I experience sensory sensitivities that make it difficult for me to eat when certain objects or triggers are in my environment, even if they’re not directly involved with the food itself. Specifically, visual triggers like stickers or certain textures cause discomfort, making me feel like the trigger is all over me, which interferes with my ability to eat. I also struggle with cleaning because touching these objects makes me feel unclean, and no matter how much I wash my hands, I can’t shake the feeling. This experience is overwhelming and isolating, especially because I don’t find many resources or communities addressing this exact combination of sensitivities. I can’t avoid these triggers right now, which makes it even harder to manage.. I have had these issues since I was a kid...

Hello - wondering what you folks do to manage food texture issues? There are foods that I really like, but they disgust me (eggs, salad). I was talking with an LCSW and she said I need to rewire my nervous system/brain to change this and to talk w my therapist…but I don’t really understand how talking w a therapist is going to make the problem textures less disgusting.

I have over heating issues and socks and lights and certain materials, especially wool and leather, one of the worst is my facial and head hair these days if i dont get it bald shaved once a week. Can barely wear shirts because of how tight they feel and i have to wear them inside out. Theres more but my brain is so melted from aussie summer atm. Does anyone else have any of these issues?

Hello, a month ago I was put on a nerve painkiller(tramacet). The doctors thought that i had shingles, turns out it was an allergic reaction to my titanium earrings. I was taking these pain killers for a week or so. After stopping it, everything was awful. My blankets made my skin feel like it was being stabbed by needles. My skin was soo sensitive. It has been 2 weeks and now it has finally settled. Has anybody ever felt this?

Im going to tryout for soccer but I have been actually so bad playing one main reason bc my socks and shoe ties on my cleats have been annoying me basically when I tie one of my shoes it feels tighter then the other obviously but bc of spd my brain decides to overload and is really annoying to me and this is distracting my brain from playing normal and I know I can play better, does anyone have any suggestions on what to buy/do even if it’s a certain cleat, shoe laces or socks anything would really help ty!

Hi everyone! I’m a Product Design student researching sensory-friendly fashion, specifically how clothing can better support those with sensory sensitivities in everyday life. I’m developing a project that aims to balance comfort, function, and style, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If you have a few minutes, I’d really appreciate it if you could fill out my short survey. Your insights will help shape a more inclusive and thoughtful design. Thanks so much!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gYjVz8_mqgNFhuUcyiOszSKVSfOPHwUwA7o8y__2dos/edit

I have hypersensitivity to any clothing, to the point where I'll have a complete mental melt down if I have to wear something tight, restricting, etc. Nowadays, I've found options for everyday regular wear that are baggy and light enough.

Everyone says exercise helps, and I'm not doubting it would help me, but there's a huge barrier for me: I hate the feeling of getting sweaty - it pretty much explodes my sensory issues immediately, even if I'm wearing baggier, light workout clothes, it becomes a problem.

I want to exercise, but I don't know what could work. A regular gym grosses me out with other people's germs/sweat; running is out of the question; and swimming isn't an option for half the year (plus I hate the feeling of chlorinated water). I love biking but where I live is very dangerous, so that's also not a viable option. I live in a very small apartment and lack the area to do something as simple as a full yoga stretch on the floor.

I feel pathetic, and feel like I'm making excuse after excuse of why I can't do this. I really have tried to find something that works, but so far nothing has worked. Looking for any advice, anecdotes, opinions, etc. Thanks.

I am very curious what other mental health disorders if any have you been diagnosed with? I want to see what it can correlate to

My almost 5 year old is struggling. If she is told “no” lately - she flips out. Starts kicking, hitting me, knocking things over. Today, we were at a family members for a football game (go bills). My niece was there and couldn’t wait to see her. She sometimes struggles playing with other kids - it has to go the way she thinks it should go. Her brain is incredibly inflexible when it comes to this stuff. She has complete meltdowns. I saw her warning signs at my brother in laws house gthen I got her to eat, thought we were all good. But then My daughter didn’t get her way, she started throwing my nieces stuff around. I took her into a different room. I’m trying to talk to her, help calm her down. She hit me in the face, twice while screaming her head off. I picked her up and said, we are leaving. Carried her downstairs and stated why we are leaving. She then was crying so hard, she had an accident. I bring her home, bath, Put her to bed, then I just cried for a while. I am really tired. I love my daughter so much, I just want her to thrive. She has a SPD sensory seeking diagnosis, she gets OT x2 a week. I really think there is more going on - like ADHD or autism.

