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Anyone else have this?

Shardovan

Sensory issues are obviously a big aspect of being autistic. 

The most common ones I see mentioned are:

Light sensitivity (i have this big-time)

Noise sensitivity (same)

Temperature sensitivity (I'm often cold even when others are fanning themselves and throwing windows open)

... and (the one I don't really have)... food textures. I like some foods, less so others, like most people. I skew towards the bland, mostly, as strong flavours/smells I find a bit much. But textures aren't much of a problem, unless I get a hard chip or something rank like that. 

But here's one that is so specific to me that it would be nice to know I'm not entirely unique in it: when I drink anything, it has to be hot or at least warm. Obviously no problem with tea. But even water I would boil the kettle and mix 70% hot water with 30% from the tap. Or I'll use the water boiler tap in work to do the same. Very occasionally (if I'm grudgingly out somewhere and it's less - not at all!- socially acceptable to be requesting a hot water from the bar - I'm tee-total) I will drink a cold water or coke. But I find the sensation very unpleasant. Like I can feel my throat muscles tighten up and - hard to describe and rationally I know it's not *quite* this- almost a sensation like germs waking up and getting to work. If that makes any sense!? 

It seems to constrict my larynx as well I think. My voice is hoarser, more compromised, if

my throat's had to deal with cold liquids. I can even sometimes be left feeling like I've been gargling razor blades if I've had to spend an evening with cold drinks only and then had to talk at any length. Anyone recognise this? Or am I a one-off!? 

  • in reply to Roy

    Yeah I can relate. Since getting my own place again I’ve not once bought red meat. Just having a big bloody slab of something in the fridge feels weird somehow and the idea of touching it and disposing of the packaging  is unpleasant. There’s also a kind of smell from raw red meat that’s a big gag inducing. When I was living with my parents red meat was a regular inevitability but these days I just do chicken or salmon or tinned tuna and sometimes think I could easily drift into vegetarianism without realising I’d done it. 

  • One hate I’ve always had is touching raw meat, I love cooking but my wife has to prep meat. Since realising that I’m autistic, I’ve nearly stopped eating red meat. I look at something like a leg of lamb and feel repulsed by it. I’m okay still with sausages and have found some plant burgers that are amazing. I eat mostly chicken now and I’ve never been able to tolerate any seafood. I think my going away from red meat is me starting to not mask so much, growing up you had to eat what you was given. I’m now realising that I never actually liked red meat that much, any fat in meat really makes me gag. I would be told off as a child for spitting food out. I have about 3-4 days a week now veggie and much happier.

  • in reply to Desmond79

    That would be the main overleaod issue for me too. I suppose 'sensory' is basically everything. Even how we take in information comes via sensory outpot/input.

  • Yes don’t like strong sunlight and have reactive glasses which act like sunglasses outside whether bright sunlight or overcast and often feel cold too.

  • For me, it's just day-to-day stress which overloads me; sensory.

    That many melters in this country.

  • in reply to CarolineC

    I have two words, cottage cheese!

  • in reply to Shardovan

    I'm also ketchup-phobic and everyone around me seems to think I'm crazy for never trying it but I can't stand any condiments/soup/pureed things as I find the texture so weird-looking. It's like alien food!

  • in reply to Roy

    It sure is! Interesting just how varied we all are with this stuff. Yeah tv and radio on together would be a nightmare, as is conversation over a tv on in the background, or any overlapping/competing noisescapes that don't organically fit. Not sure if I have any texture ones as such, but I definitely get easily overpowered by smells or intense flavours. Sometimes people bring smelly foods into work for lunch and I can't bear it - onion soup or something is a nightmare. Not that I'd ever say. I bring in the blandest of foods myself so as not to be the cause of anything similar, and also because I'd favour that anyway. 

    Funny you should mention ketchup. I dislike it so much that I'm mildy phobic. Even smelling it is deeply unpleasant for me, and when I was living at home I hated even lifting the sealed bottle to get it to the fridge when clearing up, or rinsing off the plates. I couldn't let one molecule of it touch me. Still can't, though at least I I don't have any in my own house to worry about. 

    Light levels seem to a big one for me. Someone suddenly putting on 'the big light' at home or in the office is horrible to adjust to. Even the white walls in the office kicking back every iota of light that they can is very overpwoering at times. I sometimes wear shades in the office - I care less about looking daft these days than I do about not having constant discomfort.

  • Hi, I’m not too bad with light, but have fitted led lights to staircase ceiling so have to turn them off before using the stairs. I find noise hard to deal with, if the radio and tv are on together I do get overwhelmed, same if a lot of people in something like a pub are all talking. Smell is similar, can’t have scented candles or any perfume near me, my wife normally notices when I’m affected as I start stimming. She often complains that she is the only person in the world who’s not allowed an air freshener in the car.

    food is a bit of a jungle, texture is the main issue, tomato soup, ketchup or purée is fine an actual tomato is never going to happen, same goes for cucumber, it’s like eating a slug. Hot drinks can’t be too hot, tea has to sit for at least 10 minutes.   Autism is the gift that keeps on giving!

  • in reply to Shardovan

    Camera flashes and anything that sounds like a popping balloon.

    I used to hate drinking fizzy drinks but after a holiday in Ireland that all changed, I was always convinced that it was going to give me a migrane after one occasion where I had a migraine and put it down to the cola I drank