43, recently diagnosed Aspie and find that most if not all of your videos describe my actions, experiences, perceptions and thought processes to an exactness I have never found elsewhere. You have an excellent gift in your ability to convey things in a concise, digestible manner. Many thanks for everything you've put up on TH-cam.
Basically, rocking or moving around, stimming, etc. Are intuitive and sensitive ways to take back control of our inner sensations by overcoming the background noise and anxiety through prefered self-stimulation. It offers distraction; focus and a new functional base from which to regain equilibrium.
Until recently, I literally thought everyone had a lot of sensory needs like I do. But my sensitivitivity to lights and sounds was what I first told one of my mentors about that tipped her off to that I might have aspbergers. She gave me a little book. I related to it so much especially when I think back to my childhood. She said that she will not try to diagnose me but that I can look up more stuff if I want to. She says I perceive things in a different way that others (neurotypicals), and I did not understand what that meant at first. I am starting to figure it out though. My sensory needs is definitely one of them.
I wish NT's were as sensitive, because more of them would be nicer to us about it. I'm glad you have someone who understands your needs. I didn't know about sensory issues until a few years ago. What a relief it was to find out I wasn't weird!
All the background noises in restaurants are terrible for me. I’ve actually gotten lost trying to find my way back to my seat because I got so confused and overloaded.
I don't like it when people shout at me angrily, or shine a torch in my eyes, or beat me up. It doesn't make me feel good either. Everyone I ever met doesn't like it too. We all must have aspergers too!
Where have you been all my life! Since stumbling upon your videos my whole life FINALLY makes since. I don't feel like a freak anymore. Your videos bring peace into my life.
One of the wonderful things about being an aspie... Is we are smart... We find solutions that might be unusual.. because we had to to protect ourselves 😍
its interesting that you mentioned people who smoke... since my diagnosis I've discovered that the main reason why i keep smoking is because it, stops me from smelling things so strongly.
Hearing: I have a lot of trouble with competing noises. I can't not hear that conversation across the room while I'm trying to talk to you. Maybe we could go outside? Touch: Certain tactile textures make my nerves recoil in confusion and disgust. Lotion, wool, and cotton are big offenders. I think my disgust with some food textures actually fits in here too. Vision: Lights beyond a moderate brightness are painful. I also have trouble picking things out among even moderate levels of clutter. Smell: I can't use most shower products marketed toward men. They make my sinuses burn. It's been a prolonged process finding a few options that work for me, and even those are too much when I'm overtired. Taste: I need strong flavors to feel like I'm tasting anything. Eggs, rice, and plain potatoes taste like I may as well be eating air. Give me spicy Mexican food or sweet and savory Chinese food. Just make it strong. Vestibular: I'm always a little off balance. I run into doorframes regularly and can trip over the floor if I'm not careful. Proprioception: I'm constantly adjusting my seating position, bouncing one of my legs, rocking side to side, or pacing.
@@savagedoggo Harry's body wash, but only the Stone fragrance. It's a citrus and light mineral smell. The others seem to be based primarily on the smells of different trees and that hits the same bad note for me as floral stuff. For face scrub, it's also Harry's, which is a peppermint scent. Strong, but not in an unpleasant way for me. Shampoo and conditioner are both Garnier Whole Blends honey scented stuff for now. I've been thinking of looking for something else, because that one can be too much when I'm tired. I have to take a decent amount of time between using each product because the mixing of the fragrances can be too much too, even though they're all fairly complementary. But I guess the overall theme I've landed on is natural smells that don't have the harsh synthetic notes you find in so many men's shower products.
You describe my experience exactly except I do like bright light at home. I like to knit, read, and do puzzles and the light helps with these. The light has to be indirect. Any direct light gives me migraine
Fun thought, what happens when you consider the sense of self, that is your sense of agency (coming from a perspective of PDA), as a sense just like these others? A need to express your free will in the form of agency would be the pleasant stimming side of our senses, directives that are perceived as a threat to our agency would be like a bad sound or taste or smell, and demands or expectations that we see as constraining our autonomy trigger a threat/stress response. Like sirens blasting around us at all times, PDA demands could be equated to a constant barrage on the sense we have the highest sensitivity to, our sense of self itself, and they're almost impossible to escape unless we control the environment we're in. In the same way sounds and textures both stress me out and cause me incredibly higher stress when I'm already at a tipping point, offending and jarring me in abrupt and enormous emotional ways that they might only lightly do normally, so do demands I could perceive as only slightly difficult one time suddenly become the most offensive thing in the world when I'm anxious, how dare they command me. What if, on top of how we normally think about sensory triggers, they were also about attacks on agency? Being suddenly assaulted with a sound you didn’t ask for, assailed by a smell you are unable to stop. So the need for control would just be a preventative measure, like wearing headphones to block out the constant negative stimulation around you. A defense mechanism developed by a child growing up with invisible attacks on their sense of self, that horrible sensory overload just like other autistic children experience with other sense sensitivities, but this one almost no one around them can recognize or stop.
I am not a diagnosed Aspie, as I’ve never gone to be diagnosed, but here are my sensory issues I’ve always dealt with: - Sunscreen and other lotions. I cannot stand them and I’ve had panic attacks before because of my parents trying to put sunscreen on me. - Other light touching drives me insane and makes me feel like I want to rage. - If something touches me on the left side of my body, I get really agitated and then try to do the same thing to the right side to balance it out and find relief. For example, if someone touches my left elbow, I’d go out of my way to subtly touch them with my right. - I used to wear sunglasses a year in elementary school because I found it helped my tics. - I used to cry when getting my snow clothes on when I was little. I was overwhelmed if my gloves were not tucked in perfectly or if my socks didn’t separate my leg from my boot. I’d cry because of the scratchiness. - I have always hated needles. That one’s a little more normal though. But to me, it was the the point of extremity where it would cause panic attacks.
I know lots of kids who have temper tantrums over the same things... could it be maybe just that ur a little bit spoilt? It's possible to have all these things without it needing a diagnosis.
@@rollerbladinggeek5507 no, he is right. I can't wear artificial/nylon clothing because the feel of them and the sound they make is like nails on a blackboard to me. And I avoid other people wearing those clothes. And nowadays almost everyone seems to have these on. Really challenging.
I didn't think about lotion/sunscreen, but I hate it as well. Hate the feel and the smell. I have had the Navy and the Post Office both order me to wear sunscreen, and I secretly didn't(don't) because I hate it. And I do the same thing with the touch, if someone touches me on one side (or I brush against something) I attempt to do the same on an analogous place on the opposite side.
i’m not diagnosed either but it’s so weird to see how much sensory sensitivities contrast lol. i have to carry lotion everywhere because the feeling of my hands or face being dry is so uncomfortable and gives me anxiety.
Some of those sensory issues I can relate to, particularly clothes sensitivity. My mother also used to insist I wear itchy jumpers in Winter and for females, horror of horrors, nylon tights that were so uncomfortable, I would scratch my legs till they were nearly bleeding. As an adult, I practically never wear these. Certainly as a teenager, my lack of wearing clingy, girlie clothes reinforced my slight tomboy image. My mother bemoaned the fact that I didn't look feminine enough and with my sensitive skin and fine hair, grooming and makeup were also a problem. It was always the natural, windswept look for me except for special occasions that I couldn't keep up for long. This made me stand out from my peers and made conversations with them about fashion and makeup rather awkward.
Thank you so much for this video! I often have to cut the tags out of my clothing, can’t have wool clothing touching my skin, wear my sunglasses year around, can’t stand to be around bright lights, fluorescent lighting or lighting with cool/blue tones. I could list many more. And I couldn’t see the whole screen at the movies either! Have to keep looking around, especially if we sat too close!
I have autism spectrum disorder , I’m hyper sensitive to lights noises and touch I don’t like being hugged , I really relate to you , especially about smell the slightest smells can make me feel nauseous , also your last punt about body movement I really relate to , stimming is very soothing especially in unfamiliar environments , I rock and bounce when sitting Love your videos
Loved this video... Though my sensory needs are a little bit different it's the same issue.. I can't stand stand a hair on my body... I'm talking about a loose hair .. I've even considered shaving my head .. I am a female I really don't want to be bald so ... Instead I brush my hair brush my hair until no hair comes out and then I wrap it tightly .. I'm 68 years old female.. and I've only recently in the last couple years learn that I have Asperger's .. it has affected my whole life I didn't know why I couldn't keep a job even though I was very skilled at what I did I could not deal with the people the noice.... any number of things.. the clothes I might have to wear..my self-esteem suffered drastically because people kept trying to send me the treatment and fix me well I've been on every medication you can name for depression mood elevators antidepressants......etc..of course because of my sensitivity all of those medications had serious side effects and one actually made me psychotic during the time that my mother was dying .. it was horrible and I won't go into it ... I'm so much more relaxed today and happy knowing that I am simply neurodiverse...I do not have a disorder and I can manage my symptoms by managing my life... I don't allow myself too much exposure to groups.. any shopping I need to do I do early in the morning.. when I have the energy to deal with it and I limit my exposure to a lot of things.. I'm just so happy even at my late stage in my life .. I have a whole new view of myself... And life itself... I medicated myself for a long time with drugs and alcohol... Today I have an occasional drink but no drugs involved either Street or legal...thank you for gathering the energy necessary to make these videos.. thank you thank you
Been sensitive to noises and you have to be in a noisy school almost all day with too much movement ( a lot of stimulation all the time) to be able to have your title ( career). Bathrooms always safe spaces to calm down.
