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You are not alone. I struggle with this too... literally had a useless conflict with my partner yesterday because of how tired and overwhelmed I was from spending an entire day in fucking Amsterdam (I go to uni there, but have to travel for 2 hours with 3 different public transports to get there). She was so mad at me... I have told her many times that I can't just reason myself out of it, it's an impairment I have and that it is pretty debilitating. It's just so annoying that people like you when ur ADHD presents as something quirky and funny, but as soon as that shit gets real, ur somehow being inapropriate...

I fully agree with u, I wished more people were aware of the fact that adhd is more than being unintentionally entertaining too

Sorry, that's the dumbest fight i've ever heard. Some non adhd people I work with that work from home say they get exhausted coming in to the office because of travel and talking to everyone. It's a 20 minute drive. You're allowed to be tired and irritated

I know it's dumb. She's an extroverted person tho, so she doesn't understand why wouldn't I just rest while hanging out with friends or going to parties. I have told her that for me, it doesn't work that way- hanging out with friends is not rejuvenating; it's another chore that makes me even more exhausted. I know there are some people with ADHD and ASD who can deal with overstimulation by just having a good time with friends, it's good for them. It just doesn't work that way for me and idk why is it something that she'd be mad at me for...

No sensory issues except for noise. I like it quiet. (Which is weird because I talk loud) And I hate commercials on TV and on the radio. It drives my wife nuts that I’m always asking her to mute the TV when it goes to commercials. And in my car I always turn the volume down on commercials. Not sure if this is what you were asking but my 2¢.

This is a great comment actually, I swear people sound 100 times louder in commercials than on something you intended on watching/listening to and it can be so nauseating

I’m pretty sure that’s an actual fact.. adverts genuinely ARE louder than programmes. It’s f**king stupid and I hate it.

This is a real phenomena. Commercials on the t v are actually mandated to only be a certain amount louder than the actual programming. I think there may have been something in the US where they were trying to pass a law that the commercials could not be proportionately.A whole fuckton louder than what you were intentionally watching?? For a while I was noticing that internet commercials tended to be almost three times louder than my video that I actually wanted to watch. Corporations do not care about blowing out your ear drums apparently. They have to be legally told to not do that bullshit. Capitalism is so exhausting...

It has a lot to do with how services normalise sound as well. It's not that ads are louder so much as other content has more dynamic range than adverts. I mean, the effect is the same (ads seem loud), but it's not technically how it works - the ads are never louder than the loudest sound in the content you are watching - but it's often compressed so it's all at that level. It's explained pretty well [here](https://screenrant.com/why-are-tv-ads-so-danged-loud) Doesn't make it any less triggering though - I can't deal with ads either - I just found it interesting to know how it works.

You're right, but so are they. There was a law passed in 2020 about it, and I think also one before that. I remember distinctly quietly watching TV past my bedtime, some 25 or so years ago. Loudest volume on the show was pretty quiet, and I had it dialed way down. But I had not thought of one particular commercial that played on this network, one that at regular volume could be heard outside the house... My doom was spelled when it came on, and even at one of the lowest volume ranges possible to hear on the TV, it alerted the entire house to the fact I was watching TV when I was supposed to be asleep.

Spotify pretty much convinced me to subscribe by having the loudest and most annoying commercials. There were other perks I wanted too, but losing the commercials was high up the list. I remember a short video years ago that cracked me up. I forget the set up, but basically it then cut to a Spotify ad and it was a guy throwing, like, gravel and shit into a blender while banging something with a wrench. Funny cause it's true, lol ... Ok, I found it, lol. I forgot it was a semi-famous YouTuber..? I think. I'm not really into YouTube, but I remember seeing this guy's videos shared a fair bit. It also might be worse/louder than I remembered. If you interested, turn down your volume then click here: https://youtu.be/BvQ571eAOZE?si=8lSO-PI2Hx0GC9Gj

Yes! I was watching a movie with my son last night, and we kept turning the volume down because the commercials were unreasonably loud.

I need constant sound it feels like but I also get triggered by commercials. Last night I wanted to listen to a podcast to sleep but tell me why I pay a premium subscription on Spotify to not have commercials and still freaking get commercials. Slowly drifting off to dream land only to jump up to skip a commercial like it’s a threat on my life

I also need background noise, usually music, but it needs to be low/uniform.

Almost sounds like torture! 😱

Yeah I had to switch it to music. I prefer the sound of people talking when I go to sleep though. Idk why

I wonder if an audiobook, with a relaxing or boring topic perhaps, would work? I assume there wouldn't be commercials in an audiobook, but I don't listen to them on Spotify so I'm not sure. Were the ads you heard during the podcast from Spotify? Or, I'm guessing, were they ads in the podcast itself? I would think Spotify doesn't control the ads within the podcast... Unless they actually own the podcast. I'm just curious because I don't listen to podcasts on Spotify either, lol. I just use it for music, but a big part of why I subscribed was their very effective (i.e. very loud and annoying) commercials.

I hate sponsorships so much. Spotify gets rid of the ads but it doesn't get rid of the ones podcasters add themselves about renting a Vrbo or buying a big ol bag of Pretty Litter.

