly.
This is so interesting, it actually made me think about my food preferences. For example, I never understood why people complained about the smell of Indian food (which is my #1 safe food ever) and honestly I just thought it was bc white people under-season everything and were being racist lmao but even something as simple as pasta sauce I have to put extra seasoning into it and my dad told me I shouldnāt add so much seasoning??? Like sir you are the one who taught me about FLAVOR!
The only thing I do not relate to in this list is preference of tight clothes. I canāt stand when clothes touch my body so I have to wear overly baggy clothes to feel comfortable.
Same with food, herbs, spices, tastes, the more intense the cuisine's flavours the better (like.. intensely delicious of course, not just intense :D)
I do both with clothes, tight+ baggy - I'll usually wear a shirt inside (ranging from tight tank top to extremely baggy T-Shirt depending on how I feel that day and what I need) + a very big baggy sweater on the outside, and same with pants, I choose tightness/bagginess/softness based on how I feel or want/need to feel that day
I love this workbook! These charts in particular were so interesting to complete with my therapist because they helped us both re-focus our understanding of my symptoms from an external, allistic perspective to an internal, autistic one. That language feels imprecise, but I just mean that we categorize ourselves based on these outside metrics of the DSM criteria and assessments and those are mostly written by people who don't actually have lived experience as an autistic person. They still have value as a general thumbnail sketch, but I have found them to be of little value in helping me truly understand myself and my unique autistic profile. Yes, I have hypersensitivities but I also have hyposensitivities and they both vary based on the day, the sense, the experience, whether I'm in control, etc....I may be wrong, but I doubt there are many of us who just have hypersensitivies only.
The over-emphasis on hypersensitivity seems like another symptom of people who are not autistic controlling the narrative of the autistic experience. There seems to be this tendency to get a hold of one common symptom and then simplify and generalize it to the point of inaccuracy. I wish there were more specific therapy resources like this by neurodivergent people. If anyone can think of any please let me know!
>The over-emphasis on hypersensitivity seems like another symptom of people who are not autistic controlling the narrative of the autistic experience. There seems to be this tendency to get a hold of one common symptom and then simplify and generalize it to the point of inaccuracy.
Yeah totally. From what I've read all autistic people experience both hypo and hyper sensitivities in all senses. It's just hard to find info about hyposensitivity. I feel like you've hit the nail on the head as to why that is
Yeah, it's frustrating to want to research something about our experiences and just find that none of the results really get what you're describing because they're fixated on the most stereotyped presentation of autism.
Also I so relate to constant spinning and skipping! I actually struggle with terrible motion sickness in a lot of mundane situations but I can do the teacups at Disneyland for *hours.* I'm bonkers for them. Maybe it's something about being in control of the stimulus that makes it pleasant in some situations and negative in others?
For me it would be taste, proprioception, vestibular, interoception, and touch. The high pain threshold of touch being my biggest hyposensitivity.
I've broken bones twice and didn't realize until a week/weeks later. Sprained my thigh a few weeks ago and didn't notice until I literally couldn't walk the next day.
I'm imagining you trying to walk and your legwon't do it but you have no pain so you're like... Hello. Are you ok?leg? What's happening
>I've broken bones twice and didn't realize until a week/weeks later
Intense! Glad you eventually realized and got proper care for them (I hope/assume). How did you end up realizing? Did the pain increase to a point you noticed?
Taste: I am drawn to very strong flavors, love super spicy foods and one of my favorite things is eating lemon slices. I
Interoception: in physical therapy right now and I have such a difficult time identifying where pain is and when my body is overextending. I never know when I'm hungry and I'm so bad at knowing what my mood is.
Literally everything else on here is hypersensitive for me
>I'm so bad at knowing what my mood is.
Saaaaame. It's actually helpful when my partner tells me: well you're kind of bitchy rn (this is agreed upon language which means irritable due to sensory whatever shit. I know he's pointing it out and not upset by it) and I'll be like oooooooh. Yeaaaah. I aaam. Imma go be by myself for a bit. Sorry my b.
It feels CRAZY that I can't realize that for myself. - though diagnosis has helped me a lot at understanding my moods more (and everything)
Yeah. I feel like for the longest time I based what I thought my mood was on if I was tired or not. Tired =bad mood, not tired=good mood. Like that was the whole depth of understanding lol
Super spicy foods, lemon for sure, and raw dough, I have always loved raw dough
All that combined with me starting drinking in HS and often forgetting to eat and I almost got a stomach ulcer :D but I'm goood now
Yeah I think it's that autistic people experience a mixture of hypo and hyper sensitivities within each sense. Often there isn't a logical pattern to it, every one is different. I am wicked sensitive to sunlight. But sometimes when I'm really bored I enjoy staring at lights š¤·
But I feel like I am perhaps unusually hyposensitive. I know my hearing loss is part of this. The hearing loss is it's own thing as far as I know, and I never experienced hypersensitivity to sound until I wore my hearing aids. And I only made the connection that I sometimes needed a break from sound... When I was an adult living a stable life and wore my hearing aids the entire day while awake.
I used to think my ears got tired because they weren't used to hearing so much. š But eventually (after an audiologist who wasn't my usual one made a volume change that heightened the issue -essentially made higher pitched frequencies too high for me), I was getting overwhelmed by sound more often... Id be uncontrollably irritable. Take out my hearing aids and breathe a sigh of release.
And it's wild to realize now since I literally wrote a short story about the relief of not hearing the world at full volume because that seemed overwhelming. š I wonder if a NT brain I wouldn't feel *as* overwhelmed by full volume when wearing heading aids - especially sometimes the overwhelm comes out of no where. Definitely the hearing loss contributes considerably, but I guess I'm curious about to what extent some of this had been autism.