Paul, I relate so much to what you shared in this video related to sensory issues. My sensitivities to food are unusual. Love certain smooth textures like yogurt, ice cream and mashed potatoes. Love the flavor and juice of strawberries but not the seedy texture. Can't eat hot food in summer or cold in winter. Now things I saw as weird idiosyncrasies are actually related to autism. Amazing!
I am very sensitive to perfume scents. I always attributed it to when I was in Kindergarten and some 6th graders sprayed perfume in my eyes. But maybe it's more a symptom of this. Never really considered that before. Interesting.
Oh that's why I am always moving all the time ... someone told me recently they notice I am like always moving and I am not staying quiet and strait and I know that's but is impulsive I don't choose to move , is like my body ask me to move
Wow, so what usually would happen for me in loud areas or public places is I would get incredibly sleepy and tired. I had a hard time grocery shopping because there was so much stimulus around it made it hard for me to focus on buying things. One of the ways I compensated was by listening to music through earbuds. It helped focus my mind on the music and on what I was looking to buy.
I struggle to feel my body properly. . . it makes me vigorously STIM [like rocking and flapping and jumping and hadstands and spinning even] just to remind my brain like: "Oh btw you actually have a body -- and see that arm there? That's YOURS!"
Me too, I hate almost all perfumes and air fresheners, incense etc. The only "perfume" smells I can accept are food, essential oils of most plants and some flowers.
Watching your videos has been so enlighting, I'm really sensitive to artificial fabric, can't use poliester, because the feeling of it on my skin is unbearable, I had very bad episodes with my mom trying to force me to wear certain jacket that I hated...
and me watching this video wobbling the tablet between my fingers :) only my daugher understands that I can't sleep in bed without at least a blanket, even if it's hot. I feel so vulnerable and like levitating or something. I like when it's cold and I can use a heavy blanket. (the other story is that I can fall asleep easier anywhere else than my bed, especially in moving cars)
iIhave to pace compulsively to process information. For exama[e if I am reading a book, every paragraph or so I have to put it down to contemplate and analyze the text from several perspectives all the while pacing.
Not well in public. Random strangers approach me to ask me what I'm doing or why I'm doing it which does nothing for my patience for what to me is stupid question considering that a) these people don't even know me, b) i can't even begin to know how to take it which brings me to c)how to appropriately answer. Its just really awkward.
I'm pretty much the same way. I have to force myself into going outside on a bright day. I keep forgetting I have sunglasses. It's really bright and I can't see when I do. But I see fairly well in the dark (as long as it isnt a 2D object).
I'm discovering this is an issue for me, I had thought my eyes were just getting super sensitive to sunlight. And driving at night is a nightmare with the brightness of lights from oncoming cars. The only other time this is an issue is during a migraine, in which case light actually hurts. And in reflection there were times when my co-worker was out that I would not turn on the fluorescent lights in the office and found it to be such a relief. (sometimes she would let me get away with no lights when she was in)
Before my brain damage I had extreme difficulty with sound and artificial light. Since my brain damage, I sometimes meltdown in big stores like Walmart or crowded restaurants. At age 39, it's embarrassing to start crying in public or being so tired I can't manage. I've become nervous to go anywhere with crowds. Public transportation is also difficult. Before I became physically disabled I could pretend. Now can't just walk away. It's hard to hide when struggling to walk with forearms crutches.
I understand what you mean with the sight thing. I have the same problem. I'm glad to know that it's not just me and that it could be something linked to autism.
i love your content. is absolutely so helpful. i recently got diagnosed at 24 and everything makes so much sense, and you talking about it from a personal view as well as general/professional view really sums up the things i've been going through and raises my self awareness about the things i thought were either normal or didnt give much attention to or tried to shrug it off. thank you!
I started realizing my sensory needs while in middle school (grades 7-8). In the locker room after gym, kids would wanna be silly and spray their Axe body spray all over the locker room and that would always trigger a migraine. Also, I realized the school bell (which wasn't a bell, it was a digital beep sound) would also trigger migraines. So that was actually worse for me because it was very high pitched. Luckily, Ive put my Asperger's to good use as a songwriter =) In fact, before being a fully rounded songwriter, I was also a drummer for a long time and gigged/toured as a hired gun in Los Angeles and around the USA.
I resonate with so many of your experiences. And I'm blown away by your communication skills. Never before could have I put those things into words, but now I'm learning so much and honestly I found hope again. Thank you so much. Also I'm really thankful that you didn't cut things like "c'mon words start flowing". As I've never been good at taking at loud, because of things like this. But now I believe that with enough time and effort I'm gonna be able to actually say what I mean at loud.
Yeah I can definitely empathize with the sensory sensitivities. Touch, smell, and sound are probably my strongest sensitivities. What's really crazy is when you have that sensitivity to smell and then you add pregnancy hormones on top of that so its amped up even more. On a positive note, I am always the one who detects a faulty appliance or outlet right away from odd sounds or smells. I have prevented electrical fires more than once with my acute sense of smell.
Those are different for me too. Although body and muscle movement is about the same for me. I have to pace around as well at times to help me focus when I can't seem to get my mind straight. I'll be joining your live session in a moment that you have in next hour I think. I'm just going through some of your previous videos
That's how i see detail too! Reading social media jokes are really difficult. I' m a very slow reader so I'll look at the pics or drawings first. Then I'll read the text and then look back at the details to try and figure where the joke is.
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I Don't have that diagnoze, but noice, touch, smell, light were the problem all my life. I'm so tired so often never knowing why when others are not. Very usefull exsplanations for everyone.
Rintin Tin this applies to everybody whether they have or not. This is stupid.
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@@junelee5975 Not stupid, but without knoledge of this topic. This my first time to hear about this from inside. This young man looks so healty, highly inteligent so I wanted to hear his distinction when this simptoms are issue. Not all of us are so highly dipendant of silence, normal light etc.Maybe I'll understand me and others better if understand this differense. But I understand some people feel inteligent if others are stupid. This is common. Every Day exspirience! 🤭🤣
You talked about seeing bits and forming a big picture in your head lateron. Sounds like Binoculair Fixation Disparity. Is something that happens to aspergers often. I just learned about it last week.
Our proprioceptors tell us where we are in relationship to space. For example, we've probably all experienced falling asleep with our arm hanging off the bed and when we wake it takes a moment for us to remember/find where our arm is. We have to "wake up" the proprioceptors. Movement helps to wake them up and tell us where we are; in relationship to other objects, to ourselves, etc. Some people need more activity or stimulation than others to keep up a "conversation" with their proprioceptors i.e. rolling down a hill vs swaying side to side; making big movements in a rocking chair vs making smaller ones.
It was so tough for me. My parents had no patience with me at all. I see my daughter also has these traits, and I have to be very aware and patient with her.
Oh my God, background noise, sometimes I just go thru the house trying to find the noise that’s driving me nuts, we bought a fridge, new and it made noises, so we sent it back and got another one, and now it makes too much noise, drives me and my daughter crazy, we’re both Aspie, outside noise sometimes can’t end soon enough, tv sometime has to be turned down a lot, suddenly gets to me, I get you on the smells, I can’t stand when my daughter paints her nails, cannot stand it from rooms away, I’m following your video as I’m typing, sensory is so important, since I was little, anything thru clear plastic or clear glass calmed me, fishtanks, fireplace, hour glass, I also just bought a recliner, and can’t stand that it doesn’t rock, I may get another one that does, cause I crave to rock, I just need it sometimes.
Omg the whole image thing!!! Yess!! Me too. I was trying to explain that to my fiancée bc she will be like why didn’t you tell me that’s was on my face and I will be like because i was looking at your eyes not your whole face, etc.