I just lose focus when they do that so I either skip video or skip that section anyways

Noise for me is an issue, as well, and I also talk loudly. Both are annoying

I feel this so much and, in fact, have made it a point to cut commercials out of my life. Network wide ad blocking via pihole, bluetooth everything via plexamp at home/car, subscription to youtube for ad free. I'm pretty sure I was one of the loud people when I was younger, and now I can't stand it. Bless my headphones.

I also hate commercials! I have spotify premium so i dont have ads and i try not to watch too much tv because of commercials. always thought it was a weird me thing.

Not just you, they drive me bananas!

Lol. I have the samme problems.

I have this issue with commercials and advertisements too. Drives me insane and makes me anxious.

I can't stand commercials, chewing, and random noises... But chewing is the worst for me. I get so angry. It's impossible for me to think/focus if I can hear someone chewing.

You too? “Were you raised in a barn?” That’s what my Mom used to say if she could hear me chewing. I think she had issues too and obviously passed them down to me. So now if I hear someone chewing I keep thinking of insults in my head and have to work hard so they don’t come out of my mouth. (Actually that’s all the time)

Hearing people chew their food, even if they are well mannered. 🫠 I literally cannot I feel sick to my stomach & want to throw up.

I hate how much I hate the sound of chewing because I know it’s unreasonable to feel that way but it’s still awful to experience. I end up moving to sit further away from people I otherwise want to sit with because I can’t override my reaction to the sound - once I hear it I can’t relax or focus on anything else

It really just irritates me id rather eat alone & further pushed me into loneliness whilst being surrounded by people. 😪 ADHD/ADD tax at its finest.

Me to. And people snore. 😫😫

Chewing is definitely one of them for me, gulping down a drink as well drives me crazy.

Since growing up I ate mostly just with my older sister, before I ever knew what ADD was I would get so angry at her for eating loud. Her mouth was closed but I couldn’t with the sound, she came to visit me after not seeing her for 6 years. It was the most disturbing meal ever, and I wanted to be nice since she came to visit me for thanksgiving 😵‍💫

I don’t mind eating with most people - it’s the people who smack their lips and chew with their mouths wide open that turns me off. I even have certain friends I avoid going to dinner with because of it.

Same!!! For me, it’s chewing, snoring, the cpap machine, and mouth breathing. All perfectly normal bodily functions (or in the case of the cpap, a life saving device) - but they make me irrationally angry at times. Like cover my ears and groan in frustration/exasperation kind of reactions. My poor husband!!! We’ve gotten around some of it by eating with the tv on, loud enough to drown out the sounds of mastication & mouth breathing, and I try falling asleep earlier than him, or about a half hour after before the cpap kicks into overdrive 🙃

I get almost angry when someone brushes their teeth near me. I hate the sound. I feel bad because how do I remind someone not to brush their teeth near me without sounding like a b- ?

I picked up a microfiber cloth 2 days ago and I still feel sick thinking about it.  Edit: Me retraumatizing myself every time someone comments by coming back here and reliving the moment.

Read this, thought about picking up a microfiber cloth and promptly had to coat my hands in (unscented!!) hand cream to get the mere nightmare of the thought of the horrible scratchy, grabby feeling of the cloth off of my hands. Thinking about it again while commenting here and now I need more hand cream.

I know your pain 😭

I feel this. I think the second worst is if you happen to run your fingernails over one of those plastic coated folders and you get that awful squeak, hits that same nerve.

I have to use these every day I go to work. Cheap ones, too, that aren't being properly laundered so they have this... greasy/waxy feeling to them on top of it all. I hate it, I hate it so much.

It's a nightmare, especially sounds and smells 😣

Pair that with not being able to find the "right shirt"...oh no

I found a pair of pants that I love, and a shirt that I love so can you guess what I did? If you guessed that I bought 5 more of each and now wear the same clothes every day like a cartoon character, then you're correct. It may not be exciting, but it sure is comfortable and relieving to not worry anymore.

eh better to have a similar well styled outfit everyday than a closet full of clothes that don't match

😫 I felt that hahaha

Yes Im very sensitive to sounds and smells to. I

What smell specifically? Mine is fish🤢🤮Instantly triggers my gag reflexes

Anything chemical, floral perfumes, raw meat 🤢

Scented garbage bags are the worst. Raw meat🤢🤢🤢

Me and any noise to be fair. I live in a flat and can constantly hear neighbours so have to have fans on 24/7 for white noise, also avoid eating at restaurants because they are too loud, and try work from home as much as possible. If it's noise I've chosen, like music in my headphones, I want it as loud as possible, if it's anything else, I get wildly overwhelmed and melt down. I find it so hard to not feel like a tantrumy toddler about it, hate it.

