1. What brings you here?
my therapist is trying to find a OT to hopefully verify that i have SPD and help me plan my 'sensory diet'.

2. What is your relations to someone with SPD? Do you have it? a child of yours? Do you treat SPD kids as a professional?
i highly suspect that i have SPD (pretty certain)

3. Share a little of your journey if you'd like.
i've had anxiety related problems since birth which developed into OCD at 8, eating disorder at 15 (although life long feeding difficulties) and now a diagnosed personality disorder (cross between borderline and avoidant/ anxious).
i've never liked being touched with the exception of certain types of animal contact (i like lying on the floor and the dogs lying across my stomach, legs or back) and having the middle of my back stroked with pressure. i've never been able to tell whether i'm hungry, full, whether i'm thirsty, temperature regulation, sleep or rest. i have always panicked with loud noises, i get irritable at people which i hate.
i've grown up believing i was a bad, selfish, over dramatic person. i couldn't work out why i was so contradictory in so may ways. there has never been any 'trauma' that you'd associate with the type of personality disorder i'm diagnosed with, ED treatment was ineffective because it never dealt with the problem and because attemtping to re-establish an appetite was impossible because i'd never managed to do that ever, autism didn't fit because i can read people's faces (even though pretty much all the other criteria i do fit). my therapist has increasingly picked up on the degree of sensory difficulties i do display (i've spent a life time attempting to hide it or adapt to it, or just plain thinking it was something else...ie: a brain tumour or a stroke) and a couple of weeks ago broached the subject of trying to do some sensory intergration work and discussed this with me, including SPD. i've begun reasearching it and i guess some of you know what it feels like, "oh my god, i'm not a bad person, this is what this is, there are other people who are like this." my parent's have looked it up and gone from being sceptical to convinced (they've always talked about the sensory difficulties, it's been referred to as my 'autistic traits' for years). my T is now on the hunt for a OT who has experience of SPD.

4. Is there any immediate help you need?
no, i am just trying to gather as much information. i'm scared to trust that this is right for me, i know it's going to take time to get my head around this.

5. What are you or your child's gifts? Interests? /
6. What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies or interests?
i grouped these together because i find it hard to say good things about myself.
having spent a large amount of my life increasingly withdrawing and in the last 2 years practically reclusive i am a bit short of 'hobbies' as such. i prefer animals to people in general, i have 4 pet rats who i love to pieces and who give me a reason to wake up every day. i am fascinated by psychology/ sociology plus any traditional science that is related especially neuroscience. i love books and love to read anything but 'chicklit'. i studied art and still love art covering many mediums. i enjoy excercise a lot but only certain types and preferrably without contact with people or high impact activities with the exception of a punchbag!

I don't like light touches, but deep pressure touches are good for me. My friends all know to hug me hard (full bear hug) when they want to physically interract with me. I have a lot of friends with Sensory Quirks, and they prefer deep pressure as well so it works out.

My hobbies tend to lead to other people with Sensory Quirks or those tolerant of other people's issues. Board games, roleplaying, Computers, Mentoring, and Engineering are my hobbies/interests. The nice thing about Board games is if you want social interraction, but can't handle a lot of eye contact you can look at the board game and no one will judge you for not being social enough.

Since one of my sensory problems is severe light sensitivity, being able to focus on the board game that usually has a consistant light level helps me from becoming visually exhausted as fast. My last Irlen Center visit I learned a new trick on how to get my brain to calm down if I am visually overwhelmed. Just focus on an area that is as dark as possible (black if you can find it) until your brain relaxes.

Hi and welcome! I hope your parents will fully support you with this. It can be amazing to finally piece together all the things that you've been experiencing and realize others have gone through it too. You're not alone!

thankyou for your replies.

((beck7422))
i am the same with deep pressure, i love having the dogs lie on me, it makes me feel good and safe. i've yet to meet anyone and have a discussion about SPD.
when i was little i used to like getting my brother or sister to stand on me or being under sofa cushions and having one of them sit on the cushions.
i am pretty bad socially, i find it extremely anxiety provoking and confusing. i agree with you on socialising via interests. i am fascinated by psychology and science connected to brains, i also love reading and rats. i find the internet has probably been the most important social tool for me because it's allowed me to have social contact. without it i would have been even more of a recluse than i already am.

((LynnNBoys)) thankyou. i hope my parents will be, they have said that for years they felt it was something. it's always been known as autistic traits by my parents. my T says i don't have autism but i suspect that had i been born male i would have been diagnosed with asperger's instead of the diagnosis i have of a mixed personality disorder (combination of BPD and avoidant). it's been a huge relief to start to realise that a lot of the things that i see as me being a bad child may have been me as a child with SPD. hopefully i can begin to build a life now.