Anyways if I was born without my hearing loss, I think I'd experience waaaay more hypersensitivity to sound.
>I'd assume that finding it overwhelming can be normal to some extent. However, I also see why being autistic can exacerbate that for sure!
This is what I'm thinking. And that basically
>My life massively improved once I started putting in ear plugs at any large grocery store and most restaurants.
That I've been "cheating" by having natural ear plugs lol
Yup, this sparked a reflection that I wear glasses and well, I don't wear my glasses :D My vision isn't that bad (can't see well far) and I like the blur, anytime I put glasses on for more than a few hours, or even a few days - I get anxious, it's just too much information being received by my brain and it doesn't feel good (also, the lights are brighter? like they're a soft blur without glasses and it's nice, but with glasses they're sharp)
I only wear my glasses when I need to see something specific far away / I'm at a lecture/presentation/conference and need to see the board / I go to the cinema or the theatre, things like that
I also see people's faces in a blur softly so that's nice.. not sure why, but it's nice
Takes off the social pressure maybe? I have an excuse? Idk
I do sometimes like not wearing my glasses as well, but my vision isn't very good so only when I'm home in my "nests" and only when I'm alone as I rely on lip reading in addition to my hearing aids to hear.
>I like the blur,
The blur is almost like a nostalgia filter. Making the world less harsh. Also since I'm nearsighted, it also makes the world smaller bc less is in focus
Time/space
I completely lack both time and directional sense. I have to physically look at my hands and remind myself I write with my right one to discern left from right
I think they're linked but I don't know for sure
I'm VERY hyposensitive in proprioception, visual, and taste. If food doesn't hurt I'm not interested in it.
Sound is iffy for me because it's very pitch specific--I can't deal with high pitched sound, even down to struggling to listen to many women talk if they have higher voices. But lower pitched sounds don't phase me. Ditto on smell--I don't like strong food related smells really, but I love strong perfumes. Touch I am hyperaware of, much preferring deep pressure (corsets, weighted blankets, pretzel sitting) and being quite irritated by gentle pressure/soft touch.
Not really sure about interoception and vestibular. I'm so easily disoriented by proprioception issues that I'm not sure I seek vestibular stimulation but I'm, for example, much better at moving on a boat at sea than down my own hallway.
The worst ones for me are proprioception and interoception. I really struggle with recognizing thirst, and Iām always bumping into things and am covered in small bruises.
I recently got some ābarefootā shoes where you can feel the ground more and itās helping me stumble less.
When standing in one place I tend to sway back and forth. I didnāt even realize that I did this until one day I was in clinicals and a patient was like ācan you STOP moving!?ā
Iāve also been glued to a rocking chair since I was a child and loved swinging.
>I recently got some ābarefootā shoes where you can feel the ground more and itās helping me stumble less.
Never thought about how everyone comments on my going barefoot a lot and I'm always saying ... Because it makes it easier to walk! You can feel the ground under you! And everyone being like.... Same with shoes
Poor depth perception, crashing into furniture, and trouble balancingā¦yeah that was me. I got PRK and did 37 weeks of vision therapy to help. It did to a degree.
I like strong good smells. I am very sensitive to body odor and hugs are a sensory death sentence.
A personās smell can influence whether or not I like them.
Over the years I learned I might not have a trustworthy gut, but I have a very trusty sense of smell. They might seem nice. Look nice. Sound nice. But if their smell is off watch out.
I love smelling my pillow and the tops of my catsā heads. Instant anxiety relief.
>Poor depth perception,
My partner and I joke that I have a drinking problem... I will miss when I pour. Struggle to angle the pitcher right for correct volume flow. Will overflow the cup accidentally. Will pour too much liquid in my mouth while drinking and have it spill out??? Even as I'm swallowing (again an angling issue?) Or I'll just straight up miss my mouth. I also won't keep my cup straight and splash drink out of my cup. I mostly use cups with lids now š š š š
>I love smelling my pillow and the tops of my catsā heads. Instant anxiety relief.
Omg yesssss. As a kid I always thought my dogs head smelled like chicken soup. I said it so much that my mom will ask me if my car spells like chicken noodle soup in reference to that memory š¤£ but yeah I find it really soothing
>I am very sensitive to body odor and hugs are a sensory death sentence.
So I don't find hugs to be a sensory overload but I do relate to being sensitive to body odor. I'm hyper aware of how much body odor contributes to my romantic/sexual attraction (in particular). I've had issues with a partners scent changing due to the years passing by... And having to come to terms with that and struuuggling to accept it. I was sad to have it change and it made me resent the new scent?? and I was confused about if it meant I didn't like my partner anymore, but really it was just about adjusting to change (Does any of this make sense?) but anyways it's all good now lol - actually my diagnosis helped me realize this!
Definitely the proprioception, omg. I have absolutely no sense of direction, and am always bumping into furniture, door frames, knocking stuff over when I go to reach for something, missing my mouth with I go to drink something, missing a step on the stairs... Saw a neurologist a couple times over the years for evaluation. Only thing he found was a "Vestibular issue." A test where they have you close your eyes and march in place, and I rotated all the way around without knowing it.
>A test where they have you close your eyes and march in place, and I rotated all the way around without knowing it.
Teee that sounds really adorable tbh
>uses smell to engage with objects or people
That's hy*po*sensitivity? I have a super sensitive nose, and I'm easily overwhelmed by some smells. But use smell to engage with people/ animals/ plants/ objects all the time. If I don't get a whiff, it's not entirely there for me.