Sensitivity to noise - Me to and I am actually grateful for it. It stops you from wasting your hearing on manmade acoustic garbage and gives you a deep appreciation for natural sounds
Artificial smells, same here. Walking past a perfume shop can actually give me a headache, and if I have one, it will make it worse. I blame it on the alcohols they use since we've stopped killing whales for musk and grey amber.
i've got diagnosed with asperger syndrome at a later age, and i don't have much sensory peculiarity. i feel like i just toughened through some i had. noise: here is the one kinda bad story, had an elementary school teacher that would ring a bell to my ear when i was very openly not paying attention (school wasn't so great for me). for a long time i would just jump every time i heard a high pitched or strong noise, eventually together with many evolution in my reactions and behavior, now i just react really quickly to noise and look in the direction the instant i hear something. sight: not much to say. i don't like being blinded by light all too much, but my peripheral vision and perception is great. i see well in the dark, i got really good eyes and i never feel bad or weird with them. one of the thing i probably over trained martial arts. vision and peripheral vision was one of the most interesting part of training in my self defense course. taste: i'm french, i like strong cheese... that aside, some vegetables (that i still enjoy) make me vomit if i take too big of a bite, the way the taste fill my mouth feels awful and i eventually just throw up. touch: i love combat sports and currently doing judo, i love grappling and rolling around. i have preferences in clothing and textiles, but nothing too hard, nothing i could even name right away. was very sensitive to pain as a kid and very afraid of everything overall. taking hits and dealing with both the pain and stress it caused was part of the training we did in that self defense class... smell: i don't think much about my sense of smell. i remember one time i helped my father take care of our clogged toilet evacuation and the smell felt quite nauseating, since we where both feeling like throwing up i think it was a pretty normal feeling. equilibrioception: as a kid i remember being absolutely immune to car and sea sickness, cinetosis wasn't part of my word. in middle school i remember training taekwondo and our coach would always tell me to turn my head before i kick during back and spin kicks, and i just thought "why? i know where i start and where i'll end, i know where he is and he can't move that much during that fast spin." nowadays, well... i do judo, not only i have to feel well my balance, but also anticipate the balance of my partner and how it will affect me. and also now i got awful car sickness, i got used to it in a day the few time i went on a boat, but cars just kill me, that's why i first passed my bike license. i was also scared to death of trains and rides in amusement parks, but the second i tried them it was just "yep it moves me around, now we are inverted and it feel normal because of centrifugal effect, kinda fun." proprioception: i've got great coordination, have been trying many circus things when i was a kid like learning to juggle, i'm still pretty good with a diabolo, and recently i learned some yoyo tricks too. obviously that sense perform pretty well when i'm doing sport. i easily get into that shaking my leg idling for an example of self stimulation, but i still stand perfectly still for a while sometimes (sometimes while watching videos or movies). some of that standing still could have been helped by when i learned self relaxation techniques to fall asleep easier. that's about it for my experience with sensory perceptions.
I cannot wear mohair clothing it makes me itchy I remember my mum brought me one at age 8 I tried it on I couldn’t stand texture so I throw it in the dustbin hidden it down so my mum wouldn’t see it and fish it out but after few weeks my mother asked me what happened to my jumper I said I found it very itchy I threw it away in bin she said I should’ve passed it back but I was keen not to come across it again I felt the jumper was a enemy
I related to all of this but I never considered why I didn't like plain things or why I couldn't stand how some things were made and my weird preferences like rice needs ranch and vegetables and pepper to block out the plastic taste for me( I know its weird) and also textures of foods so if its too grainy or has a mix of textures that seem bad I won't eat it like pastas and mac and cheese with anything else besides sauce in it is a big no no
I have been watching these videos on and off for the past week and I think I'm definitely aspie... my friend (who is aspie) said she thought I was for a long time. I'm trying not to get over stimulated though by watching these confessionals because I have my own battle ahead of me to dispel the multitude of psych diagnoses I've been given over the years and get a proper diagnosis and hopefully some respite from the heavy medication they've put me on for serious mental illness. I'm 40 by the way and burned out when I was 21, I've been happy enough for the past 6 years or so but still unable to do anything social for more than a few hours at a time. I stim constantly but my dad stamped out my ability to stim in public... I actually have video of him reprimanding me for stimming... (I stopped hand flapping and started fiddling with a wool tapestry on the wall instead)
My sense of smell is frequently in hyperdrive. Ive nearly vomited from smelling too many different scents all at once. Spinning and rocking back and forth are very grounding and soothing for me. Im always moving too. Figure skating gives me major relief. The spinning, the large and small body movements, im in my own little comfy bubble when im figure skating.
Thanks for the videos. Touch is one that people cannot understand that it may effect you drastically. I have been so sensitive to touch, That I have even injured myself as a kid. Might be funny but to grab me and touch torture me and you might loose some teeth, or I might crack my skull. I remember my mom got me some pants that were too stiff scratched and itched that I just could not stand them, and she was so quick and understanding exchanging them.
I race through department stores as well because of the strong perfumes, I have also a strange thing where I smelled carbon monoxide if that's even possible. I've never heard of anybody else that could. I worked somewhere that I could smell carbon monoxide before the detector went off and I kept on telling the owner we have to get the dogs out of here it wasn't until the detector went off that anybody believed me. I've always hated mash potatoes, my mom use to tell me stop playing with your food. Also lights bother me, even my pastor noticed it about me as I would work on the church computer in the dark. I always enjoy your video's.
Paul, you make me feel like I belong. No small feat, really. I still don't know where, but you give me hope that my boy has a better chance at feeling human than I ever did. Thank you for sharing.
I know this video is from a while back but thank you for this. I recently found out that I most likely have autism but haven't been diagnosed yet. I relate to a lot of these. And I just subbed
I was the weird kid that didnt like sugar. I didnt like candy or cake or syrup on my pancakes. It hurt to eat those things, like my teeth hurt. and I've always watered down soda. now Im cutting it out of my diet completely. Another great video thanks for the info!
I got so overwhelmed and disassociated in the city that I got lost trying to find a coach stop (I'd only been here a couple of times) and nearly got run over... twice! wasn't a nice experience. incredibly stressful.
Sight- so relatable! I've just noticed recently i cant see my whole face in the mirror and thats probably why its always taken me ages to get ready in the morning doing my makeup. Smell- hate hate hate deodorant!! Noise- can't even deal... worst= dogs barking, people whistling, random banging etc. Love traffic and fan noise though Taste- love full on flavours, spices etc
Sensory needs are complicated in that you aren't just hyper or hypo sensitive. Often people who are very tactile sensitive prefer very firm pressure because it is actually more calming and less irritating. This is an extremely common pattern. Rocking and moving around could also be seeking vestibular input even though you're sensitive to it. I've seen kids who can't sit in a chair sure to needing constant vestibular but would be about to throw up if they spin around one time. Moving in different planes can stimulate the inner ear in different ways and have very different effects. You could think of it as like how certain frequencies of sounds can be especially irritating even if you enjoy listening to music.
This was very interesting. Watching this I see several parallels. One is I like to wear sweaters and pants thru the year. It's not a style, cause I feel very uncomfortable without the weight on my arms. Also I tend to see detail of things rather then a room, and am usually pointing out details to people. Though I don't like 'loudness,' I do like regular 'calm' sounds, and I got into philosophy audiobooks for that reason. I avoid bold colors, and watch a few minutes of tv here and there. It's too much otherwise. I don't like to be completely still either, and that is something I find very odd that most people seem so still and unbothered by it.
Try mashed cauliflower blend with mayo. It is a great mashed potatoes substitute. When it's cold it tastes like potato salad. I do keto so I can't eat potatoes and this is a satisfying substitute for me
Sound is my biggest sensory issue, I keep earplugs on me all the time. When you mentioned never playing team sports I was the same way as a kid, but I think it's cause I have trouble reading the ques other people give me. I'm really athletic, but I never know where I'm supposed to be in relation to the other players
I was fairly recently diagnosed as being autistic,... and I also like rockers. I've always thought of it as a form of self-comforting. Since I have rarely had access to physical affection, I've used rocking in rocking chairs as a somewhat poor substitute.
When I was a kid magenta and similar bright or intense colors would give me vertigo and nausea. Extremely vivid colors literally made me sick. I don't seem to have that reaction anymore but it persisted throughout adolescence. To my understanding vision actually works just as you describe it. We don't see the whole picture since our eyes keep darting around focusing on different points that our brain then uses to create a holistic picture.What you describe sounds like you were just hyper- aware of the process and the awareness itself was distracting/distressing.
Everyone should wear earplugs to protect their hearing is actually a big epidemic of hearing loss amongst the younger generation as concerts have increased and loudness while most people do not wear ear protection. I think especially for people like us we understand why we need earplugs for many people it goes over their head and they don't realize the damage they're doing.
I cannot handle light. I wear sunglasses anytime i go outside , even if its cloudy. Also if i am in lights i sneeze constantly. I always have to have a soft blanket and pillow. And i love soft socks.
"The Pirate" was the most terrifying ride I've been on in my life. I got on it because everything else moved in a circular motion except the ones tht dropped towards the ground
Noise = migraines, or, better yet, it = calling off of work one day last September since the afternoon before the call off, the Navy Blue Angels were doing practice maneuvers overhead the wally world that I was in with my son because it was near an airport in the vicinity. The sound of those things flying overhead, although in the "safety" of a large store, was still traumatic enough that I was still reeling from it into the following morning. Olfactory experiences - I'm 100% with you on the fragrance section of the shops in the mall >.< I will look for an entrance that is not THAT entrance. I also can barely take it when I'm at work and working with generally lovely people there, but if they're wearing perfume or a scented body spray, I need to breathe through my mouth, which also applies to the food recycle bin next to the scrub sink in the kitchen at work if it's my turn for the weekly afternoon task of being the dish scrubber. Feel/Experiencing spinning = just say no to the Highland Fling or the Tom Twister at Six Flags! I suffer with vertigo as well, aka migraines, aka calling off of work, aka it is difficult to keep a job for people who experience this on a very regular basis >.
