Am I losing my mind?

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?

Parents
  • 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.

Reply
  • 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.

Children
  • 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.