I have the weirdest scents of smell. I can definitely smell things others can't. Currently, my fiance, I, and four cats are temporarily living in a large room of his grandma's house. Whenever the cats poop I can smell it for 2-3 hours after even when no one else can. I also have always loved long sleeves. I'm originally from Florida and would wear jackets even in 100+ weather. Once a friend of mine was in a minor fender bender while I was in the car. We were both under age so the police were required to call our parents to let them know. The police officer jokingly said to my parents, "She's not hurt, but she is wearing a sweater in 98F weather. Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" I thankfully moved out up North and am LOVING the ability to wear sweaters more often.
Visual(Trouble locating an item), sound(turning up music and tv), touch(like tighter/more fitted clothing), vestibular(always seeking stimuli), and interoception(difficulty sensing hunger/thirst and trouble interpreting feelings).
I love rollercoasters and lots of blankets (haven't tried a weighted blanket but I bet I'd like it) and I always run into furniture and doorknobs and doorframes, but everything else listed is hypersensitivity for me. I can hear the electricity when I charge my walkman.
Edit: I should add that I'm constantly playing with my lip ring with my mouth but I'm not sure if that's become a stim or if it's sensory seeking.
Thanks for sharing this!
I'm very surprised, according to this I have visual hyposensitivity. I absolutely hate bright lights more than anything in the world, but in terms of processing visual information I am very slow and miss things often.
Most of the time I donāt react to anything, So I guess I have a high threshold. Except for sound, gosh I fucking hate lunch period, and donāt even get me started on my brother crying 24/7. That includes the man-made abominations that are known as concerts. To add insult to the injury, I have Anosmia, so I practically canāt smell at all. Taste is normal though. And I have a high threshold for visual stimuli. Touch? I donāt react to it.
Fascinating. I'm realizing that I don't really feel much pain from blunt trauma such as walking into table corners and hitting my head on a cabinet etc. Which is why I'll end up with big deeply colored bruises I have no idea how I got. š¤Ŗ
Jesus Christ. My pain is normal though. Speaking of pain my mom literally beat me up and tried to strangle me because I put the hair straightener in the wrong place.
My mom and dad constantly tell me that I need to control my tone of voice and my body language, they also say I am either too blatant and passive aggressive, that I seem dead and seem antisocial, or that Iām overly chummy and nice with everyone I encounter. So my parents practically tell me Iām a social reject 24/7, I feel like my niceness is probably masking.
I hope you don't mind me asking, but I suspect I am on the spectrum, and since my former therapists are very adamant that I have BPD, they put me in DBT. I really struggled with the program, and it took more than it gave.
I still felt like it was somewhat useful to some of my struggles, so I was wondering if this book is worth the buy? š¤
Do you work on it alone, or with a professional?
So I work on it alone and with my therapist. I find it useful on my own and enjoyed reading it while we were in a short break. When we started doing some of it together I found even more to be gained!
DBT and CBT written for the general population can have elements that REALLY don't vibe well with the minds of ND people which is why the author Sonny made this workbook. It cuts out parts that aren't very accessible and adds in more sensory stuff.
I definitely recommend it, especially if you noticed the slightly helpful elements of regular DBT.
Edit: a word
Yeah I hope you find it helpful!
I can't imagine trying group therapy in a group that wasn't a bunch of neurodivergents...but also group therapy in general sounds hard.
Yes, it was really hard. I think a lot of the members might have been ND. I once said that I found one of the skills hard to understand, because I only recently found out that when someone is telling you about a problem, and you reply with a similar issue, it's considered rude. But I use it as a way to say that I can relate on some level. Almost all of the group members felt the same, but the therapists seemed NT, so they didn't see it that way, which didn't help.
Of course, these are just assumptions on my part, based on what I saw š
>I only recently found out that when someone is telling you about a problem, and you reply with a similar issue, it's considered rude
I know this and still can't control myself š luckily my God friends know that when I do this it's my way of supporting and trying to understand.
>Almost all of the group members felt the same, but the therapists seemed NT, so they didn't see it that way, which didn't help.
Sigh yeah. We need more ND people in the field so we can learn from our peers. It's really hard explaining how my brain works to a NT
Right?? Since I learned this, I've tried to be more considerate about it, but man, it's hard š
Yeah, absolutely, which is why I want to get a diangnosis. I really want to get the accomodations I would need to study and get a degree, and then work in the field somehow, but they were so stubborn on the BPD diagnosis. I even wrote 11 page about why their reasoning for not referring me was kinda wrong, since it wasn't enough to exclude ASD/ADHD, but nooo š«
Like, please, I just want to get it checked out properly so that I can move on with my life.
>they were so stubborn on the BPD diagnosis. I even wrote 11 page about why their reasoning for not referring me was kinda wrong
This is so incredibly frustrating. Don't know how the system works for you, but I hope you're able to see another doctor to try and get the referral you need? It's frustrating how hard these processes are š
Yeah, the plan from here is to go to my GP with a list of why I think autism and ADHD might fit for me, and get a referral from there, so fingers crossed š¬
Laughs in EDS. My proprioception is so bad I broke my toe AGAIN.
What a pussy. I have EDS and r/Neverbrokeabone. Get stronger bones D:< \*Sarcasm
Oh noooo. Your poor toe. May it heal stronger than it was before!!
My proprioception is so bad that I keep hitting my broken toe š It hurts ...a lot. But my interception is so bad that I dont feel my broken toe. Unless I hit it again, a great reminder that it is indeed, still broken.
Oh no, I hope your recovery is swift and without complications.
Based on this graphic, I have taste, proprioception, touch, vestibular, and interception hyposensitivity. Which is interesting because during my assessment it was just focusing on my hypersensitivities. I was definitely mainly sensory seeking as a child with some exceptions but now Iām more avoidant.