Anyone have a similar experience? Or words of wisdom?

We are trying for #2, but now I’m concerned about how I’m going to navigate all of this.

Anyone else do this and found a solution?

I feel like the only way I can relax sometimes is through eating a large amount of food. I’m not even bothered about the taste actually, although it’s an added distraction. It’s about the feeling of pressure and stimulation in my throat and then body. And I have to be stuffed to achieve that release.

Sometimes very very hot baths are good, or an extremely strong hug (sometimes my husband just lies on top of me non-sexually and it helps). But basically I think there has to be an element of discomfort in order to reach it. I also over-exercise sometimes because stretching or the weight on my body through movement helps, but I often get injured.

I don’t set out to hurt myself and I don’t have those thoughts. But I find I can’t relax until I get there.

I should say also I’m self-diagnosing and I’ve never told anyone I may have SPD. I feel like I have hypersensitivity (my husband notices this all the time) as well as hyposensitivity sometimes, and definitely almost constantly sensory seeking until it gets too much and I relax.

Is this normal? How do I get that deep input in a healthy way?

I’m 22 and I’ve had sensory issues my whole life including doing several years of PT, OT, and speech therapy. I’ve always had things to help me “regulate” my sensory issues. I’ve always been hyposensitive/sensory craving. As a preschooler, I got kicked out of ballet class because I would hit kids so they could hit me back. I got a weighted blanket when I was 10 that my parents had to specially order since they really weren’t a thing.

Since around middle school, I’ve always had ways to “regulate” myself. I used to swing a lot on my neighborhood swing set and once I got older, really relied on baths. In college, I really didn’t have issues and between showers (our water pressure was insane), walking everywhere, and my weighted blanket, I was fine.

Now, I’m an adult working full-time, and my sensory issues have been all out of wack. I still have my weighted blanket and walk, but I don’t have a bathtub in my apartment nor does my showerhead have insane amounts of pressure. I also think my emotions have been more volatile recently which doesn’t help.

I’m feeling a bit lost in what I should do, and I honestly feel like “weighted” things are so popular and because they’re made for NT folks, they don’t really do the trick (a 5 lb weighted stuffed animal isn’t going cut it). I react best to weight/pressure, and I would like things I can do at home while I’m feeling unregulated. So like while extreme movement is something I enjoy (like swinging really hard on a swing), it’s not something I can do when I’m having a meltdown or feel one coming on.

Does anybody have any tips? Do things like compression shirts help? Any products you’ve enjoyed?

Ok this might be an odd one. I really struggle with the sound/sensation of cutlery scraping on plates, as soon as I hear or feel the metal cutlery touch a plate it makes my teeth hurt & I can’t continue eating. Has anyone found cutlery that doesn’t scrape? I don’t want to have to use cheap plastic disposable stuff as it’s not really strong enough for everyday use and gets expensive and obviously is a waste of plastic. Any suggestions? I’m in the UK if that helps for brands/shops etc.

Context: job requires mask wearing since 2020. I've always hated wearing those that loop around the ears. At the end of the day my jaw is so sore, presumably from constantly pushing it off my face so I don't feel it on my cheeks. I was constantly uncomfortable. I found out that masks that can be tied are much more forgiving. Does anyone know what I mean..?

I was suspecting I might be some sort of ND due to similar symptoms but when I went for ADHD testing it came back negative as the ADHD-like symptoms I've mentioned were said not to have been as present during childhood. And also I scored above average on most of the components of the WAIS IV and some other memory recall test. I was pretty disappointed by that. It was recommended that I could try ASD testing but I don't think I even want to encroach on a space that is definitely not mine.

However I always felt kind of different from others in the sense that my tolerances of senses are extremely narrow. I hate physical touch. There are times my partner puts their hand on mine and I feel that's too much. "Don't touch me I don't like that right now." I don't like kisses. But I do love kissing my pets. I love petting their fur.