I am strongly sensitive to earthquakes (can sense even small shakes) and to changes in weather.. and to almost all the things you listed...apart from scents...for some medical reason (nose internal surgery) I am sometimes hyposensitive to them. I hate background noises, but when I am in a good mood I enjoy being in small crowds of joyful people. Let's say that if the emotional atmosphere I am in is positive, I can handle better the discomfort of chaotic noises and stimuli. Does anybody else experience hypersensitivity/ hyposensitivity to cold/heat? Sometimes I need to wear 3 jumpers to get along in winter...with 5-10 degrees above zero...sometimes I am just the opposite
I am sensitive to bright lights and noise. I also hate wearing certain things if they irritate me or make me itchy or sore. I am not a picky eater and love any kind of touch
I have to put pressure on the top of my head if I get really stressed. Sometimes I’ll notice a pillow sitting on my head and be like oh yeah I must be stressed and I’ll pull it down almost to my face to feel that pressure and it really calms me down. And same with the can’t sleep without a blanket. I always have to feel completely covered besides the mouth and nose. If my toes stick out a little bit I get FREAKED out and super paranoid and have to have a fight with my blanket to fix it. When I’m calmer though it’s all good.
OMG I agree with your problems in cinema.... That's the point, I hate large screens, even TV. I love cinema, but I have to look around and missing parts of the film (and it's to loud there, too). Never understood that! I watch TV on my Smartphone. Everybody thinks I'm crazy. It's hard for me to go running - my eyes don't adapt to the movement and I feel like seasick. As a child, I can't stand nail filing, I got nausea and panic. Same with my first electric toothbrush.
Whilst watching this I couldn't help but notice myself nodding over and over. My brother and I both have Asperger's too and a lot of these sensitivities/desensitivites overlap with my own. Interestingly enough my brother is the opposite when it comes to rice, it's his favourite food and he often just eats rice with nothing else but he also hates potatoes. I can't stand mushrooms and a lot of watery vegetables and fruits.
hmmm... interesting. I guess we all have peculiarities in this area. Given the range of possibilities I'm constantly surprised to find many others on the spectrum who can relate to my experiences.
My use of deoderant and colonge would be out of the question then. It's cool that I know where your comfort is. I haven't done my sensory video yet. My sensory clothing disorder is very unusual.
When i was little i hated macaroni and cheese. I mean i couldnt stand the sight smell and taste of it. Another odd thing was i loved the smell and taste of onions.
That's interesting. Light touch was always a problem for me as a kid (it was sad because I wouldn't let my mother hug me, and tried telling her several times that I need a firmer touch). But I thought that meant that I was hypersensitive (not hyposensitive). Blankets bother me, but at the same time, I need something on me. It is a tough battle overall.
I'm no expert but sensitivity to motion sounds like vestibular - not proprioception. Proprioception is more about knowing where your OWN body is - so lack of sensitivity can lead to clumsiness for example.
DUDE! You talked about those Stinking rocking Pirate Ships at like amusement parks... I HATE HATE HATE riding those & I can't even look at them without feeling sick...I have trouble with swinging things. I have to stop the swinging (if I can or it creeps me out or makes me sick or both)...When I was a kid, I had real trouble with swing sets & didn't understand why people would get off & then just let them swing. I use to not understand why they were swinging by themselves & it creeped me out & looking at the swinging makes me sick & it took me forever to even be able to swing on a swing set as a kid. Even now as an adult, I can't swing for too long or I start feeling really creeped out or sick...Now, if I can avoid looking at something swinging or stop it, I can Sometimes not feel too weird or sick...It's really interesting that you mentioned swinging things. Ok! Sometimes even the thought is creepy! :-/ :-)
I seem to have much the opposite response to a lot of stimuli. I have no sense of smell. No idea why. I just don’t smell anything. Noise does really bother me, however, and my brain shuts down if the environment I’m in gets really noisy. I also tend to be unnaturally still, not moving at all for very long periods. That used to make my parents uncomfortable, because I’d just sit motionless, lost in my own thoughts. I remember my mother telling me that a watched pot never boils. I would stand completely motionless and watch the water in the pot come to a boil. I’d watch cookies bake in the oven. I have terrible balance and could never play sports because almost any movement (running, swinging at objects, kicking) would disorient me. Oddly, I love rides at amusement parks. When I’m able to sit still on a ride - no matter how crazy the movement is like on a big roller coaster - I’m perfectly OK. My taste quirks have always been about texture rather than flavor. Maybe it’s because I don’t smell things, but I’ve always loved very string flavors. Spicy hot food, too. My mother used no spices when she cooked and I wouldn’t eat anything as a child because of it. Everything was too bland. I loved eating at my grandmother’s house, though, because she was Cajun and used strong spices and hot peppers in EVERYTHING. I can’t eat anything with certain textures, however. Mushrooms and asparagus are two things I cannot eat. It’s the texture. That spongy/slimy texture makes me gag. The sense I find most interesting here is sight. I was a visual artist for many years. My specialty was abstracts. Specifically, I’d focus on one detail and create a visual representation of that one detail, scaled up to fill the entire visual field. I’d reduce the detail to just lines or shapes. I never knew why I was drawn to this style and why my perspective was different than everyone else’s. Now I know. I used to go to art exhibitions and get right up close to the art. People thought it was weird that I’d only view the art from inches away. I also used to sit in the front row at the cinema because I wanted to see details up close. No one would go to the cinema with me because of that. I didn’t mind.
If I can prepare for something before hand, it is easier for me to cope with either it be a talk, a noise, a bright light, smell or the like. Surprises are difficult for me to handle.
For this exact reason, I used to be terrified of all hand dryers. Then there came a point when I would use the ones with buttons, but not the motion sensors, and even then only certain brands because they were much quieter (and usually less effective). After a lot of exposure to different models and brands, and practice at triggering the sensor exactly when I meant to, I finally got over my fear and my teacher gave me a special award.
I don’t know if someone has explained proprioception yet. It’s the ability to feel the position of body parts. Doctors test it by having you touch your nose. You seem to need the feeling of body parts movement.
Oh I didn't know the word proprioception. I had a physiotherapist say I have excellent muscle awareness, I can actually isolate the movement of one of those tiny support muscles people don't even know exist, I see the image of where it's happening in my body. It's like if I move around at all, I can feel *every* movement as if I'm hypersensitive to it, but interesting enough it means I actually can just shut off the sense - like if my hip is hurting, I can ignore it quite easily. This has been an issue sometimes because I will ignore pain and sometimes get hurt pretty bad, like really bad burns from the oven or getting tendonitis because I ignored the muscle pain. I'm also constantly moving which leads to a lot of cracking joints, changing positions - unfortunately a bad one for me is jaw grinding, which has ruined my jaw joint.
43, recently diagnosed Aspie and find that most if not all of your videos describe my actions, experiences, perceptions and thought processes to an exactness I have never found elsewhere. You have an excellent gift in your ability to convey things in a concise, digestible manner. Many thanks for everything you've put up on TH-cam.
Thanks Dan.
Agree Dan. I was diagnosed yesterday!!!! Thought I was alone in the world in my strange ways.
You're definitely not alone!! :)
He's describing things that everyone has as if it's unique
I'm not an aspie & his videos also describe me & everyone I know. Funny that
Basically, rocking or moving around, stimming, etc. Are intuitive and sensitive ways to take back control of our inner sensations by overcoming the background noise and anxiety through prefered self-stimulation. It offers distraction; focus and a new functional base from which to regain equilibrium.
Until recently, I literally thought everyone had a lot of sensory needs like I do. But my sensitivitivity to lights and sounds was what I first told one of my mentors about that tipped her off to that I might have aspbergers. She gave me a little book. I related to it so much especially when I think back to my childhood. She said that she will not try to diagnose me but that I can look up more stuff if I want to. She says I perceive things in a different way that others (neurotypicals), and I did not understand what that meant at first. I am starting to figure it out though. My sensory needs is definitely one of them.
I wish NT's were as sensitive, because more of them would be nicer to us about it. I'm glad you have someone who understands your needs. I didn't know about sensory issues until a few years ago. What a relief it was to find out I wasn't weird!
All the background noises in restaurants are terrible for me. I’ve actually gotten lost trying to find my way back to my seat because I got so confused and overloaded.
I don't like it when people shout at me angrily, or shine a torch in my eyes, or beat me up. It doesn't make me feel good either. Everyone I ever met doesn't like it too. We all must have aspergers too!
It all sounds like one conversation?...
Paul Burke certainly all sounds like one condition.
Yeah. Me too. So I just cook at home.
The noise from all the shops in malls. Every shop has loud music.
Where have you been all my life! Since stumbling upon your videos my whole life FINALLY makes since. I don't feel like a freak anymore. Your videos bring peace into my life.
I know, right?
Me too.
Same!!
that pool game story - hilarious. parents didn't see that coming.
One of the wonderful things about being an aspie... Is we are smart... We find solutions that might be unusual.. because we had to to protect ourselves 😍
its interesting that you mentioned people who smoke... since my diagnosis I've discovered that the main reason why i keep smoking is because it, stops me from smelling things so strongly.