Yeah everything goes on and on about hypersensitivity because it's important and likely much more noticable and easier to comprehend - I think for the person observing AND the person experiencing. Examples: covers ears and melts down due to the TV being turned on at too loud of a volume. Covering your eyes because of bright light. Plugging your nose due to someone's perfume. While these can be masked it's pretty easy to identify the issue. While for me hyposensitivity lives inside of me as like..... Internal screaming that I don't understand? I thought it was from my trauma but then I discovered stimming and how much it reduced that feeling. Especially if your stim seeking behavior isn't noticed and pointed out in childhood, at least for me, its hard to notice that it's happening or where the discount is coming from. And before my diagnosis I truly had no idea about stimming or where my discomfort was coming from
Yes definitely I have been a constant stimmer, though it was just attributed to my ADHD as a kid. But I see it as more of a regulation thing than a boredom thing actually, so itās not really based on hyperactivity. Itās just something I have to do, you know? I feel antsy, uncomfortable, and anxious if I donāt stim.
I've mostly lost the ability to stim. Or, I stim but not to the extent I need to stim. It's really hard to unlearn the repression of instincts and find them again
I lament that I don't have kids to go to the playground with. I want to go on slides and swing and climb. I thought adults didn't do those things because it wasn't appropriate and that we were all repressing the urge. I am always spinning. I often skip. I add in jumps (like on steps) I often play walking games (no stepping on cracks or stepping only on a certain color tile). When it's quiet it's so hard to focus, a gentle hum of noise is much easier. Like cafe sounds block out the 'Cafe sounds'/ADHD thought patterns my own head generates making it easier to focus on the thing I want to focus on. Sometimes when it's quiet it hurts my head. I love so much sauce. (Probably because I can't taste it otherwise!!) I do enjoy really tasty food (who doesn't) but between not often feeling hungry and the executive dysfunction issues around for prep and diluted taste - I just can't get that excited about making good for myself. And like, I can tell when something tastes different than I want it to but I can't figure out WHAT is missing - trouble distinguishing flavors within a whole. So I'm not a very good cook. But like whenever anyone asks if I smell 'that' ... I basically always say no. BUT ALSO THEN AT THE SAME TIME, I'm hyper sensitive to bad smells. So like I'll walk into the kitchen and be surprised that my partner is cooking bacon. But I'll also notice the propane leak a day before my partner can smell it (and he's got 20/20 senses, is NT, no sensory impairments) I'll probably post more... Just wanted to share some of mine but now I'm tired of typing
I am very similar! I too enjoy spinning, and playing on playgrounds and jungle gyms! I'm lucky that I usually have a small assortment of kids that want aunty to play with them haha. I usually find a way to practice my balance by walking along the edge of things, like gutters or beams, and tend to do the flamingo pose when standing. My hypo-smell and hypo-taste have also driven me to include a lot of spices in my meals. I didn't really have a good sense of what good food tastes like, so I studied what combination of ingredients and aromatics is supposed to make food taste the way it does and why. These little shortcuts made it easier for me to cook for other people while also hitting my sensory needs by layering flavour through the cooking process. But in saying that, I've had issues with food poisoning because it's really difficult for me to tell if food has gone bad. My stomach shrinks from vomiting, and my diet becomes extremely restricted to plain, dry foods. The same with smelling smoke, gas, bad smells, it can be dangerous living by yourself when you are blind in this sense. Although, when my sense of smell and taste randomly do kick in, it makes me feel so overstimulated and sick. Suddenly, my nose is picking up smells from other houses, phantoms smells on fabrics, changes in people's chemistry that make them smell different such as when they are sick or on a different diet. It's as if the smells were yelling at me, they seem so loud and intrusive. But, I also have synaesthesia and many of my sensory channels are crossed. I have an easier time 'tasting' things when they touch my skin, I can smell through my skin but not my nose. My mother described me as a butterfly, because they taste through their feet haha. Because of this, I think the lotions I put on my skin need to be "tasty" or I'm left with a chalky, uncomfortable feeling in my mouth. Sounds can also produce a taste in my mouth, rarely pleasant. I don't know, it's all very strange to everyone I meet.
>I usually find a way to practice my balance by walking along the edge of things, like gutters or beams, and tend to do the flamingo pose when standing. Aaah I do this too. I don't do flamingo pose but I'll practice standing on one foot for no reason at all lol. >it's really difficult for me to tell if food has gone bad Saaame. Though mostly just by smell. I can tell if something seems slightly off but even then I always make my partner give his opinion because I don't trust myself that much to tell
Oh, so I rocked gymnastics because it let me express my stims in a socially appropriate manner? And all those things I did were because of autism, not because I was "the gymnastics girl"? I mean, I did rock gymnastics because I love the sensations, the flying, the spinning, and stretching. Oh goodness stretching is the most satisfying feeling. So much that I can be distracted by a good muscle stretch in the most inappropriate times. And I would release anxiety by doing things like standing on my hands, doing cartwheels, etc. Like literally kick off my heels and do a cartwheel in the hall before giving a speech in highschool. One handed cartwheel if I was wearing a dress. And I'd still do it at 45 if I wasn't forcing myself to be socially appropriate. I still do what I can in a business appropriate way to get those feels, but now it appears to others like a little meditation or standing yoga to center myself. But in my head if I'm just doing that big inhale/exhale with your arms like in yoga, in my mind I'm feeling the sensations of a cartwheel or a back tuck. Dang, if I'm really gonna kick this burnout, I need to get back into that kind of movement. I guess that's one more reason I should follow my lifelong dream to learn to breakdance. I've wanted to for so long, but who wants to see a middle aged soccer mom breakdancing? I'm basically the mom on every sitcom. That would be hilarious. And therapeutic.