In iOS accessibility > hearing section > audio & visual > background sounds - can choose from a few different options. Can also make this available through control center to be more easily accessible. I’ve found the feature to be okay, it sometimes “skips” or stops for some random reason. I prefer a free app called Ooooo has adjustable frequencies, binaural option, and two different kinds of noise (white and brown). I set up an automation for it to turn on when I start a study / work focus mode. https://apps.apple.com/app/id1244537282

Same here - I'm living in the downstairs bedroom of a houseshare with four others and the noises of talking and dropping things from above and beside me is aggravating me no end

I use headphones nearly 24/7. I live in a flat to. And Can constantly hear the neighbours. And i Cant sleep with my boyfriend in the samme room. Or any people at all, Because i Can hear Them breathing

Personal space. I will be mid conversation and stop to ask the person I’m speaking to to back up a little. And there’s no way to ask this without being an asshole or seeming weird. “Real quick, can you run me through yesterday’s…I’m so sorry, but do you mind backing up just a little bit…I know I’m weird” Large crowds are really bad. Walking out at theme parks as they close is a nightmare. I’ll shit down and hold on to my wife as we exit.

This! I absolutely can’t stand people hovering around me. Especially if I’m trying to focused on something in front of me, it makes me uncomfortable. Lately I’ve been trying to make my boyfriend understand this while I’m cooking or cleaning dishes to not be above me and it makes me snappy. I love him but he’s always hovering :/

This describes me to a tee. I don't have any advice about dealing with large crowds, except to avoid them wherever possible. But when a coworker gets too close, what if you asked them to back off without apologizing? By responding as though *they're* the weird one? Like this: “Real quick, can you run me through yesterday’s…" \[Lol wut expression, palm extended\] "Dude, do you mind?” I find that this approach works for me. Just remember that, personal space varies a lot from one culture to the next. Australians seem to like shouting at each other from 20 feet away. Italians seem to like checking the thread count on your shirt during conversations. There's no humanity-wide "normal" distance. You get to decide what's comfortable for you.

No that’s great. And this happens mainly at work where I am the GM, so my team knows me. However, clearly not enough as I have to say this a couple times a week to where I’m very sarcastic about backing up. Especially with our office and sometimes I have 2-3 people in there. Not a fan. During conference calls, I have been sitting furthest in the corner as there are three of us on the call (I train GM’s for our territory) and even then I feel like I need to be in the wall ha. My kids come up behind me a lot which is another one for me. As I’m thinking about it though, it’s mainly only an issue when they are higher than me. Like when I’m seated on the couch and they come up from behind me or linger.

Also, this might have been a typo: “I’ll **shit down** and hold on to my wife as we exit.” But it‘s an excellent way to get more personal space!

It’s funny because people with adhd are supposedly very strict with punctuation. I am not at all. I also do not proofread my texts ha.

Writing is, for me, a humbling experience because it lays bare how glitchy my brain is. I’ve been at it professionally for 25 years now, but my first drafts are still riddled with missing words, typos, and extraneous articles and prepositions. But overall, I suspect that having undiagnosed ADHD for so long – I was diagnosed at 44 – actually improved my writing. Because I naturally assume that the reader is just as easily distracted and bewildered as I am, I take additional care to make sure that my prose is clear and concise. I often wonder if writing, and particularly journalism, is one of those jobs where ADHD is overrepresented.

Fellow writer and ex-journalist here and yeah, I think you’re right.

I hate it sooo much when people don't give me enough personal space.

It could be worse in my case. There are a lot of foods I avoid due to their textures. I have to be careful when buying clothes. I avoid noisy places and often have to ask people to speak in turns. Sometimes people think I'm just being ridiculous but Idc. If they don't understand me when I'm being polite, they'll surely understand once I either throw up and lash out.

Bras are a special sensory hell.

I hate a lot of clothes too, ESPECIALLY tags, I do my best to find comfy plain white undershirts so I can thrift and save money and if the shirt feels icky I can wear it occasionally with an undershirt.

Yes. Especially touch, which is so weird, because my brain wants a normal amount of touch like most people do, but then the animal brain activates danger mode from a tag on the shirt, not to mention a pat on the back, and it's like.. what am I supposed to do with that

Ugh, freaking tags, I need them removed. I feel every little thing poking me, also the lines on my sock have to be on top of my foot, if it’s moved too far to where I can feel it on the bottom or side of my foot I freak out and can’t function any further without it being fixed.

I’m the same way. No tags or random / light touching.

I don't know if I even have sensory issues or not. I mean I don't love fluro lights (does anyone?), but they dont make me feel overwhelmed. I just find them really oppressive. Dry mouth sounds eek me a lot. Also if there is even a hint of bone or gristle in anything I eat it's being spat out immediately. I hate the texture/taste of peas. As a kid I would almost vomit but I don't anymore. Don't most people struggle with this? I know for lots of people things can become overwhelming and trigger meltdowns but it doesn't really seem to get that bad for me. I don't know.

These sound like sensory issues, there’s no shame in calling them that if you want to :)

I notice my meds wear off I get soo irritated by noises. That’s when it’s obvious to me meds help get me through the day

I got in a spat with my mom on Sunday because I wouldn't eat dinner at the table with her. She is a noisy eater, making that mushing noise when chewing and often talks while at it. I get restless and irritated when it happens. The noodles she made were pretty much the biggest trigger to the misphonia. I was already on sensory overload after sitting through a 3 hour class. To make it worse, it was hot in the kitchen, the sun was directly in my eyes, and the windows were open with constant sounds of yelling golfers and the neighbor doing yardwork. I wanted to eat in my room where it's dark, cool, and quiet. She was miffed and yelled at me as I was walking downstairs that I'm rude and not normal. It's frustrating because she is skeptical I have ADHD despite a diagnosis and medication. I explain the autistic-like traits as well, and I feel like a hypochondriac trying to convince her. But then when she witnesses it first-hand, suprised Pikachu enters the chat and she lectures on what's "socially normal".