I hate if I feel fabrics ( that are not the clothes on my body) on my skin in bed. I.e. I hate blankets. I don't even like the feeling of wind on my skin at night. I prefer all the windows shut with no AC or fan. I can feel every strand of hair that's on my face blowing due to a fan and I can't have that either.

I can only tolerate very specific white noises. I can't even tolerate my own tinnitus nor my partner's breathing in bed. So we do separate rooms.

I've always hated candles. I hate most perfumes. They give me migraines. I hate most scents as well. I gag really easily.

I hate the texture and taste of..watermelon. I hate swallowing liquid medicine. It feels like cement down my throat.

With all this being said i'm still pretty functional as a whole. It seems like I'm always just missing the mark of a..disorder, so to speak, but I don't feel "normal" either. My family has always said I'm really hard to live with. Which I agree. I guess I'm just looking if anyone feels the same way.

I know the title might sound weird, but that’s exactly how I feel—I’m a hostage to my own hair. I’m 17 with SPD, and because my mom never bothered to get me diagnosed when I first showed symptoms, I never received treatment.

Even putting aside the other terrible things I have to live with because of SPD, my biggest problem is my hair. I have curly hair that reaches about halfway down my ears (a good reference would be Joe Goldberg from You in Season 4), and I absolutely despise the feeling of my hair touching my ears or getting inside them—which, unfortunately, happens a lot.

I can’t fully explain it, but sometimes the triggers are mild, while other times they’re absolutely horrible. When it’s bad, I get overstimulated insanely fast, my head starts to hurt, and don’t even get me started on how awful it feels after washing my hair. Usually, I just wear a headband with a winter cap on top, which prevents any triggers. But obviously, I can’t wear that all the time.

And I also CANNOT cut my hair—or at least not short. Besides SPD, I also suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, which makes things even worse. My seborrheic dermatitis is very aggressive (especially after wearing my cap), and if I were to cut my hair short, the condition would be VERY visible. Sadly, I don’t think I could handle the looks of people or comments from my classmates (who aren’t exactly the kindest people).

I have absolutely no idea what to do and I guess I just wanted to vent, but also see if there is anyone with similar experience.

(this is my ever actual poem or writing piece, so keep that in mind.)

plum sprout 

Infant born with a peculiar tweak, not a peep or a squeak from others, only she and her plum sprout. 
 
 

The pit birthed with her, spreading its roots as she grows. 

She tears at the plum, juice running to her stained shirt as the juice gets stuck in her hair 

 
Wind chimes chime into her squeals, eyelids eventually fluttering evermore as the wind strums her a song awake.  

Frayed fabric laying in the sleeves of her mind gnaws at her, yet she gnaws back 

not poisoning her just yet. 

She as far from me as memory 

her heartbeat burying, yet beating varyingly 

Fruit made bitter feasts on its host  

I eat, it eats, we both eat away at each other. 

It who has festered, eaten away at me gradually will lie beside me in my grave 

sharing its plum with me.  

(id thought id share it because id like to see if anyone would relate to the bittersweet feeling on knowing you'll live with this thing that is just growing and spreading its vines shifting over time and having to die with it, yet finding strange beauty in it.)

I filch from touch it just tickles for lack of a better word. Sometimes I try to freeze so I don’t hurt anyone who comes close, this causes my breathing and heart to speed. I describe it to others like a deer caught in headlights.

I’ve been this way since a little kid and it’s only gotten worse. I’ve been to OT and am on anxiety meds but nothing has helped.

I have never met anyone like me, and when I google it I always get people vastly different. I don’t have autism nor do I have ADHD, but I just have this.

Nothing I’ve done seemed to help, it’s ruined my life and I’m worried for the future, I’ve dreamed of having my own kids but how can I even get pregnant if I can’t handle dr appointments. How can I even find someone to love when I know I won’t be able to handle it.

I was told I have SPD or tactile sensitivity but I want it gone.

For all my Spd baddies out there what moisturizer do you use if you are pretty sensitive to things on your face. I have tried just not moisturizing but I can't stand the dry skin feeling. Some moisturizers feel like they are not enough while others feel like a mask. I need something that is lightweight while still really moisturizing. Right now I have been using a combination of Hydro boost by Neutrogena and one from trader joes and sometimes vanishing cream from lush.