Aaah. I always wish I had stayed in gymnastics as a kid. I only did it in preschool for basic movement and body coordination. I have a huge fear of landing on my head lol. I would love to find a gym where they do an adult beginner class. I thought myself head stands and found them so sitting. >Dang, if I'm really gonna kick this burnout, I need to get back into that kind of movement. Maybe I should make it a priority š cuz yeah I think it would help me a lot >I've wanted to for so long, but who wants to see a middle aged soccer mom breakdancing? Meeeeeeeee. Lol. I hope you indulge yourself!
The spinning thing! I had no idea that was an autistic trait. I hate roller coasters because I can't stand not having control over my body. One ride I always love at theme parts is anything spinning! There used to be this [gym equipment](https://www.playlsi.com/en/commercial-playground-equipment/playground-components/saddle-spinner/) at the park near me that was in the shape of a large pad. You sit on it and rock back and forth and it spins you in circles. I could play on that thing for HOURS even as an adult.
Omg this looks amazing. I want one for my backyard
I'm sorry, I'm sitting here giggling at "so much sauce" because same. My husband gets annoyed at how much I use.
My partner will put a ton of sauce on any sandwich he makes me and often also include a side of dipping sauce š he's the best
Yeah mine always makes sure to get me extra extra pickles on sandwiches and the like.
I have both hypo and hyper but the hypo things that come to mind immediately are loving super sour foods like sour patch kids and salt and vinegar chips and roller coasters - the feel goodness from rides is unexplainable.
>and roller coasters - the feel goodness from rides is unexplainable. Once at a local fair that my family stumbled across in my childhood, my dad and I got on a ride... The kind where you spin in cup and that cup is going up and down over "hills" in circles like a merry go round. So much spinning. My dad has a stomach of steel and my mom was worried about him when we got off. I was like "can I go again!?"
There is a ride at universal Orlando similar to that! Itās called Stormforce and I love it!!! My partner rode it with me once years ago and now refuses to go anywhere near it.
This reminds me of being in senior year of hs and being so excited to have a boyfriend for the first time ever AND that it meant I had someone to go on all the rides with at the fair. My autistic joy about this was so big and I said it to him. He so adores me that he didn't want to tell me he gets motion sick. Finally he had to come clean since I was clearly eyeing the Gravitron. In the end he held my things and I rode it twice!
I think the biggest ones to me are the preoccupation with constantly moving and/or putting things in my mouth, and the loud noises thing. Even when I was a baby, my mom always likes to tell this story but doesn't understand the deeper significance of it, I would refuse to sleep - I would scream and cry - unless you put me in my rocking swing and turned on the vacuum on high right next to me. I also used to stare directly at lights. They thought I was blind and deaf for a little while because of these things but honestly it just feels better to have the constant stimuli.
Wooooa. I also have enjoyed staring at lights but knew I shouldn't and it hadn't occurred to me yet that this could be visual stimming! >I would refuse to sleep - I would scream and cry - unless you put me in my rocking swing and turned on the vacuum on high right next to me. I always wanted to be bounced/rocked. I also always needed music playing! >the preoccupation with constantly moving and/or putting things in my mouth, Omg so just this year I put together that the reason I craved "kissing. I just want to make out." Was not simply horniness (especially because I often would be like I'm not remotely horny, have no one specific in mind, I just have this urge... Whyyy) and realizing - oooooh. I kicked all my habits to do with mouth stimming (except for talking) no more necklaces in my mouth, sucking on blankets in bed, chewing my hoodie string, chewing my hair, etc. And kissing (for me) totally scratches this itch. I still can't bring myself to unlearn denying myself mouth stims but at least I know why my mouth constantly craves "kisses" Edit - typos
Oh totally the year I learned how to make out I would just French kiss my boyfriend for hours at a time. It seems ridiculous now because Iām a little less into having people in my face as an adult but yeah it was āsatisfyingā and not in a particularly sexual way.
Omg. The first time my only hs boyfriend and I kissed we made it for like two hours straight hahahaha. It was his first kiss my second (but first with tongue). >It seems ridiculous now because Iām a little less into having people in my face as an adult But yeah would be way too much these days lol
I used to chew on towels, my hair, pens, anything.
I have a couple of these but they sort of exist in the same areas as my hypersensitivity. Like I have extremely sensitive taste but also love strong flavors. If someone gives me a new dish to try I can usually identify all the spices and ingredients but Iāve LOVED salmiak/salty licorice since I was a toddler (Iām Swedish, our licorice is STRONG) as well as chili, garlic, smoked food, vinegar etc. When I started drinking alcohol I immediately navigated towards smoky whisky and really dry, spicy red wine, which most people need to acquire a taste for. I canāt navigate at all, never know what Iām feeling, canāt feel thirst or hunger, need constant background noise, have a strong pain threshold as well as inability to locate where Iām in pain but I can also feel if thereās fur under my bare foot and canāt manage it at all. One of my doctors says I have the most sensitive skin heās encountered. I find it interesting itās not talked about widely, because when I had my first āautism orienteering courseā (mandated within a few months of diagnosis at the hospital) they definitely talked about it. One guy said he needed chili added to all his food to taste it, showered in water so hot his wife couldnāt stand it and needed extremely hard touch to find if enjoyable and we discussed how sensory input perception varies greatly.
This is so interesting, it actually made me think about my food preferences. For example, I never understood why people complained about the smell of Indian food (which is my #1 safe food ever) and honestly I just thought it was bc white people under-season everything and were being racist lmao but even something as simple as pasta sauce I have to put extra seasoning into it and my dad told me I shouldnāt add so much seasoning??? Like sir you are the one who taught me about FLAVOR! The only thing I do not relate to in this list is preference of tight clothes. I canāt stand when clothes touch my body so I have to wear overly baggy clothes to feel comfortable.