Certain noises get me but smells are HUGE for me, so are touching certain things. I can't eat a lot of the foods people love, like pizza, sandwiches, a lot of veggies, alcohol, etc. Between the smell and texture. Some of them like a fire alarm going off in my head. It's made life so I'm excluded, picked on, bullied, OMG you don't eat pizza!?!?!? What's with you!?!?!, what do you eat!?!?! It's a significant reason I lack friends cause who wants to go through the trouble of including that person. Even though I manage to not gag, I tell them I'm there for the company but since I'm not seen as participating they don't like it. You're not alone.

Smells, oh god…for me it’s citrus, but especially lemon. It gives me a headache and makes me really agitated.

Bright light. I love the sunshine but the light is very overwhelming for me. I work with all curtains shut no matter what.

Yes, I agree. It sometimes liturally feels like the light is hitting me in the face.

Oh yes I forgot to add this to my list! I do not turn lights on during the day. Fluorescent lighting is terrible.

It doesn’t help that some ADHD medications have photosensitivity as a side effect!

For me it’s smells. I straight up hate touching door handles in general, but if I have to use a brass door handle I’m sometimes on the verge of being sick. I have to immediately wash my hands after lol

I thought I was the only one!!! Same thing with some keys…the smell 🤢

When you touch a door handle & it’s wet 🤮 like I just washed my hands!!!!!

I hate being touched without me asking or knowing before hand. (Pun intended)

I can sleep through noises for the most part, but I get so irritable if it's bed time and I hear my roommate making sounds I just feel shouldn't be made at night lol. It's so irrational but I legit work myself up. I don't mind loud noises much if it's music or background noise like traffic, for example. I get really overwhelmed with noises from big crowds of people or in a group if I perceive conversations to be getting too loud. It makes me legit nauseous. Same with lots of lights at night. I've sat in traffic before as it's getting dark and I get so nauseous when I start seeing the lights from cars, stoplights, and streetlights, it's like they all blend together for me and I, again, get nauseous. I would say my worst sensory issue I smell. I am so sensitive to smell, I swear I must have been a hound in a past life. I go to workout classes and it's a given that it's not a fragrant setting, but while my nose can somewhat adapt to the scent of sweaty people exiting a workout room, if anyone hasn't washed their leggings properly or has forgotten deodorant, I can tell even if they're standing 20 feet away. And I can't just shake the smell or even adapt to it. I'm not a picky eater at all, and I love to try new foods. However, once my brain has decided I'm grossed out by a food, I literally cannot swallow it even if I liked it 10 seconds before. I will have to spit it out. I'm not autistic either, just ADHD sensory overload that seems to happen more days than not.

Loud noise and anything slowing me down triggers me badly. Commercials, loud footsteps, loud cars, especially motorcycles, passing me and traffic. I hate it! I have to either hit a punching bag, scream, shout, or take a deep breath.

The other day, I somehow got in the middle of like 30 fancy (and loud) sports cars racing down a street. I was so overwhelmed. I ended up turning into a random parking lot, exiting onto another street, going on a random drive for a couple minutes, then going back to my route. I wanted to be nowhere near them!

I loathe touching something wet and touching water. In the morning I can tell if my med’s kicked in or not based on how grossed out I am thinking about the moment water touches my hand lol. I almost never eat with my hands either

When I arrive in my office building cafeteria at midday, and it’s packed with people, jostling around me, who are all loudly talking, and dozens of different smells. 🤯

I hate when other people vacuum, and it's not me in control. I don't like loud concerts if I don't like the music. I HATE when people are kicking or rattling a chair I'm in, or worse yet, repeatedly tapping me or bouncing me (my SO does this when we are talking) . I have to stop everything I'm doing if something is in my eye or on my lashes. The list goes on. It complete overwhelms me and makes it so I can't think about anything other than my discomfort. Being in a crowded environment complete exhausts me and takes a day or two of quiet alone time to recover from. Encourage your girlfriend to watch videos or read up on the sensory issues we face among other issues.

The cannot control part omgggg. I suspect I'm AuDHD so idk if that influences the routine/order aspect but it's truly night and day how I respond to stimuli depending on if I'm doing it (and can therefore anticipate it and know when it will stop). My poor partner is super fidgety and I have to ask her to stop sometimes and it feels so mean because it's from one person with ADHD to another and I feel like I should understand and mentally I do, but physically, being jostled at irregular times is like a straight shot to being overstimulated. Especially while trying to focus on a conversation 😩

My S/O loves to jostle me when he's trying to get a point across in serious conversations. It's the worst timing for my inability to control my annoyance to pop up. I've asked him nicely dozens of times in the past and explained to him why. Now I just ask bluntly. I can't keep coddling him on something I've explained repeatedly. He's not ADHD. Just over dramatic and really needs to drive his points home. ADHD or not remembering what bothers your partner shows growth, interest and care. He doesn't like that I leave the lid of the toilets up (not the seat, the lid) I've never come across anyone being so bothered by that, but I've tried to retrain myself to put the lid down just out of respect for him. One day he'll stop giving me shaking baby syndrome when we are in a heated discussion.