Hearing: I have a lot of trouble with competing noises. I can't not hear that conversation across the room while I'm trying to talk to you. Maybe we could go outside?
Touch: Certain tactile textures make my nerves recoil in confusion and disgust. Lotion, wool, and cotton are big offenders. I think my disgust with some food textures actually fits in here too.
Vision: Lights beyond a moderate brightness are painful. I also have trouble picking things out among even moderate levels of clutter.
Smell: I can't use most shower products marketed toward men. They make my sinuses burn. It's been a prolonged process finding a few options that work for me, and even those are too much when I'm overtired.
Taste: I need strong flavors to feel like I'm tasting anything. Eggs, rice, and plain potatoes taste like I may as well be eating air. Give me spicy Mexican food or sweet and savory Chinese food. Just make it strong.
Vestibular: I'm always a little off balance. I run into doorframes regularly and can trip over the floor if I'm not careful.
Proprioception: I'm constantly adjusting my seating position, bouncing one of my legs, rocking side to side, or pacing.
You've strong taste buds (so do I), hope you continue to enjoy tasty food.
If you don't mind me asking, what shower products have been best for you? I can't stand body wash for the same reason
@@savagedoggo Harry's body wash, but only the Stone fragrance. It's a citrus and light mineral smell. The others seem to be based primarily on the smells of different trees and that hits the same bad note for me as floral stuff.
For face scrub, it's also Harry's, which is a peppermint scent. Strong, but not in an unpleasant way for me.
Shampoo and conditioner are both Garnier Whole Blends honey scented stuff for now. I've been thinking of looking for something else, because that one can be too much when I'm tired.
I have to take a decent amount of time between using each product because the mixing of the fragrances can be too much too, even though they're all fairly complementary. But I guess the overall theme I've landed on is natural smells that don't have the harsh synthetic notes you find in so many men's shower products.
You describe my experience exactly except I do like bright light at home. I like to knit, read, and do puzzles and the light helps with these. The light has to be indirect. Any direct light gives me migraine
Fun thought, what happens when you consider the sense of self, that is your sense of agency (coming from a perspective of PDA), as a sense just like these others? A need to express your free will in the form of agency would be the pleasant stimming side of our senses, directives that are perceived as a threat to our agency would be like a bad sound or taste or smell, and demands or expectations that we see as constraining our autonomy trigger a threat/stress response.
Like sirens blasting around us at all times, PDA demands could be equated to a constant barrage on the sense we have the highest sensitivity to, our sense of self itself, and they're almost impossible to escape unless we control the environment we're in. In the same way sounds and textures both stress me out and cause me incredibly higher stress when I'm already at a tipping point, offending and jarring me in abrupt and enormous emotional ways that they might only lightly do normally, so do demands I could perceive as only slightly difficult one time suddenly become the most offensive thing in the world when I'm anxious, how dare they command me.
What if, on top of how we normally think about sensory triggers, they were also about attacks on agency? Being suddenly assaulted with a sound you didn’t ask for, assailed by a smell you are unable to stop.
So the need for control would just be a preventative measure, like wearing headphones to block out the constant negative stimulation around you. A defense mechanism developed by a child growing up with invisible attacks on their sense of self, that horrible sensory overload just like other autistic children experience with other sense sensitivities, but this one almost no one around them can recognize or stop.
I am not a diagnosed Aspie, as I’ve never gone to be diagnosed, but here are my sensory issues I’ve always dealt with:
- Sunscreen and other lotions. I cannot stand them and I’ve had panic attacks before because of my parents trying to put sunscreen on me.
- Other light touching drives me insane and makes me feel like I want to rage.
- If something touches me on the left side of my body, I get really agitated and then try to do the same thing to the right side to balance it out and find relief. For example, if someone touches my left elbow, I’d go out of my way to subtly touch them with my right.
- I used to wear sunglasses a year in elementary school because I found it helped my tics.
- I used to cry when getting my snow clothes on when I was little. I was overwhelmed if my gloves were not tucked in perfectly or if my socks didn’t separate my leg from my boot. I’d cry because of the scratchiness.
- I have always hated needles. That one’s a little more normal though. But to me, it was the the point of extremity where it would cause panic attacks.
I know lots of kids who have temper tantrums over the same things... could it be maybe just that ur a little bit spoilt? It's possible to have all these things without it needing a diagnosis.
@@rollerbladinggeek5507 no, he is right. I can't wear artificial/nylon clothing because the feel of them and the sound they make is like nails on a blackboard to me. And I avoid other people wearing those clothes. And nowadays almost everyone seems to have these on. Really challenging.
I didn't think about lotion/sunscreen, but I hate it as well. Hate the feel and the smell. I have had the Navy and the Post Office both order me to wear sunscreen, and I secretly didn't(don't) because I hate it. And I do the same thing with the touch, if someone touches me on one side (or I brush against something) I attempt to do the same on an analogous place on the opposite side.
@@rollerbladinggeek5507 could it be that you're a fuknut? 🤔
i’m not diagnosed either but it’s so weird to see how much sensory sensitivities contrast lol. i have to carry lotion everywhere because the feeling of my hands or face being dry is so uncomfortable and gives me anxiety.
Some of those sensory issues I can relate to, particularly clothes sensitivity. My mother also used to insist I wear itchy jumpers in Winter and for females, horror of horrors, nylon tights that were so uncomfortable, I would scratch my legs till they were nearly bleeding. As an adult, I practically never wear these. Certainly as a teenager, my lack of wearing clingy, girlie clothes reinforced my slight tomboy image. My mother bemoaned the fact that I didn't look feminine enough and with my sensitive skin and fine hair, grooming and makeup were also a problem. It was always the natural, windswept look for me except for special occasions that I couldn't keep up for long. This made me stand out from my peers and made conversations with them about fashion and makeup rather awkward.
Thank you so much for this video! I often have to cut the tags out of my clothing, can’t have wool clothing touching my skin, wear my sunglasses year around, can’t stand to be around bright lights, fluorescent lighting or lighting with cool/blue tones. I could list many more. And I couldn’t see the whole screen at the movies either! Have to keep looking around, especially if we sat too close!
I have autism spectrum disorder , I’m hyper sensitive to lights noises and touch I don’t like being hugged , I really relate to you , especially about smell the slightest smells can make me feel nauseous , also your last punt about body movement I really relate to , stimming is very soothing especially in unfamiliar environments , I rock and bounce when sitting
Love your videos
Loved this video... Though my sensory needs are a little bit different it's the same issue.. I can't stand stand a hair on my body... I'm talking about a loose hair .. I've even considered shaving my head .. I am a female I really don't want to be bald so ... Instead I brush my hair brush my hair until no hair comes out and then I wrap it tightly .. I'm 68 years old female.. and I've only recently in the last couple years learn that I have Asperger's .. it has affected my whole life I didn't know why I couldn't keep a job even though I was very skilled at what I did I could not deal with the people the noice.... any number of things.. the clothes I might have to wear..my self-esteem suffered drastically because people kept trying to send me the treatment and fix me well I've been on every medication you can name for depression mood elevators antidepressants......etc..of course because of my sensitivity all of those medications had serious side effects and one actually made me psychotic during the time that my mother was dying .. it was horrible and I won't go into it ... I'm so much more relaxed today and happy knowing that I am simply neurodiverse...I do not have a disorder and I can manage my symptoms by managing my life... I don't allow myself too much exposure to groups.. any shopping I need to do I do early in the morning.. when I have the energy to deal with it and I limit my exposure to a lot of things.. I'm just so happy even at my late stage in my life .. I have a whole new view of myself... And life itself... I medicated myself for a long time with drugs and alcohol... Today I have an occasional drink but no drugs involved either Street or legal...thank you for gathering the energy necessary to make these videos.. thank you thank you
Been sensitive to noises and you have to be in a noisy school almost all day with too much movement ( a lot of stimulation all the time) to be able to have your title ( career). Bathrooms always safe spaces to calm down.
I got jealous of the kids with their earmuffs so now I carry around bluetooth headphones and put them in if ever I need a break from background noise.
Im a full time student and the noise drains me so much! At lunch, I sit outside in the sun on my own
@@autismfromtheInside i do the same. I tend to favor listening to the cello to block out everything else and am about to breakdown.
How unusual. Everyone I've ever known didn't really like background noise. The whole world must have aspies. Funny that.
Aspergers from the Inside my kids have both noise cancelling headphones. Life is a bit easier now.
You open my eyes every time I am watching your videos! I am also very sensitive to scents, tastes or the visual phenomenas... 😄💫
Hahaha and with the movements.. as a teacher I LOVE stepping around from one foot to another.. and the blanket thing omg can we be friends?
Paul, I relate so much to what you shared in this video related to sensory issues. My sensitivities to food are unusual. Love certain smooth textures like yogurt, ice cream and mashed potatoes. Love the flavor and juice of strawberries but not the seedy texture. Can't eat hot food in summer or cold in winter. Now things I saw as weird idiosyncrasies are actually related to autism. Amazing!