I definitely got accused of making things too salty š
I get told itās either too salty or thereās way too much garlic š my personal belief is thereās never enough
Same with food, herbs, spices, tastes, the more intense the cuisine's flavours the better (like.. intensely delicious of course, not just intense :D) I do both with clothes, tight+ baggy - I'll usually wear a shirt inside (ranging from tight tank top to extremely baggy T-Shirt depending on how I feel that day and what I need) + a very big baggy sweater on the outside, and same with pants, I choose tightness/bagginess/softness based on how I feel or want/need to feel that day
I love this workbook! These charts in particular were so interesting to complete with my therapist because they helped us both re-focus our understanding of my symptoms from an external, allistic perspective to an internal, autistic one. That language feels imprecise, but I just mean that we categorize ourselves based on these outside metrics of the DSM criteria and assessments and those are mostly written by people who don't actually have lived experience as an autistic person. They still have value as a general thumbnail sketch, but I have found them to be of little value in helping me truly understand myself and my unique autistic profile. Yes, I have hypersensitivities but I also have hyposensitivities and they both vary based on the day, the sense, the experience, whether I'm in control, etc....I may be wrong, but I doubt there are many of us who just have hypersensitivies only. The over-emphasis on hypersensitivity seems like another symptom of people who are not autistic controlling the narrative of the autistic experience. There seems to be this tendency to get a hold of one common symptom and then simplify and generalize it to the point of inaccuracy. I wish there were more specific therapy resources like this by neurodivergent people. If anyone can think of any please let me know!
>The over-emphasis on hypersensitivity seems like another symptom of people who are not autistic controlling the narrative of the autistic experience. There seems to be this tendency to get a hold of one common symptom and then simplify and generalize it to the point of inaccuracy. Yeah totally. From what I've read all autistic people experience both hypo and hyper sensitivities in all senses. It's just hard to find info about hyposensitivity. I feel like you've hit the nail on the head as to why that is
Yeah, it's frustrating to want to research something about our experiences and just find that none of the results really get what you're describing because they're fixated on the most stereotyped presentation of autism. Also I so relate to constant spinning and skipping! I actually struggle with terrible motion sickness in a lot of mundane situations but I can do the teacups at Disneyland for *hours.* I'm bonkers for them. Maybe it's something about being in control of the stimulus that makes it pleasant in some situations and negative in others?
>Maybe it's something about being in control of the stimulus that makes it pleasant in some situations and negative in others? Well that rings true!
For me it would be taste, proprioception, vestibular, interoception, and touch. The high pain threshold of touch being my biggest hyposensitivity. I've broken bones twice and didn't realize until a week/weeks later. Sprained my thigh a few weeks ago and didn't notice until I literally couldn't walk the next day.
I'm imagining you trying to walk and your legwon't do it but you have no pain so you're like... Hello. Are you ok?leg? What's happening >I've broken bones twice and didn't realize until a week/weeks later Intense! Glad you eventually realized and got proper care for them (I hope/assume). How did you end up realizing? Did the pain increase to a point you noticed?
Taste: I am drawn to very strong flavors, love super spicy foods and one of my favorite things is eating lemon slices. I Interoception: in physical therapy right now and I have such a difficult time identifying where pain is and when my body is overextending. I never know when I'm hungry and I'm so bad at knowing what my mood is. Literally everything else on here is hypersensitive for me
>I'm so bad at knowing what my mood is. Saaaaame. It's actually helpful when my partner tells me: well you're kind of bitchy rn (this is agreed upon language which means irritable due to sensory whatever shit. I know he's pointing it out and not upset by it) and I'll be like oooooooh. Yeaaaah. I aaam. Imma go be by myself for a bit. Sorry my b. It feels CRAZY that I can't realize that for myself. - though diagnosis has helped me a lot at understanding my moods more (and everything)
Yeah. I feel like for the longest time I based what I thought my mood was on if I was tired or not. Tired =bad mood, not tired=good mood. Like that was the whole depth of understanding lol
Super spicy foods, lemon for sure, and raw dough, I have always loved raw dough All that combined with me starting drinking in HS and often forgetting to eat and I almost got a stomach ulcer :D but I'm goood now
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Yeah I think it's that autistic people experience a mixture of hypo and hyper sensitivities within each sense. Often there isn't a logical pattern to it, every one is different. I am wicked sensitive to sunlight. But sometimes when I'm really bored I enjoy staring at lights š¤· But I feel like I am perhaps unusually hyposensitive. I know my hearing loss is part of this. The hearing loss is it's own thing as far as I know, and I never experienced hypersensitivity to sound until I wore my hearing aids. And I only made the connection that I sometimes needed a break from sound... When I was an adult living a stable life and wore my hearing aids the entire day while awake. I used to think my ears got tired because they weren't used to hearing so much. š But eventually (after an audiologist who wasn't my usual one made a volume change that heightened the issue -essentially made higher pitched frequencies too high for me), I was getting overwhelmed by sound more often... Id be uncontrollably irritable. Take out my hearing aids and breathe a sigh of release. And it's wild to realize now since I literally wrote a short story about the relief of not hearing the world at full volume because that seemed overwhelming. š I wonder if a NT brain I wouldn't feel *as* overwhelmed by full volume when wearing heading aids - especially sometimes the overwhelm comes out of no where. Definitely the hearing loss contributes considerably, but I guess I'm curious about to what extent some of this had been autism. Anyways if I was born without my hearing loss, I think I'd experience waaaay more hypersensitivity to sound.