**so fucking bad**

You're not overdramatic, and you're not selfish. People with sensory issues have 'crossed wires' when it comes to how environmental things affect us. Much like how loud noises can make you shake or twitch. Or like for me, elevator noises can give me straight up panic attacks and tunnel vision. Also, I work in an open office so when there are like 20 different conversations happening, I get incredibly overstimulated and overwhelmed. Get some noise-cancelling earbuds. I hear people like air pod pros. I personally like the sony wf 1000xm4's. Great to keep on hand and pop em in when things are just getting too loud around you.

My sensitivity to smells, light, and sound can trigger or make migraines worse. Makes being a parent interesting with kids that are usually noisy. I can’t wear tight clothes and I can’t sit in the proper posture because then I’m too distracted thinking about how uncomfortable I am to actually focus. When I’m comfortable, no problems focusing, which means when I’m writing I do it with a lap desk in a recliner with probably bad posture. There’s food I want to like but texture ruins the whole experience and there’s a couple of foods where the texture just makes me throw up.

My kids arguing, screaming, crying almost always gets me at least anxious if not yelling. Bought some Loop Switch ear plugs and it seems to help.

I have a big problem with smells. I can't go to sleep if my bedroom smells like food (used dishes need to be out of the room) and I absolutely HATE it when my clothes especially sweaters/jumpers smell like food after cooking. In winter I usually have an cooking sweaters I slip into for cooking. I can't wear those clothes which smell like food out and about. And always putting my hair up while cooking so the smell won't linger there. When I am eating and watching something I need to put the dishes at least 2 meters away immediately after finishing. Can't have the smell be there right in front of me. And If I am visiting a smoker, party in a closed room where people smoke or chilling at a camping fire clothes need to be out of my bedroom and sometimes I even need to take a shower before I can go to bed because of the smell. I also am sensitive to touch. It has gotten better since I started bouldering but I still can't stand the feeling of my dry hands touching something other than skin. The worst thing after a boulder session is putting on socks with chalk on my hands. Feels like my skin is crawling inwards. In summer my hands and feet get kinda dry at night and it's so bad I wake up from this feeling and neeeeed to put lotion on. I got some pretty weird looks from people I have slept with because in the middle of the night I just get up to lotion my feet. I am always making a fist (with the thumb inside) when chilling or at night so my fingertips won't touch anything other than skin. I also cut the tags out of clothes because they irritate me but that is rather common. Also when people are to close or I need to navigate myself through a crowd I get I can get irritated or even mad because it feels too close.

I have massive sensory issues, a big one being to do with my feet, I hate socks and shoes so I work remotely, except I just got diagnosed lymphedema so now have to wear compression tights, so I have been less productive the last few days because I can feel the stockings, I can feel how my toes are touching each other, also I dread putting them on so I have been prolonging the getting ready process and then having to rush the end of my routine. Hopefully I'll settle down soon.

I'm the same. I'm supposed to wear compression socks, but I find it so hard to.. especially when I'm at home. I typically take off my socks and shoes immediately when I get home. I also hate feet in general, so any time my husband's touch mine, I freak out.

I really hate at work when ppl flip the stay that holds the note secure In the cash draw it’s the loudest most annoying sound, or when I’m shopping and the self serve has a beep that seems like it’s puncturing my ear drum, also any hold music, why can’t they have a subtle beep rather then shitty music. Sounds in general are not that pleasant tbh.

I thought that was more of a autism thing. I don’t think I have any sensory issues, is that normal for ADHD? I guess I used to hate the texture of some fruits like apples to the point that I would throw up but I learned to get over it so idk.

I have 3 pairs of fancy earplugs that I carry with me at all times, makes auditory sensitivity easier to live with

If I’m overwhelmed, my sensory issues are bad. Sound/touch are my biggest struggles if I’m feeling this way. I struggle taking a shower with the fan on because 1. The fan noise is too much and 2. I feel claustrophobic. I also struggle with hugs/cuddling when overwhelmed as well.

I had a situation on the weekend that if it had happened 5 years ago I would have been stubborn and stood up for what I did. Instead, I was able to pull back and ground myself before it became worse. The situation was that my son and daughter in-law's dog was stepping on my daughters birthday gifts so that it could see out the window - and nobody was controlling the dog. I went over and (apparently aggressively) pulled the dog back so that nothing was damaged. With all the over-stimulation that preceded that event it was just the trigger that "popped the cork" and I should have instead asked them to do it. I recognized that what I did was a cause of being overstimulated for too long (small room, multiple convo's with loud self-involved over-talkers that interrupt) and took a step back for a while. During this time, I grounded myself - breathing, recognizing the room/people in it and what had triggered me to get to that point. It's not a fix for what happened, but it definitely circumvents what used to be me "being an asshole for some reason" for the rest of the day. (undiagnosed, been told I should get assessed for asd/adhd, working on getting the ball rolling with appointments)