Looking for one piece bathing suits that my daughter (girls size 10-12) will tolerate. For reference she was dx at age 3 with SPD. Over the last 3 years she has become more sensitive to how clothes feel and and more importantly fit. She only tolerates 3 pieces of clothing. Tank tops from Walmart and leggings from Kohl. Bathing suits she pulls down in an attempt to cover her butt more. Looking for a full coverage bottom without skirt or accessories, but still regular 2 strap top and must be a one piece bathing suit. Think maybe 50’s style coverage. Anyone out here in the same boat and maybe farther along in the search for a suit like this?

Also if anyone has had success with finding underwear that fit the same way, but would fit like a glove so she doesn’t feel movement between her leggings and underwear. She ditched underwear when she couldn’t deal with the feel of one layer of clothing over another.

Thanks so much!

Ah, I’ve made so many posts just venting recently I feel like I’ve had the worst week of my life. I feel like my minds not quite right I don’t think I’m seeing things correctly if this isn’t the right subreddit please remove this post I just really don’t know what to do and if anyone could help it would be a miracle but I just need to vent, I’m sorry it’s a lot. I’m so tired. I’m so worn out. I wanna have a comfy place to land before I get up again and face everything but I can’t be comfy for any amount of time cuz of this hellish disorder. I don’t have any clothes I feel comfortable in. I have 1 top I’ve been wearing the past few years, it keeps getting ripped up. The sleeves are a complete mess. I can’t find anything better I’ve been looking for years why is nothing right why is comfortable clothing just a figment of my imagination I can’t stand the jealously I get when I see other people with sensory issues being upset that the clothes they have are not good all of the time or talking about how when they get sensory overload they switch into more comfortable clothing I wish I was like them they have basically the same problems as me but I was cursed with something like this why why why fucking god I wanna bash my head in I csn’t take it pull my teeth out I just…wanna fucking wear clothes. Shouldn’t it be simple? Can’t one thing in my life be simple? Why is it literally impossible to find baggy clothes, I know I’m not the only person on the world to like, prefer wearing more baggy clothes but I have yet to find them. Why? Like, where are they finding all these baggy clothes or whatever? It’s not just that though the kind of material I would find comfortable in doesn’t seem to exist. Getting the material, the neckline, the sleeves AND size right seems actually impossible. It’s been years, am I gonna…get to wear clothes that don’t make me wanna die someday? I donkt think so. This disease has ruined me. I am nothing but pain. Being naked isn’t any better it still hurts like hell. it hurts so much. Every day is like a desperate cry for help. I sound dramatic what else am I supposed to do? Screaming into the void of Reddit to see if anyone will answer is basically the only thing left. What the fuck was I supposed to do? Let me, be normal. Please. I’m tired.

I have an extreme preference for rain and actually hate sunny days. It makes me overstimulated and just depressed while rainy days make me happier and energized (also have misophonia) I am sick of feeling so alone in this though.

Are my sensory wires crossed? I prefer ankle socks over long socks and I wear my shoes loose because I don't like to tie them, I just like to slip them on and off. The drawback to that is my socks are always slipping down into my shoes so I end up with them only covering my toes in my shoes. I've grown accustomed to the feeling of my socks slipping off so now it doesn't bother me when it happens. Can anyone explain what this means?

My partner has problems with boots that are too hot or too tight. I’m looking for a good cold weather boot for her that is water/snow-resistant but will not make her feet sweat or be too constrictive. Any fuzzy inner lining would be a dealbreaker for sure. This boot would be for daily usage in inclement weather (walking indoors and outdoors). She’s not going to be hiking or in the snow for hours with it.

Does anyone have experience with a boot like this that they love? Thanks!

i have anxiety and i love wearing a thick hoodie with a weighted blanket on me. those comfrt hoodies claim to be weighted but they are only like 1 pound im looking for a 10 pound hoodie that’s heavy. preferably in a matching set. anyone know of something like this?