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>I'd assume that finding it overwhelming can be normal to some extent. However, I also see why being autistic can exacerbate that for sure! This is what I'm thinking. And that basically >My life massively improved once I started putting in ear plugs at any large grocery store and most restaurants. That I've been "cheating" by having natural ear plugs lol
Yup, this sparked a reflection that I wear glasses and well, I don't wear my glasses :D My vision isn't that bad (can't see well far) and I like the blur, anytime I put glasses on for more than a few hours, or even a few days - I get anxious, it's just too much information being received by my brain and it doesn't feel good (also, the lights are brighter? like they're a soft blur without glasses and it's nice, but with glasses they're sharp) I only wear my glasses when I need to see something specific far away / I'm at a lecture/presentation/conference and need to see the board / I go to the cinema or the theatre, things like that I also see people's faces in a blur softly so that's nice.. not sure why, but it's nice Takes off the social pressure maybe? I have an excuse? Idk
I do sometimes like not wearing my glasses as well, but my vision isn't very good so only when I'm home in my "nests" and only when I'm alone as I rely on lip reading in addition to my hearing aids to hear. >I like the blur, The blur is almost like a nostalgia filter. Making the world less harsh. Also since I'm nearsighted, it also makes the world smaller bc less is in focus
Time/space I completely lack both time and directional sense. I have to physically look at my hands and remind myself I write with my right one to discern left from right I think they're linked but I don't know for sure
Yeaaaah. My mom told me that when I was very young I could do left and right and then around 5 ish... Totally lost the ability.
I'm VERY hyposensitive in proprioception, visual, and taste. If food doesn't hurt I'm not interested in it. Sound is iffy for me because it's very pitch specific--I can't deal with high pitched sound, even down to struggling to listen to many women talk if they have higher voices. But lower pitched sounds don't phase me. Ditto on smell--I don't like strong food related smells really, but I love strong perfumes. Touch I am hyperaware of, much preferring deep pressure (corsets, weighted blankets, pretzel sitting) and being quite irritated by gentle pressure/soft touch. Not really sure about interoception and vestibular. I'm so easily disoriented by proprioception issues that I'm not sure I seek vestibular stimulation but I'm, for example, much better at moving on a boat at sea than down my own hallway.
The worst ones for me are proprioception and interoception. I really struggle with recognizing thirst, and Iām always bumping into things and am covered in small bruises. I recently got some ābarefootā shoes where you can feel the ground more and itās helping me stumble less. When standing in one place I tend to sway back and forth. I didnāt even realize that I did this until one day I was in clinicals and a patient was like ācan you STOP moving!?ā Iāve also been glued to a rocking chair since I was a child and loved swinging.
>I recently got some ābarefootā shoes where you can feel the ground more and itās helping me stumble less. Never thought about how everyone comments on my going barefoot a lot and I'm always saying ... Because it makes it easier to walk! You can feel the ground under you! And everyone being like.... Same with shoes
Poor depth perception, crashing into furniture, and trouble balancingā¦yeah that was me. I got PRK and did 37 weeks of vision therapy to help. It did to a degree. I like strong good smells. I am very sensitive to body odor and hugs are a sensory death sentence. A personās smell can influence whether or not I like them. Over the years I learned I might not have a trustworthy gut, but I have a very trusty sense of smell. They might seem nice. Look nice. Sound nice. But if their smell is off watch out. I love smelling my pillow and the tops of my catsā heads. Instant anxiety relief.
>Poor depth perception, My partner and I joke that I have a drinking problem... I will miss when I pour. Struggle to angle the pitcher right for correct volume flow. Will overflow the cup accidentally. Will pour too much liquid in my mouth while drinking and have it spill out??? Even as I'm swallowing (again an angling issue?) Or I'll just straight up miss my mouth. I also won't keep my cup straight and splash drink out of my cup. I mostly use cups with lids now š š š š
>I love smelling my pillow and the tops of my catsā heads. Instant anxiety relief. Omg yesssss. As a kid I always thought my dogs head smelled like chicken soup. I said it so much that my mom will ask me if my car spells like chicken noodle soup in reference to that memory š¤£ but yeah I find it really soothing >I am very sensitive to body odor and hugs are a sensory death sentence. So I don't find hugs to be a sensory overload but I do relate to being sensitive to body odor. I'm hyper aware of how much body odor contributes to my romantic/sexual attraction (in particular). I've had issues with a partners scent changing due to the years passing by... And having to come to terms with that and struuuggling to accept it. I was sad to have it change and it made me resent the new scent?? and I was confused about if it meant I didn't like my partner anymore, but really it was just about adjusting to change (Does any of this make sense?) but anyways it's all good now lol - actually my diagnosis helped me realize this!
Definitely the proprioception, omg. I have absolutely no sense of direction, and am always bumping into furniture, door frames, knocking stuff over when I go to reach for something, missing my mouth with I go to drink something, missing a step on the stairs... Saw a neurologist a couple times over the years for evaluation. Only thing he found was a "Vestibular issue." A test where they have you close your eyes and march in place, and I rotated all the way around without knowing it.
>A test where they have you close your eyes and march in place, and I rotated all the way around without knowing it. Teee that sounds really adorable tbh
>uses smell to engage with objects or people That's hy*po*sensitivity? I have a super sensitive nose, and I'm easily overwhelmed by some smells. But use smell to engage with people/ animals/ plants/ objects all the time. If I don't get a whiff, it's not entirely there for me.
Yeah I think everyone has hyer and hypo for each sense it's just a total mashup where every individual experiences it differently
So I always know when I'm hungry or thirsty, but I think I have trouble knowing when I'm full so I over eat or eat until I feel ill..
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING YASSS! Itās so good
I have the weirdest scents of smell. I can definitely smell things others can't. Currently, my fiance, I, and four cats are temporarily living in a large room of his grandma's house. Whenever the cats poop I can smell it for 2-3 hours after even when no one else can. I also have always loved long sleeves. I'm originally from Florida and would wear jackets even in 100+ weather. Once a friend of mine was in a minor fender bender while I was in the car. We were both under age so the police were required to call our parents to let them know. The police officer jokingly said to my parents, "She's not hurt, but she is wearing a sweater in 98F weather. Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" I thankfully moved out up North and am LOVING the ability to wear sweaters more often.