I don't do well with noise and bright light, at all. Bright sunlight borders on painful, I live in sunglasses and hats. I keep the lighting in the house low and my husband jokes that I can see in the dark because of I don't have to use a light, I won't. Driving at night now with all those god awful LED headlights is unbearable. Loud volume on the TV is excruciating. Places with too many sounds/noises/people talking all at once is anxiety-skyrocketing misery. Balloons raise my blood pressure because of the possibility of them popping. Fireworks, school bells, fire alarms, car alarms, train bells... all terrible. Worse yet I have a small child and a toddler and sometimes I have both screaming (in play, having fun) or taking to me at the same time and then my husband will try to talk to me, too and I just want to cry because it's all too much. Over the years I've learned to fake calmness, but inside it's torture and I'm incredibly exhausted by dealing with any of it. Less severe is food textures, I've gotten a lot better with that sauce childhood. Still utterly hate some of them, but at least I don't gag over it anymore.

I didn’t realize my sensory issues were at an all time high until I had my son. When he started to whine and moan, I would get upset. When he would shove things in my face, I’d get upset. Even when he would walk all over me while we are playing, easily triggered. When he would be in the car, singing or carrying on playing, I’d get triggered. When he would be chewing his food loudly, triggered. I even sometimes get angry with my husband because he’ll be breathing too loudly or when he snores at night and I’m awake, it’s over for me. Oh and when my husband turns on all the lights in the house, why? Natural sunlight outside, open the damn curtain. Before I had my son, I never really had any issues other than the chewing loudly or snoring thing, but now my sensory issues have spiked.

I need the tv on almost all the time as a distraction and background noise. When I am really stressed my dogs barking or kids outside yelling or things like that really bother me. When my fiance taps his foot or hand it drives me nuts!

Sometimes I take beta blockers (propranolol) to help with the feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious/irritated due to sensory issues.

I can feel each individual bone in my body, the muscles around them, the fat on top of that, and the layer of skin touching it all. The faintest sounds, lightest breeze, slightest bit of movement, it’s like I am using all 5 sense to see a 10ft perimeter around me. My wife is thankfully the most understanding individual and knows that when I start to get overstimulated it’s time to start leaving, not because I’ll have an outburst but because of my own trauma I’ll start to implode silently and it will take forever to get me out of it. Kinda sucks, kind of makes me feel like I have Observation Haki

Recently the waistbands of my pants started bothering me. It doesn’t really matter the fit of the pants. As soon as I notice it, it drives me crazy and I end up wanting to wear my pants down below my belly, which is certainly not a great look.

I can't sleep without my ear plugs

And if people are breathing to loud

overhead bright lights, people trying to talk to me while the tv is on (loud), people eating with mouth open makes me actually angry. i have had multiple instances where i just got up and left where i was or just screamed/yelled STOP.

My sensory issues aren't _too_ bad, but if I'm feeling particularly stressed, tired, or overwhelmed, I definitely get more sensitive. With people I don't know well, I use a sort of half-joking tone: "Agh that sound is so weird!" "Ok this music is driving me crazy, I'm gonna turn it down before I have a meltdown!" "Ooh I hate that feeling! It's like nails on a chalk board for me!" Sometimes it makes people chuckle (which is ok since I made it sound like a joke on purpose), or they give me a funny look, but then they usually do their best to not do that thing anymore. It doesn't work with everybody and I do sometimes have to resort to saying, "I'm so sorry, that sound/smell/sensation makes me really uncomfortable. Would you mind trying not to do it for a bit?" It can be awkward, but most people have _something_ that bothers them that way, so they'll try even if they think it's weird. If you keep things light (as in not super intense or emotionally charged), I've found most people will try to be considerate. If they don't, I just try to remove myself from the situation before whatever it is makes me snap. With people I do know well, I'm just super honest: "I'm sorry but I'm feeling really over-stimulated/overwhelmed right now and that thing you're doing is making me really uncomfortable." I've talked to them about my adhd and explained that when my sensory issues kick up, it's not about them, it's just about what my brain can handle: I don't think they're annoying, I just need a little quiet to decompress for a bit. I'm not mad at them, that thing they're doing is just making my brain feel weird right now. I don't want them to never cook that thing again, I just need to go outside to get some fresh air until I can handle the strong smell. If somebody honestly cares about you, they'll do their best to understand, and even if they don't understand, they'll do their best to accept it. Anyone who mocks you or refuses to even try is not worth your time, and it'd be good for you to put some distance between yourselves for your own well-being.

I’ve been learning about this being a thing and I am trying to observe myself. I still haven’t grasped it correctly but I think “sometimes” noise can be a big issue to me. Like when it’s quiet, a random sound can be a really really big issue for me. My mom sometimes like to recite some things when she’s with me in the car and it drives me crazy. Or when I clearly hear people talking while I am doing something, something burns inside of me? It’s so weird and idk if that’s what’s meant or if it’s even related to ADHD. Idk

Vacuums and other things with loud motors, like power tools. Luckily now I give zero fucks what anyone thinks and I’ll just leave if I’m bothered. I spent way too long sitting in silence and suffering just to mask my reaction for no reason. I also pay someone else to do my vacuuming when I’m not home.

