Too loud, too bright, too fast, too tight

And right now there's a guy at the edge of my field of vision surreptitiously picking his nose. Come on, man, don't you know I can see you. A proud, shameless pick I've got no problem with, but he's being furtive, damn it...

Okay, sorry, cheers...

nah, not irritable, we would have noticed. you just have hyperactive senses. that sounds better, no? i'm betting my cards on it, now i can at least tell everybody new around me:"be cautious, for i am sensory defensive!" candy rustlers are on my list also, though faucets and clock ticking are my white noises. bf's snoring or even any irregular breating is not, sadly. sleep with earplugs most of the time. nail biting sands creepers through my spine, although must say that sometimes i catch myself doing it. i try hard not to do things that irritate me. also was a bit spoiled younger child, i sppose.

Yep, yep and yep on that list of yours, pd. As Dagmaraka says, I have employed icy stares of death to no effect for all of those things -- people don't get WHY. I am hyper about making sure that sozlet doesn't kick the seat ahead of her on the plane because that's such a cardinal sin in my book, but other people have said it doesn't bother them.

All of these things seem to be exacerbated by patterns. For example, a single, anamalous kick -- don't like it much. A repeated, rhythmic, kick - pause - kick - pause - kick - pause is what starts that entertaining transformation to red-eyed, smoke-spewing demon.

Something about the anticipation -- are they done? if they're not done it would happen right nno.... goddamn it!!!

One of the worst things I ever witnessed was when I was at some little museum in Paris, adored the museum, was having a great time. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the security guard. She had an enormous mole on her forehead, and was picking at it. Really working away at it. <shudder> The museum itself was wonderful, I kept positioning myself at weird angles so I wouldn't see her, but my mind's eye would supply missing visuals, and then I'd have to look back to see if she was still doing it, since if she'd stopped, that would stop the visuals, and she'd STILL BE DOING IT, and...

The horror.

Hahaha, I can so feel the way it feels right now. This last time I flew home I way another person of my kind exploding. A college kid behind her was kicking her seat repetitively, unknowingly. She suddenly jumped up, yelling and cursing him and ran behind his seat and shook it violently: "How does this feel, is it pleasant?! Is it?!" Caused quite a sensation, though I couldn't help feeling some satisfaction and chuckled each time I recalled the incident.

Hmmm. Couple of little stories. I'm pretty ashamed of them, actually, but...

The first happened when I was in first grade. It was a windy fall day, and I was on the playground during afternoon recess. The bell rang, and I was about to head inside, but something about a leaf blowing around on the blacktop caught my eye, and I stood looking at it, transfixed. I remember very clearly that all sounds just became a whooshing around me.

Then my best friend tapped me on the shoulder to let me know it was time to go in. Completely unthinking, I turned around and hit him with a vicious uppercut to the nose. Blood everywhere. Turned out nothing was broken, luckily, but his face was swollen for a week. I have absolutely no idea what motivated this, except that I didn't want to be pulled out of my revery...

Similar thing a couple of years later. I was looking at some optical illusion picture -- Escher or something. Very absorbed in it. My sister tried to get my attention, and I swung at her. I meant to miss -- and I just barely did -- but it scared the hell out of her and me.

Which is why I think I'm coming from a different place on this one.

By the way, pd, that's part of why you were absolutely awful to lipread at the Great Dane. I figured as much, E.G. is the same way. If he and I are in a quiet room together, he's a cinch to understand. If we are at a loud restaurant together, he is reacting to the kid crying over there, the woman breaking up with her boyfriend over there, the bus boys making snide comments over yonder, and all of this is playing across his face and giving me confusing cues.

It was so great to meet y'all, but I think I'm going to try to make future A2K meets one-on-one, or at least fewer people, and someplace quiet!

Oh, just read your latest. Hmm. That is a different spin, though I can see it being in the same general category.

Yeah, I tried to get this across, but I was impatient to get some fresh air -- which is more about fresh sound, anyway.



Dunno. Just who I am. Something I'm wary of, but it also includes an ability to concentrate and find simple patterns among complex information that can be very useful. Makes things like biochemistry a cinch...