Haha, OMG I hate sensitive touch too. I've just found this channel and you've made me feel at home
Me too
I am very sensitive to perfume scents. I always attributed it to when I was in Kindergarten and some 6th graders sprayed perfume in my eyes. But maybe it's more a symptom of this. Never really considered that before. Interesting.
Oh that's why I am always moving all the time ... someone told me recently they notice I am like always moving and I am not staying quiet and strait and I know that's but is impulsive I don't choose to move , is like my body ask me to move
yeah same b/c I can;t feel my body properly so I must be under extreme tactile/vestibular conditions often
I’m only realising now how much I move. All the time. Even when I read I move my feet. I always have I’ve just only recently become aware of it.
Wow, so what usually would happen for me in loud areas or public places is I would get incredibly sleepy and tired. I had a hard time grocery shopping because there was so much stimulus around it made it hard for me to focus on buying things. One of the ways I compensated was by listening to music through earbuds. It helped focus my mind on the music and on what I was looking to buy.
I struggle to feel my body properly. . . it makes me vigorously STIM [like rocking and flapping and jumping and hadstands and spinning even] just to remind my brain like:
"Oh btw you actually have a body -- and see that arm there? That's YOURS!"
Well, this is relatable :/
I hate artificial fragrance too. Can't stand to be around people who wear it
Me too, I hate almost all perfumes and air fresheners, incense etc. The only "perfume" smells I can accept are food, essential oils of most plants and some flowers.
Sometimes the artificial fragrance sensitivity is due to toxicity. Have you tried a detox to see if that helps at all?
Watching your videos has been so enlighting, I'm really sensitive to artificial fabric, can't use poliester, because the feeling of it on my skin is unbearable, I had very bad episodes with my mom trying to force me to wear certain jacket that I hated...
and me watching this video wobbling the tablet between my fingers :)
only my daugher understands that I can't sleep in bed without at least a blanket, even if it's hot. I feel so vulnerable and like levitating or something. I like when it's cold and I can use a heavy blanket. (the other story is that I can fall asleep easier anywhere else than my bed, especially in moving cars)
Weighted blanket is an amazing thing. Made a big difference for me.
iIhave to pace compulsively to process information. For exama[e if I am reading a book, every paragraph or so I have to put it down to contemplate and analyze the text from several perspectives all the while pacing.
interesting strategy.
How does that work when dealing with people?
Not well in public. Random strangers approach me to ask me what I'm doing or why I'm doing it which does nothing for my patience for what to me is stupid question considering that a) these people don't even know me, b) i can't even begin to know how to take it which brings me to c)how to appropriately answer. Its just really awkward.
My biggest problem is bright lights since they make me go nearly blind like in bright day I'm blind, but I can see like a cat in the darkness
interesting. thanks for sharing :)
Try Irlen lenses.
I can't function AT ALL without.
Expensive, for the real ones that you are tested for, but well worth it.
Best of luck.xx
I'm pretty much the same way. I have to force myself into going outside on a bright day. I keep forgetting I have sunglasses. It's really bright and I can't see when I do. But I see fairly well in the dark (as long as it isnt a 2D object).
Im jealous lol i have night blindness
I'm discovering this is an issue for me, I had thought my eyes were just getting super sensitive to sunlight. And driving at night is a nightmare with the brightness of lights from oncoming cars. The only other time this is an issue is during a migraine, in which case light actually hurts. And in reflection there were times when my co-worker was out that I would not turn on the fluorescent lights in the office and found it to be such a relief. (sometimes she would let me get away with no lights when she was in)
Before my brain damage I had extreme difficulty with sound and artificial light. Since my brain damage, I sometimes meltdown in big stores like Walmart or crowded restaurants. At age 39, it's embarrassing to start crying in public or being so tired I can't manage. I've become nervous to go anywhere with crowds. Public transportation is also difficult. Before I became physically disabled I could pretend. Now can't just walk away. It's hard to hide when struggling to walk with forearms crutches.
How are you doing today?
I understand what you mean with the sight thing. I have the same problem. I'm glad to know that it's not just me and that it could be something linked to autism.
i love your content. is absolutely so helpful. i recently got diagnosed at 24 and everything makes so much sense, and you talking about it from a personal view as well as general/professional view really sums up the things i've been going through and raises my self awareness about the things i thought were either normal or didnt give much attention to or tried to shrug it off. thank you!
I started realizing my sensory needs while in middle school (grades 7-8). In the locker room after gym, kids would wanna be silly and spray their Axe body spray all over the locker room and that would always trigger a migraine. Also, I realized the school bell (which wasn't a bell, it was a digital beep sound) would also trigger migraines. So that was actually worse for me because it was very high pitched. Luckily, Ive put my Asperger's to good use as a songwriter =) In fact, before being a fully rounded songwriter, I was also a drummer for a long time and gigged/toured as a hired gun in Los Angeles and around the USA.
I am also a drummer. Do you get bothered by other people drumming but don't care when you're making the noise?
GOD BLESS U. Thank u for these videos
I resonate with so many of your experiences. And I'm blown away by your communication skills. Never before could have I put those things into words, but now I'm learning so much and honestly I found hope again. Thank you so much.
Also I'm really thankful that you didn't cut things like "c'mon words start flowing". As I've never been good at taking at loud, because of things like this. But now I believe that with enough time and effort I'm gonna be able to actually say what I mean at loud.
This makes so much sense! I'm very similar, especially with touch and sight, except my sense of smell is practically nonexistent.
Some of the things Paul talks about is past tense, i'm so happy for him.
This video was made four years ago.
I find your uploads so incredibly validating and helpful. Thankyou. LM
Yeah I can definitely empathize with the sensory sensitivities. Touch, smell, and sound are probably my strongest sensitivities. What's really crazy is when you have that sensitivity to smell and then you add pregnancy hormones on top of that so its amped up even more. On a positive note, I am always the one who detects a faulty appliance or outlet right away from odd sounds or smells. I have prevented electrical fires more than once with my acute sense of smell.
😲All of this is so right on, especially the smells. Thank you, again, for putting my experience, into words.
Those are different for me too. Although body and muscle movement is about the same for me. I have to pace around as well at times to help me focus when I can't seem to get my mind straight. I'll be joining your live session in a moment that you have in next hour I think. I'm just going through some of your previous videos
That's how i see detail too! Reading social media jokes are really difficult. I' m a very slow reader so I'll look at the pics or drawings first. Then I'll read the text and then look back at the details to try and figure where the joke is.
I Don't have that diagnoze, but noice, touch, smell, light were the problem all my life. I'm so tired so often never knowing why when others are not. Very usefull exsplanations for everyone.
Rintin Tin this applies to everybody whether they have or not. This is stupid.
@@junelee5975 Not stupid, but without knoledge of this topic. This my first time to hear about this from inside. This young man looks so healty, highly inteligent so I wanted to hear his distinction when this simptoms are issue. Not all of us are so highly dipendant of silence, normal light etc.Maybe I'll understand me and others better if understand this differense. But I understand some people feel inteligent if others are stupid. This is common. Every Day exspirience! 🤭🤣
You talked about seeing bits and forming a big picture in your head lateron. Sounds like Binoculair Fixation Disparity. Is something that happens to aspergers often. I just learned about it last week.
Our proprioceptors tell us where we are in relationship to space. For example, we've probably all experienced falling asleep with our arm hanging off the bed and when we wake it takes a moment for us to remember/find where our arm is. We have to "wake up" the proprioceptors. Movement helps to wake them up and tell us where we are; in relationship to other objects, to ourselves, etc. Some people need more activity or stimulation than others to keep up a "conversation" with their proprioceptors i.e. rolling down a hill vs swaying side to side; making big movements in a rocking chair vs making smaller ones.
It was so tough for me. My parents had no patience with me at all. I see my daughter also has these traits, and I have to be very aware and patient with her.
Oh my God, background noise, sometimes I just go thru the house trying to find the noise that’s driving me nuts, we bought a fridge, new and it made noises, so we sent it back and got another one, and now it makes too much noise, drives me and my daughter crazy, we’re both Aspie, outside noise sometimes can’t end soon enough, tv sometime has to be turned down a lot, suddenly gets to me, I get you on the smells, I can’t stand when my daughter paints her nails, cannot stand it from rooms away, I’m following your video as I’m typing, sensory is so important, since I was little, anything thru clear plastic or clear glass calmed me, fishtanks, fireplace, hour glass, I also just bought a recliner, and can’t stand that it doesn’t rock, I may get another one that does, cause I crave to rock, I just need it sometimes.
Omg the whole image thing!!! Yess!! Me too. I was trying to explain that to my fiancée bc she will be like why didn’t you tell me that’s was on my face and I will be like because i was looking at your eyes not your whole face, etc.
This was one of the most interesting videos from you I've seen so far!
Sensitivity to noise - Me to and I am actually grateful for it. It stops you from wasting your hearing on manmade acoustic garbage and gives you a deep appreciation for natural sounds
Absolutely! I love city sounds from a distance, but only if I'm in the mood for it, but wind hitting leaves are like dessert at any time of the day.