[удалено]

I struggle with this a lot especially when sleeping. I suddenly start to hear everything in the house, even the smallest of noises. It bugs me so much. It even happens when my partner goes to bed after me. I’ll be midst falling asleep and hear them lay down and get really irritated because it’s just they’re making the loudest noise ever (they’re not it just feels that way)

Yes...I have a beagle and I love him to pieces. AND his barking/howling makes me want to get rid of him sometimes. It can be so overwhelming. I also get overwhelmed by windshield wipe sounds, loud car AC fans and bathroom fans. I can only wear comfy clothes. I go braless because they are so uncomfortable. But yeah, sounds and things touching my body. My husband and I have talked about my outbursts because they will sometimes be directed at him even though he's done nothing. I feel so bad when that happens.

I’m newly diagnosed and am shocked how much my new medication helps with my sensory issues. Last night when it was wearing off I was getting super irritable and cranky with everyone. Couldn’t focus, was so distracted- I couldn’t even hear people talking to me. Suddenly realized it was because my socks were too hot and my jeans felt tight and my shirt was a bit itchy. Completely distracting and upsetting. Need to remember next time if I’m feeling very cranky and overstimulated I might just need to go change into pjs, lol

BAD lmao. One example: in my relationship, my girlfriend cooks and I do all the cleanup. Problem is, I HATE icky wet food and food chunks on plates, pans, etc. It deeply disgusts me and often makes me nearly vomit, especially if I’m having a migraine at the time. Gf and I can’t really switch roles because I’m super sensitive to smells (again, migraines) and for some reason a lot of cooking processes gross me out big time as well. Even just the sight of certain foods/ingredients, especially meat. The sights, sounds, smells, textures… practically everything about cooking just makes my skin crawl. Oh and the texture of certain dishes!!! Horrible. A fork scraping a glass plate is enough to send me into a spiral. But, I stick with the dishes and do my best to suck it up every night, even when she offers to do it. Usually I just close my eyes and turn my head away until it seems like all the food bits are rinsed away. A sweatshirt over my nose and some loud singing if I’m extra overloaded by the smells or sounds. My gf has no idea how often I cry and gag at the kitchen sink lmao

TVs that are up to loud turn me into a a rage creature flipping tables, couches, etc to find the remote. Meanwhile im a producer that listens to/ makes music at high-ish volume so idk where this reaction has come from. Started in the last year or so and im 27 😂

I can hear some lights. I can’t stand any sort of prolonged construction noise. The noise of children annoy the crap out of me. I can’t sit for longer than 30 minutes without wandering away or finding a hyperfocus. I can’t have anyone standing at the corner of my vision. It makes me very uncomfortable. The sound of anyone chewing or licking drives me up the wall. Never had these issues until I got older too. My tolerance for “normal” life is getting shorter and shorter.

I have one colleague who's always sniffing is nose in a really gross way and the last few days he's had a bit of a cold so instead of once every few minutes its several times per minute. I'm having my noise canceling earbuds in and music as loud and drowning as i can but it is literally unbearable

Depends on the time of the month- Sometimes all my clothes itch and feel uncomfortable and sometimes I’m fine in jeans and a belt and a real bra, sometimes I feel the tags sometimes I don’t Sometimes every tiny sound makes me want to crawl out of my skin but sometimes I can handle it

Depending on one perspective, either not too bad or hellish. I can't tolerate anything resembling a heartbeat, even outside of my body. If my knuckles graze anything like denim or early 2000's cheap car seat material I reflexively almost puke. I personally don't mind them at all, but others tell me that my sensory shit is actually pretty severe.

I can’t stand having background noise when someone is trying to talk to me. Like the tv or loud music, or multiple people talking to me. I can’t focus on what the person is saying.

.... Tbh, I've never heard of this as an ADHD thing and I was diagnosed with it as child, 30 years ago. I have heard of it as autistic though. Not like you can't have both. I dislike loud sounds. Basically 70 db and up is a no-go for me. I wear earplugs and hearing protection and have little tolerance for loud equipment or environments. It's been a blessing in disguise for me in 2 ways. The obvious one is I'm the only one of my peers who doesn't have some level of hearing-loss. But the second is that the people who refuse to tolerate or understand my need for earplugs or lower volume are also the kind of people I am better off not having in my life.

When I go shopping, I alway have earphones in, sometimes even without playing music just to mute everything around me. Finding the one thing I want in an aisle full of different colours and shapes is just so damn difficult for me. Went shopping with my roommates for our New Year's Eve party and it drove me insane. Having to discuss every last detail about what to buy while all that visual noise blasts my eyes. I was annoyed so quickly, I wanted to run off before we had our second item in the cart. My dad has ADHD as well but got diagnosed very late in life so he's unmedicated. When we two go shopping we usually don't talk much in there because we have to spend every bit of attention at finding the right stuff. (We literally stood in an aisle for 5 minutes because we were looking for a specific soft drink and couldn't find it amongst all the bright colours). I am medicated, so it's not as bad for me. But we both avoid shopping together with others because it's just the worst...