Anyone else like this? I’m fine during the day, but at night, I can’t sleep because I’m super aware of my clothes and covers or even the slightest crease in the sheets. I end up tossing and turning for hours. I can’t sleep until everything is right. It didn’t start until about two years ago.

i just wanna be able to wear clothes. idk why that’s such a hard ask. being able to wear whatever I want is truly my biggest dream, but i’ll forever have to wear the same 3 outfits and ill never get to be myself. My life hell on earth. i honestly can’t think of anything worse than this.

I've had sensory processing disorder since I was in 4th grade (well I got diagnosed in fourth grade).

I've been struggling really bad with smells. This has only been going on for like a year or two. Especially the smell of meat or cooking. It drives me crazy and I get oversimulated immediately. I sleep with both windows open in my room and close the vent and is basically a freezer and like I can't be in areas where the smell is it just bothers me so much!

My therapist couldn't really help me with it and I'm not going to OT anymore so I don't have any resources for it and nothing I found online has been helpful. The only thing I found is to chew mints hut that doesn't help.

Does anyone have any tricks to get over that? Neurotypicals does that bother you and you just don't notice it?

Like anyone who doesn't get that type of reaction I'm just asking what that feels like how do people just go about they're day with that smell?

This is part vent and part desperate cry for help cuz I’m so tired and don’t know what else to do.
I’m so tired, I just wanna be able to wear clothes. I have 1 top I can wear, 2 trousers and some socks, thank god for those bamboo socks they’re the softest most comfortable things I’ve ever worn I love them so much. i just want one other top, I‘ve been living in the same one for 2 years or maybe 3 years non-stop and it’s literally coming apart at the seams, one of the sleeves is way shorter than the other cuz of all the holes and rips, and then me cutting around the edge of it to make it even to stop the stringy bits from getting to me but they itch and tickle me so much I just wanna rip it up but then I‘d Have literally nothing else to wear. The other sleeve is so ripped apart there’s not much of it left But there still is at the end so it hangs way longer than the other. There’s been so many stitching ups on the chest it’s ridiculous, every week it seems to get ripped in the same place again and the back of it at the bottom is also ripped so much it’s way longer on one side because the rips from the other side cause it to lie on the other side.

i’ve been trying to find something similar to this one top for years but I just can’t. I feel like I’m going insane. Everything‘s too tight, too harsh, not soft enough, the necklines not free enough, the sleeves have stupid cuffs, it’s too cropped, sleeves‘re too short, too tight, everything’s way too fucking tight. Why is everything so tight? It’s impossible to find another soft long sleeve black t shirt with a wide neckline way too big for me. I feel like I’m beyond hope. I know it’s partly due to how much I’ve worn it that the one top I can wear is so stretched out but why is it literally Impossible to find anything actually baggy? I’ve looked at everything I can find, I’ve went To places in person and shopped online for the same kind of thing and it just doesn’t seem to exist. If Anyone has any suggestions of something that might possibly work please tell me where to look. I’m starting to give up. I’m so tired. the top i have now is slowly driving me insane, one of the sleeves is way too short and the ends of the sleeves are so raggedy. Please help me.

I have no idea if this has to do with his SPD or it's just his personality but, my son(3.5M) is getting his tonsils out in a few weeks. They have to come out no other options. But he will not take anything from us that's in a syringe. Really he will take no kind of meds at all from us.

What's I've tried: Pretend mommy take some now you take some yummy(he could careless)

Bribing(could careless, would rather die, he doesn't like candy so that doesn't work)

Hiding it. Tried hiding it apple sauce, nope tasted it stopped eating. Again doesn't like sweets so no pudding or chocolate sauce.

Hiding it in a pouch, works sometimes if they pouch has alot going on.

Tried with the little cup, nope.

Tried with a spoon nope.

Tried the put in his throat and blow(he would choke to death)

He is a very picky eater and knows what he likes and doesn't like. He won't eat things that "look" different.

He literally could care less. I've tried talking to him, nope. He is so stubborn he won't do it. I'm at a lose of what to do. He will need pain meds every 4 hours and I can't just keep giving them in a pouch that might work.. especially at night when I wake him up. And I can't have him fighting and screaming with a sore hurt throat.....

Advice??? Tricks?

I wish I could just give him a shot. It would be so much easier ......