Hi everyone! My name is Sara, I'm 25 years old, and I live in New York City. I am not formally diagnosed with SPD (yet), but I am going to discuss this with my doctor. You see, for every diagnosis I HAVE been given so far (OCD & ADHD are the current ones, I have also been given Panic Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and have been told there is a great likelihood that I have PTSD), I have never really felt that they addressed ALL of the problems I face on a daily basis. I am on medication for the OCD and ADHD, and I'm generally doing okay.
Once it was brought to my attention that a lot of my "quirks" are sensory issues, it became astonishingly clear to me that I have SPD. I have a younger brother who is diagnosed with Autism, and I work in that field as well. With all of that combined, I had a pretty good awareness of sensory issues, and when I explored it for myself it seemed like I found a missing piece of my puzzle as to why I am the way I am.
Although I have a LONG list of sensory issues, here are some of the more prominent ones:
1. Clothing - I don't like certain fabrics; I am currently working with someone on being able to wear dress pants/jeans for more than a few seconds (I prefer sweatpants/leggings). Clothes can't be too tight on me, and if I can avoid socks or shoes at any time I will.
2. Food - I have a lot of food intolerances that I am in the midst of figuring out, but those are not too sensory related. I prefer foods that are BOLD in taste, if it is plain/not very flavorful, I won't eat it (most breads, most rice, etc.). Textures and temperatures are big for me too: The texture of oatmeal makes me sick for example...I like coffee, but it has to be cold. I can't stand the thought of drinking anything hot, and you will only catch me eating soup if I am deathly ill.
3. Sound/light - I am INCREDIBLY sound sensitive. I hear sounds that most people don't pick up on. If I am in a noisy situation, I become very anxious, agitated, and irritable. I become overwhelmed with sounds easily, and it often leads to exhaustion. Certain sounds I am particularly sensitive to - vacuums, blow dryers, etc. Light bothers me to an extent, but not as much. I can always tell when a lightbulb is out, for instance, because I seem to be the only one who actually experiences pain from the lights being dimmer than usual. I can't be in too much light either. My perfect situation is being in my room, minimal light, and minimal (if any) sound.
4. Touch - Certain things I CANNOT touch. I don't like the feel of raspberries/blackberries, I can't dry dishes because of the sensation of a wet dish and a dry towel, anything that is messy and dirty I stay away from.
5. People - This is where I have a lot of trouble. Dealing with people sometimes overwhelms me, beyond the sound aspect. Sometimes I feel like it takes all of my energy to filter out my sensory issues and focus on people. But mostly, I have issues with feeling crowded and so on. My spatial skills are awful, and I have a very big "bubble" around me as to when I feel you are invading my space. I can't deal with strangers, and if I accidentally bump into someone somewhere it will feel like torture to my skin. Sometimes hugs feel too tight, or just "too much" in their own way. This one is hard to describe, but I'm hoping you get the idea...
6. Sleep - Either I fall asleep without even intending to, or I stay up all night with my mind racing. If I fall asleep without meaning to do so, I will IMMEDIATELY fall into a deep enough sleep where I can't be moved from the couch/wherever. Regardless of how I fall asleep, once I am asleep it is VERY hard to wake me up. I can filter out alarms, people calling my name to wake me up, and so on. My boyfriend has to physically shake me in the morning, and even then it takes him a very long time to actually get me to move. I have been known to "talk" in my sleep, but to the point where it appears to the other person that I am fully alert and awake, but I have no memory of the conversation. I don't walk/move when I do this, so I don't think it is a sleepwalking issue. Not even sure if it is a sensory issue, but I figure my sleep problems aren't helping.
I think that's about all I have for now...as I am in the middle of a sensory overload and am just kind of drained haha. Thanks for reading!