That is interesting. That's probably why you can handle that evil science. Mental note to self: p-dog is NOT to be disturbed at any circumstances!
Where in Midwest are you? Is Ohio Midwest? For I be there too, in June, or July is it?

I'm in southern Wisconsin -- Madison, in particular. I just think of Ohio as "rust."

;-) they have darn good injun weddings there, dem injun ohians!

Um, okay... (?)



Gotta go learn, so my digression is over. Cheers, folks.

I have to take a trip back to the city soon for a few days and just the thought of all that traffic and all those people making noise makes my skin crawl, LOL! I like humans too and I also wish they'd keep it down a bit ;-) Funny thing is that animals don't bother me either, unless it's a dog constantly barking next door. I suppose if amimals made more noise then they do, they could become a problem too.

You need one of them long baths after the city trip.

Got that hot tub installed yet Montana?

I think the Great Dane was a problem for most of us.

I didn't really do too well at the Tranna meet either.

My favourite meets have been the outdoor ones. Partly because of the ability to control space, distance and sound better.

Yeah, outdoors sounds nice.

Mebbe when it gets above zero, though.

Or Florida. You goin' to Florida?

My very favorite cousin is pregnant and wants me to visit (Miami), thinking about it longingly, but singularly bad timing for us in any number of ways.

I'm still hoping to get to SF in April, should anyone be going that way. Haven't posted on the a2k meet/ SF thread since I haven't actually enough data right this minute.

hehehehehe

above zero.

the first time my friend brenda and i met longdog - it was at the beach in toronto - in january - and it was spectacularly cold - i should try and find the pix, tho they wouldn't be impressed - their faces were scarlet - i think it was about -20 that day - before the lakeside windchill.

later that year, we went to the catskills to visit with longdog again - diane, piffka, Peace and Love and Dr. Val were also there. A fair bit of our time was outside in brisk weather - which is why there are pix of me wearing a hat with earflaps!

the temp at the salem meet was hot - but the ability to be outside was enormously helpful. Tucson was inside and outside - my easiest parts were outside - at the zooish thing, the mountains - and a wonderful sunrise in the desert with Piffka and a neighbourhood dog.

now that i look back at this group of events - and other events I do well at - outside - or places with lots of space so i can get away from annoying-making factors - work best .

Here is an Editorial review for Sharon Heller's book that is becoming my bible. Most useful thing I have read in years!

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Heller, a developmental psychologist, knows firsthand how difficult life can be for people suffering from sensory defensiveness (SD). Symptoms include flinching from touch; overly acute senses of smell; fear of escalators; irritation at certain lights; and eating disorders. While these symptoms are often present from birth, for many other people they can be triggered by some traumatic event. Adding to the pain is the difficulty in diagnosing this ailment-some sufferers are told they have ADD or autism. Heller briefly discusses her own successful therapy and how it transformed her life. The book includes four sections-the first two focus on an overview of the condition, and the second two examine treatment, including diet, medication and relaxation techniques. Useful appendices list alternative treatments and resources. The writing is clear and relatively jargon-free, and sprinkled throughout the book are anecdotes from patients who have successfully battled SD. Patients who have this condition will find this book reassuring, especially since Heller discusses a treatment and usually follows up with a real-life scenario. For example, the section on light therapy ends with a success story of a woman who had learned to cope with her light sensitivity: "[Anna] realized that her eyes were wide open, no longer slits. She had spent years walking around in a haze, blinded by glare, with her brain taking in only a sliver of light." For people with SD, this title will wonderfully supplement their medical treatment.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

New York Newsday
Dr. Sharon Heller has written a fascinating account of how sensation can run amok and cause problems.

Book Description

Do clothing labels bother you so much that you have to remove them?

Do you find many different foods repulsive?

Do loud, sudden, or piercing sounds startle you?

Do you need to wear sunglasses even on a cloudy day?

Do you feel panicky going down an escalator or driving through a tunnel?

If the answer to many of these questions is yes, you may suffer from sensory defensiveness, a common but often misdiagnosed condition that results from adverse reactions to what most people consider harmless sensations. Developmental psychologist Sharon Heller, sensory defensive herself, suggests that the best way for sufferers to cope is not psychotherapy or medication but a host of other treatments that tap into the primitive brain.

As Heller explains, there is hope for the sensory defensive. This book will change your life.