• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 7 subscribers
  • Views 237 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Am I losing my mind?

Damojo

In the immortal words of Fr. Dougal McGuire: "I'm going mad."

I was an occasional snipper of clothing labels, but these days I can't seem to get anything comfortable to go around my neck. Clothes I've worn many times are all of a sudden itchy and scratchy. (No change in detergent or anything.) I think the only difference is that I've become hyperaware of everything around me that might be an irritant and now everything is starting to irritate me. I don't know if this is psychosomatic or if it is a consequence of relaxing the mask. It's not just clothing either, it's noise, lights, movement, music, nearly everything is setting me on edge. None of it is particularly intense, but lots of small things seem to add up.

Does anyone relate?

  • I can no longer tolerate anything that goes around my neck if it is close fitting, such as a scarf pulled too tight or a polo neck jumper, yet I didn’t use to mind that sort of thing. I never liked scratchy clothes around my neck or anywhere else, so that aspect hasn’t changed. 

  • in reply to Expecto_Patronum

    Yes, I suppose we can be primed to an irritant. A bit like the way if I see a cloud of flies on the TV, my head will be itchy for hours afterwards!

    I'm wondering if it is just being hyperaware that is causing my issues, or if I am, in some sense, not bracing myself in the face of all these stressors as much as I used to. I don't even know if I did brace myself, I wasn't really conscious of doing it or not doing it.

    I put a bit of emollient on my neck today. Seems a little better so far.

  • in reply to Damojo

    I'm more likely to just leave and not buy anything and if asked by a staff member I will tell them why.

  • I find that once something sensory has irritated me like a label, I will be hypersensitive for a long time and labels that don't usually bother me will bother me.

    I also find that at times of other stresses I am far more sensitive to sensory stuff.

    But yes I do think we can become hyper aware after diagnosis/mask relaxing. I didn't find this with sensory so much but socially I was so hyper aware after diagnosis, I found it way more stressful than I normally do.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    Why do you need it at all?

    Indeed. I think there is some evidence that music makes people buy more stuff in a shop. I think that's only because they want to get out of there quickly and never come back!

  • Yes I can relate to that, I think with clothes it's because so many of them are so poorly made, they seem to be made to fit a mannaquin rather than the human body.

    I find being constantly surrounded by noise difficult too, I don't know about you, but that certainly adds an underlying irritation to everything, especially in shops. Why do you have different music playing in different parts of the shop? Why do you need it at all?