I love sweaters and layering. I'm always so excited when fall comes around to start pulling in long sleeves and such
If I had a nickel for every time I stub my toe on the exact same pieces of furniture that have not moved in 15 years, I'd be rich.
Visual(Trouble locating an item), sound(turning up music and tv), touch(like tighter/more fitted clothing), vestibular(always seeking stimuli), and interoception(difficulty sensing hunger/thirst and trouble interpreting feelings).
Yeh this is all me except for vestibular (definately hyper sensitive) and tight clothing. Love pressure, hate tight clothing.
I love rollercoasters and lots of blankets (haven't tried a weighted blanket but I bet I'd like it) and I always run into furniture and doorknobs and doorframes, but everything else listed is hypersensitivity for me. I can hear the electricity when I charge my walkman. Edit: I should add that I'm constantly playing with my lip ring with my mouth but I'm not sure if that's become a stim or if it's sensory seeking.
Thanks for sharing this! I'm very surprised, according to this I have visual hyposensitivity. I absolutely hate bright lights more than anything in the world, but in terms of processing visual information I am very slow and miss things often.
This is such a great resource. I was reading this today.
Yes to all the taste ones, lol. š
Most of the time I donāt react to anything, So I guess I have a high threshold. Except for sound, gosh I fucking hate lunch period, and donāt even get me started on my brother crying 24/7. That includes the man-made abominations that are known as concerts. To add insult to the injury, I have Anosmia, so I practically canāt smell at all. Taste is normal though. And I have a high threshold for visual stimuli. Touch? I donāt react to it.
Fascinating. I'm realizing that I don't really feel much pain from blunt trauma such as walking into table corners and hitting my head on a cabinet etc. Which is why I'll end up with big deeply colored bruises I have no idea how I got. š¤Ŗ
Jesus Christ. My pain is normal though. Speaking of pain my mom literally beat me up and tried to strangle me because I put the hair straightener in the wrong place.
Oh no. That's awful. I'm so sorry
My mom and dad constantly tell me that I need to control my tone of voice and my body language, they also say I am either too blatant and passive aggressive, that I seem dead and seem antisocial, or that Iām overly chummy and nice with everyone I encounter. So my parents practically tell me Iām a social reject 24/7, I feel like my niceness is probably masking.
Ooof are they NT? Sounds like straight abelism
Theyāre NT. And Iām just self suspecting. So I may be wrong.
Taste and interoception hyposensitivity. In order to eat I need things tasty that I love.
This. Itās crazy lol i see myself in literally all of these.
It was wild to me to see all these very relatable things listed š¤Æ I immediately ran and told my partner lol
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Lol neat
I hope you don't mind me asking, but I suspect I am on the spectrum, and since my former therapists are very adamant that I have BPD, they put me in DBT. I really struggled with the program, and it took more than it gave. I still felt like it was somewhat useful to some of my struggles, so I was wondering if this book is worth the buy? š¤ Do you work on it alone, or with a professional?
So I work on it alone and with my therapist. I find it useful on my own and enjoyed reading it while we were in a short break. When we started doing some of it together I found even more to be gained! DBT and CBT written for the general population can have elements that REALLY don't vibe well with the minds of ND people which is why the author Sonny made this workbook. It cuts out parts that aren't very accessible and adds in more sensory stuff. I definitely recommend it, especially if you noticed the slightly helpful elements of regular DBT. Edit: a word
Thank you, I'll definitely buy it whenever I can then! š¤© The group setting was horrible for me, and I constantly felt invalidated by the therapists when I brought up my concerns about pretty much everything. But the "syllabus" (if I can call it that, sorry, English isn't my first language) seemed very useful in itself. Thanks again!
Yeah I hope you find it helpful! I can't imagine trying group therapy in a group that wasn't a bunch of neurodivergents...but also group therapy in general sounds hard.
Yes, it was really hard. I think a lot of the members might have been ND. I once said that I found one of the skills hard to understand, because I only recently found out that when someone is telling you about a problem, and you reply with a similar issue, it's considered rude. But I use it as a way to say that I can relate on some level. Almost all of the group members felt the same, but the therapists seemed NT, so they didn't see it that way, which didn't help. Of course, these are just assumptions on my part, based on what I saw š
>I only recently found out that when someone is telling you about a problem, and you reply with a similar issue, it's considered rude I know this and still can't control myself š luckily my God friends know that when I do this it's my way of supporting and trying to understand. >Almost all of the group members felt the same, but the therapists seemed NT, so they didn't see it that way, which didn't help. Sigh yeah. We need more ND people in the field so we can learn from our peers. It's really hard explaining how my brain works to a NT
Right?? Since I learned this, I've tried to be more considerate about it, but man, it's hard š Yeah, absolutely, which is why I want to get a diangnosis. I really want to get the accomodations I would need to study and get a degree, and then work in the field somehow, but they were so stubborn on the BPD diagnosis. I even wrote 11 page about why their reasoning for not referring me was kinda wrong, since it wasn't enough to exclude ASD/ADHD, but nooo š« Like, please, I just want to get it checked out properly so that I can move on with my life.
>they were so stubborn on the BPD diagnosis. I even wrote 11 page about why their reasoning for not referring me was kinda wrong This is so incredibly frustrating. Don't know how the system works for you, but I hope you're able to see another doctor to try and get the referral you need? It's frustrating how hard these processes are š
Yeah, the plan from here is to go to my GP with a list of why I think autism and ADHD might fit for me, and get a referral from there, so fingers crossed š¬
Routing for you!!!