Artificial smells, same here. Walking past a perfume shop can actually give me a headache, and if I have one, it will make it worse. I blame it on the alcohols they use since we've stopped killing whales for musk and grey amber.
i've got diagnosed with asperger syndrome at a later age, and i don't have much sensory peculiarity. i feel like i just toughened through some i had.
noise: here is the one kinda bad story, had an elementary school teacher that would ring a bell to my ear when i was very openly not paying attention (school wasn't so great for me). for a long time i would just jump every time i heard a high pitched or strong noise, eventually together with many evolution in my reactions and behavior, now i just react really quickly to noise and look in the direction the instant i hear something.
sight: not much to say. i don't like being blinded by light all too much, but my peripheral vision and perception is great. i see well in the dark, i got really good eyes and i never feel bad or weird with them. one of the thing i probably over trained martial arts. vision and peripheral vision was one of the most interesting part of training in my self defense course.
taste: i'm french, i like strong cheese... that aside, some vegetables (that i still enjoy) make me vomit if i take too big of a bite, the way the taste fill my mouth feels awful and i eventually just throw up.
touch: i love combat sports and currently doing judo, i love grappling and rolling around. i have preferences in clothing and textiles, but nothing too hard, nothing i could even name right away. was very sensitive to pain as a kid and very afraid of everything overall. taking hits and dealing with both the pain and stress it caused was part of the training we did in that self defense class...
smell: i don't think much about my sense of smell. i remember one time i helped my father take care of our clogged toilet evacuation and the smell felt quite nauseating, since we where both feeling like throwing up i think it was a pretty normal feeling.
equilibrioception: as a kid i remember being absolutely immune to car and sea sickness, cinetosis wasn't part of my word. in middle school i remember training taekwondo and our coach would always tell me to turn my head before i kick during back and spin kicks, and i just thought "why? i know where i start and where i'll end, i know where he is and he can't move that much during that fast spin." nowadays, well... i do judo, not only i have to feel well my balance, but also anticipate the balance of my partner and how it will affect me. and also now i got awful car sickness, i got used to it in a day the few time i went on a boat, but cars just kill me, that's why i first passed my bike license. i was also scared to death of trains and rides in amusement parks, but the second i tried them it was just "yep it moves me around, now we are inverted and it feel normal because of centrifugal effect, kinda fun."
proprioception: i've got great coordination, have been trying many circus things when i was a kid like learning to juggle, i'm still pretty good with a diabolo, and recently i learned some yoyo tricks too. obviously that sense perform pretty well when i'm doing sport. i easily get into that shaking my leg idling for an example of self stimulation, but i still stand perfectly still for a while sometimes (sometimes while watching videos or movies). some of that standing still could have been helped by when i learned self relaxation techniques to fall asleep easier.
that's about it for my experience with sensory perceptions.
I cannot wear mohair clothing it makes me itchy I remember my mum brought me one at age 8 I tried it on I couldn’t stand texture so I throw it in the dustbin hidden it down so my mum wouldn’t see it and fish it out but after few weeks my mother asked me what happened to my jumper I said I found it very itchy I threw it away in bin she said I should’ve passed it back but I was keen not to come across it again I felt the jumper was a enemy
I related to all of this but I never considered why I didn't like plain things or why I couldn't stand how some things were made and my weird preferences like rice needs ranch and vegetables and pepper to block out the plastic taste for me( I know its weird) and also textures of foods so if its too grainy or has a mix of textures that seem bad I won't eat it like pastas and mac and cheese with anything else besides sauce in it is a big no no
I have been watching these videos on and off for the past week and I think I'm definitely aspie... my friend (who is aspie) said she thought I was for a long time. I'm trying not to get over stimulated though by watching these confessionals because I have my own battle ahead of me to dispel the multitude of psych diagnoses I've been given over the years and get a proper diagnosis and hopefully some respite from the heavy medication they've put me on for serious mental illness. I'm 40 by the way and burned out when I was 21, I've been happy enough for the past 6 years or so but still unable to do anything social for more than a few hours at a time. I stim constantly but my dad stamped out my ability to stim in public... I actually have video of him reprimanding me for stimming... (I stopped hand flapping and started fiddling with a wool tapestry on the wall instead)
just discovered your channel a few days ago, so helpful ! so much useful information ! thank you !
the world is a battlefield...that's how it seems sometimes. thank you 🙏🏼...oh, I do not understand the appeal of those rides, esp the pirate ship!
This was a really helpful video. Thank you.
My sense of smell is frequently in hyperdrive. Ive nearly vomited from smelling too many different scents all at once.
Spinning and rocking back and forth are very grounding and soothing for me.
Im always moving too.
Figure skating gives me major relief. The spinning, the large and small body movements, im in my own little comfy bubble when im figure skating.
Like your other videos, this video is underrated. You seem to have a decent grasp on Asperger and presenting it.
Good content.
Thanks for the videos. Touch is one that people cannot understand that it may effect you drastically. I have been so sensitive to touch, That I have even injured myself as a kid. Might be funny but to grab me and touch torture me and you might loose some teeth, or I might crack my skull. I remember my mom got me some pants that were too stiff scratched and itched that I just could not stand them, and she was so quick and understanding exchanging them.
I race through department stores as well because of the strong perfumes, I have also a strange thing where I smelled carbon monoxide if that's even possible. I've never heard of anybody else that could. I worked somewhere that I could smell carbon monoxide before the detector went off and I kept on telling the owner we have to get the dogs out of here it wasn't until the detector went off that anybody believed me. I've always hated mash potatoes, my mom use to tell me stop playing with your food. Also lights bother me, even my pastor noticed it about me as I would work on the church computer in the dark. I always enjoy your video's.
Thank you. I enjoy your videos and the information you share. It's helpful.
Paul, you make me feel like I belong. No small feat, really. I still don't know where, but you give me hope that my boy has a better chance at feeling human than I ever did. Thank you for sharing.
I am driven crazy by labels on clothes...also cannot bear to see other people's labels sticking out of their t-shirts (or whatever)
I know this video is from a while back but thank you for this. I recently found out that I most likely have autism but haven't been diagnosed yet. I relate to a lot of these. And I just subbed
I was the weird kid that didnt like sugar. I didnt like candy or cake or syrup on my pancakes. It hurt to eat those things, like my teeth hurt. and I've always watered down soda. now Im cutting it out of my diet completely. Another great video thanks for the info!
So relate to all of this.
I got so overwhelmed and disassociated in the city that I got lost trying to find a coach stop (I'd only been here a couple of times) and nearly got run over... twice! wasn't a nice experience. incredibly stressful.
Sight- so relatable! I've just noticed recently i cant see my whole face in the mirror and thats probably why its always taken me ages to get ready in the morning doing my makeup.
Smell- hate hate hate deodorant!!
Noise- can't even deal... worst= dogs barking, people whistling, random banging etc. Love traffic and fan noise though
Taste- love full on flavours, spices etc
Sensory needs are complicated in that you aren't just hyper or hypo sensitive. Often people who are very tactile sensitive prefer very firm pressure because it is actually more calming and less irritating. This is an extremely common pattern. Rocking and moving around could also be seeking vestibular input even though you're sensitive to it. I've seen kids who can't sit in a chair sure to needing constant vestibular but would be about to throw up if they spin around one time. Moving in different planes can stimulate the inner ear in different ways and have very different effects. You could think of it as like how certain frequencies of sounds can be especially irritating even if you enjoy listening to music.
This was very interesting. Watching this I see several parallels. One is I like to wear sweaters and pants thru the year. It's not a style, cause I feel very uncomfortable without the weight on my arms.
Also I tend to see detail of things rather then a room, and am usually pointing out details to people.
Though I don't like 'loudness,' I do like regular 'calm' sounds, and I got into philosophy audiobooks for that reason. I avoid bold colors, and watch a few minutes of tv here and there. It's too much otherwise. I don't like to be completely still either, and that is something I find very odd that most people seem so still and unbothered by it.
Try mashed cauliflower blend with mayo. It is a great mashed potatoes substitute. When it's cold it tastes like potato salad. I do keto so I can't eat potatoes and this is a satisfying substitute for me
Sound is my biggest sensory issue, I keep earplugs on me all the time. When you mentioned never playing team sports I was the same way as a kid, but I think it's cause I have trouble reading the ques other people give me. I'm really athletic, but I never know where I'm supposed to be in relation to the other players
I was fairly recently diagnosed as being autistic,... and I also like rockers. I've always thought of it as a form of self-comforting. Since I have rarely had access to physical affection, I've used rocking in rocking chairs as a somewhat poor substitute.
When I was a kid magenta and similar bright or intense colors would give me vertigo and nausea. Extremely vivid colors literally made me sick. I don't seem to have that reaction anymore but it persisted throughout adolescence.
To my understanding vision actually works just as you describe it. We don't see the whole picture since our eyes keep darting around focusing on different points that our brain then uses to create a holistic picture.What you describe sounds like you were just hyper- aware of the process and the awareness itself was distracting/distressing.
Thanks for your videos brother. It's really helpful to me
Thank you you represent me like very very few can
Everyone should wear earplugs to protect their hearing is actually a big epidemic of hearing loss amongst the younger generation as concerts have increased and loudness while most people do not wear ear protection. I think especially for people like us we understand why we need earplugs for many people it goes over their head and they don't realize the damage they're doing.
I cannot handle light. I wear sunglasses anytime i go outside , even if its cloudy. Also if i am in lights i sneeze constantly. I always have to have a soft blanket and pillow. And i love soft socks.
"The Pirate" was the most terrifying ride I've been on in my life. I got on it because everything else moved in a circular motion except the ones tht dropped towards the ground
Noise = migraines, or, better yet, it = calling off of work one day last September since the afternoon before the call off, the Navy Blue Angels were doing practice maneuvers overhead the wally world that I was in with my son because it was near an airport in the vicinity. The sound of those things flying overhead, although in the "safety" of a large store, was still traumatic enough that I was still reeling from it into the following morning.
Olfactory experiences - I'm 100% with you on the fragrance section of the shops in the mall >.<
I will look for an entrance that is not THAT entrance. I also can barely take it when I'm at work and working with generally lovely people there, but if they're wearing perfume or a scented body spray, I need to breathe through my mouth, which also applies to the food recycle bin next to the scrub sink in the kitchen at work if it's my turn for the weekly afternoon task of being the dish scrubber.
Feel/Experiencing spinning = just say no to the Highland Fling or the Tom Twister at Six Flags!
I suffer with vertigo as well, aka migraines, aka calling off of work, aka it is difficult to keep a job for people who experience this on a very regular basis >.
I am strongly sensitive to earthquakes (can sense even small shakes) and to changes in weather.. and to almost all the things you listed...apart from scents...for some medical reason (nose internal surgery) I am sometimes hyposensitive to them. I hate background noises, but when I am in a good mood I enjoy being in small crowds of joyful people. Let's say that if the emotional atmosphere I am in is positive, I can handle better the discomfort of chaotic noises and stimuli. Does anybody else experience hypersensitivity/ hyposensitivity to cold/heat? Sometimes I need to wear 3 jumpers to get along in winter...with 5-10 degrees above zero...sometimes I am just the opposite
I am sensitive to bright lights and noise. I also hate wearing certain things if they irritate me or make me itchy or sore. I am not a picky eater and love any kind of touch
I have to put pressure on the top of my head if I get really stressed. Sometimes I’ll notice a pillow sitting on my head and be like oh yeah I must be stressed and I’ll pull it down almost to my face to feel that pressure and it really calms me down. And same with the can’t sleep without a blanket. I always have to feel completely covered besides the mouth and nose. If my toes stick out a little bit I get FREAKED out and super paranoid and have to have a fight with my blanket to fix it. When I’m calmer though it’s all good.
OMG I agree with your problems in cinema.... That's the point, I hate large screens, even TV. I love cinema, but I have to look around and missing parts of the film (and it's to loud there, too). Never understood that! I watch TV on my Smartphone. Everybody thinks I'm crazy.
It's hard for me to go running - my eyes don't adapt to the movement and I feel like seasick.
As a child, I can't stand nail filing, I got nausea and panic. Same with my first electric toothbrush.
Great! Keep it up!
Whilst watching this I couldn't help but notice myself nodding over and over. My brother and I both have Asperger's too and a lot of these sensitivities/desensitivites overlap with my own. Interestingly enough my brother is the opposite when it comes to rice, it's his favourite food and he often just eats rice with nothing else but he also hates potatoes. I can't stand mushrooms and a lot of watery vegetables and fruits.
hmmm... interesting. I guess we all have peculiarities in this area. Given the range of possibilities I'm constantly surprised to find many others on the spectrum who can relate to my experiences.
That was excellent. And insightful
My use of deoderant and colonge would be out of the question then. It's cool that I know where your comfort is. I haven't done my sensory video yet. My sensory clothing disorder is very unusual.
The cinema example, same same same, and i dont remember anything because of that once im out of the cinema
When i was little i hated macaroni and cheese. I mean i couldnt stand the sight smell and taste of it. Another odd thing was i loved the smell and taste of onions.
I love maccheroni cheese and I absolute hate the smell and taste of the onions! but there you go everyone is different ...
That's interesting. Light touch was always a problem for me as a kid (it was sad because I wouldn't let my mother hug me, and tried telling her several times that I need a firmer touch). But I thought that meant that I was hypersensitive (not hyposensitive). Blankets bother me, but at the same time, I need something on me. It is a tough battle overall.
I'd like to know if proprioception has anything to do with hypervigilance or sensing motion/ sensitivity to motion
I'm no expert but sensitivity to motion sounds like vestibular - not proprioception.
Proprioception is more about knowing where your OWN body is - so lack of sensitivity can lead to clumsiness for example.
DUDE! You talked about those Stinking rocking Pirate Ships at like amusement parks... I HATE HATE HATE riding those & I can't even look at them without feeling sick...I have trouble with swinging things. I have to stop the swinging (if I can or it creeps me out or makes me sick or both)...When I was a kid, I had real trouble with swing sets & didn't understand why people would get off & then just let them swing. I use to not understand why they were swinging by themselves & it creeped me out & looking at the swinging makes me sick & it took me forever to even be able to swing on a swing set as a kid. Even now as an adult, I can't swing for too long or I start feeling really creeped out or sick...Now, if I can avoid looking at something swinging or stop it, I can Sometimes not feel too weird or sick...It's really interesting that you mentioned swinging things. Ok! Sometimes even the thought is creepy! :-/ :-)
Seems we agree! haha
-Belue- -Myst- hammocks are also difficult. I like rocking chairs but that's because I control it.
Aspergers from the Inside thanks
Is it better to anticipate
Two grandsons are most likely on the aspie spectrum
I seem to have much the opposite response to a lot of stimuli. I have no sense of smell. No idea why. I just don’t smell anything. Noise does really bother me, however, and my brain shuts down if the environment I’m in gets really noisy.
I also tend to be unnaturally still, not moving at all for very long periods. That used to make my parents uncomfortable, because I’d just sit motionless, lost in my own thoughts. I remember my mother telling me that a watched pot never boils. I would stand completely motionless and watch the water in the pot come to a boil. I’d watch cookies bake in the oven. I have terrible balance and could never play sports because almost any movement (running, swinging at objects, kicking) would disorient me. Oddly, I love rides at amusement parks. When I’m able to sit still on a ride - no matter how crazy the movement is like on a big roller coaster - I’m perfectly OK.
My taste quirks have always been about texture rather than flavor. Maybe it’s because I don’t smell things, but I’ve always loved very string flavors. Spicy hot food, too. My mother used no spices when she cooked and I wouldn’t eat anything as a child because of it. Everything was too bland. I loved eating at my grandmother’s house, though, because she was Cajun and used strong spices and hot peppers in EVERYTHING. I can’t eat anything with certain textures, however. Mushrooms and asparagus are two things I cannot eat. It’s the texture. That spongy/slimy texture makes me gag.
The sense I find most interesting here is sight. I was a visual artist for many years. My specialty was abstracts. Specifically, I’d focus on one detail and create a visual representation of that one detail, scaled up to fill the entire visual field. I’d reduce the detail to just lines or shapes. I never knew why I was drawn to this style and why my perspective was different than everyone else’s. Now I know. I used to go to art exhibitions and get right up close to the art. People thought it was weird that I’d only view the art from inches away. I also used to sit in the front row at the cinema because I wanted to see details up close. No one would go to the cinema with me because of that. I didn’t mind.
I'm the same re a movie screen. I didn't realise it was a thing until you mentioned it.
Great vlog. Do you have trouble with weather?
If I can prepare for something before hand, it is easier for me to cope with either it be a talk, a noise, a bright light, smell or the like.
Surprises are difficult for me to handle.
For this exact reason, I used to be terrified of all hand dryers. Then there came a point when I would use the ones with buttons, but not the motion sensors, and even then only certain brands because they were much quieter (and usually less effective). After a lot of exposure to different models and brands, and practice at triggering the sensor exactly when I meant to, I finally got over my fear and my teacher gave me a special award.
@@really-quite-exhausted hey that's great. My congrats from the bottom of my heart. We can overcome everything, almost.
I don’t know if someone has explained proprioception yet. It’s the ability to feel the position of body parts. Doctors test it by having you touch your nose. You seem to need the feeling of body parts movement.
Oh I didn't know the word proprioception. I had a physiotherapist say I have excellent muscle awareness, I can actually isolate the movement of one of those tiny support muscles people don't even know exist, I see the image of where it's happening in my body. It's like if I move around at all, I can feel *every* movement as if I'm hypersensitive to it, but interesting enough it means I actually can just shut off the sense - like if my hip is hurting, I can ignore it quite easily. This has been an issue sometimes because I will ignore pain and sometimes get hurt pretty bad, like really bad burns from the oven or getting tendonitis because I ignored the muscle pain. I'm also constantly moving which leads to a lot of cracking joints, changing positions - unfortunately a bad one for me is jaw grinding, which has ruined my jaw joint.
Man that clothes situation 🤦🏾 it's super tough. I get irritated with certain fabrics or if it's to tight or too loose, like straight up anxiety.