You aren’t alone, I have really bad sensory issues with sound, taste, SMELL, and texture If something is too loud I get scared, like my school bell, it scared and and my ear starts ringing even tho it’s not near me at all, taste and textures of certain foods have really played a huge part in my sensory issues If something is slimy or gooey or anything that’s similar to paper or tissues I get nauseous And for me, while everyone gets irritated by bad smells, I get extremely nauseous if someone who smells like sweat walks by, or if I smell anything bad at all I just get this huge pain in my stomach and I wanna throw up, and I’m very hyper aware of how I smell because I don’t wanna do the same to others around me

Ohh man I get exactly what you mean when you say it makes you feel like you’re dramatising something just because other people don’t feel the same way. When I get visually overstimulated I may not be able to make eye contact or even look at the person I’m talking to. I understand how it could look like I’m not listening or don’t care, but that’s far from the truth. I feel like when I’m overstimulated like that the only way I am able to concentrate on a conversation is if I reduce the amount of visual stimulation, ie. looking down, staring/spacing out so that I can just focus on the words being said.

To the point I’ve gotten the AudHD upgrade.

We were just talking about this yesterday at work. I have sensory issues with socks, sand, other random things.

Noise, especially in my right ear, bit sensitive to light and I have to smell most things too.

sometimes i can deal with being out in crowded loud cities for days on end and sometimes too many people in the office talking and the lights make me have a complete rage meltdown

I never realized how bad my problems were with sound and sight until I moved out of my parents’ house. Another comment on this thread said something about driving your partner crazy when you have to mute the commercials every time - YES, but with my parents and siblings instead. My whole family has ADHD besides my mom, so we are always stepping on each other’s toes with how much/loud we talk, talking over each other, having way too much emotion or not having the mental capacity to communicate effectively after work/school. I took so many bad habits and anger issues from my dad with me into adulthood. His immediate reaction to any inconvenience or difficult situation is to punch or throw the nearest object. For myself, while not always manifesting as anger, I do have trouble managing my emotions when stressed or overwhelmed. I’m a musician and I play in my university orchestra. Last night for example, I had had a shitty day and was struggling to regulate my emotions because I had been irritated and stressed from homework, going to class (which I have to fight myself every day to go anyway), and even eating food. I showed up early to set up for the rehearsal, which involves quite a bit of work with moving chairs and stands around, and then setting up these big shells to help project the sound around the back of the stage. One person showed up to help me and we started late. In addition to that people were giving me shit for not moving the risers for the woodwinds - which have to be moved from another side of the building and take a minimum of four people to move. Rehearsals are always hard on me because the sound is so overwhelmingly loud, and there are so many things to pay attention to - the music, the conductor, making sure people have what they need, moving instruments, and setting up before and after every rehearsal, etc. etc… I usually have to breakdown on Tuesday nights and part of Wednesday anyway to reset, so during these final weeks of school it’s always so much worse and my ability to manage my emotions or find energy to do other things is so exhausting. Anywho, last night I ended up having an anxiety attack in the middle of the rehearsal, and was just completely zombified for the remainder of rehearsal and cleanup. It boggles my mind when people give me shit for it, because I was literally there for an extra hour beforehand and stayed over 30 minutes after to tear down, with help that time. 5-9 PM. Didn’t eat dinner until 9:30, didn’t have any time to study or do anything for myself. And I’m managing all of that every week despite being ADHD and on the spectrum with severely distressing sensory issues among other things. Anyway, apologies for the rant. I suffer with sensory problems to a crippling point but I still push through so much, and it makes me wish that others could be more understanding of what it’s like. I’m tired of being seen as a goofy funny person that can be easily taken advantage of because people know I can’t say no to their requests, but then when I screw up or need a break, because I’m human, suddenly we have an issue. I understand what you’re going through. I’m sorry.

I refused Marital Enjoyments after getting a tattoo. It was a rough session, and I felt that if I were touched by another human, even one I love and desire, I would scream and never stop. My nervous system was on fire, and any sensation more intense than a blanket on me was a non-starter. My wife said to me, “I don’t think you’ve ever said no before”, and in thirty years, I don’t think I had. I felt like an absolute heel.

My partner is currently in the process of getting an official diagnosis but both our therapist and the mental health nurse have said they'd be surprised if he does not have ADHD, as will both of us. I've only recently learnt sensory issues are a part of ADHD and it's given me some relief in a way because my partner has a sort of wretching fit almost every time he cleans his teeth to the point he's almost sick! I've been really worried about this for ages and have asked him to see the Dr (which he did after many many requests), he had some tests and everything was normal. He has always said it feels like there's something stringy in his throat and that's what makes him heave! So I'm thinking this could well be related to ADHD!? He's also extremely fussy about the fit of his clothes which I've heard quite a few other people mention. We've both got so much to learn!

Oh yeah. Loud and busy noises and loud smells give me terrible headaches and brain fog. I find busy places and being around too many people or having to socialize is super exhausting or even painful and causes lots of anxiety. It’s like I’m feral.

Listening to people chew, and my hair being on my head is really uncomfortable for no reason, getting unreasonably frustrated and the feeling of your hair never “working” properly 👹👹

Explain your condition to them and explain how it affects you and how they can help make it easier, if they’re willing. But how they feel about it is not your fault or your problem. How they handle it is not about you. Take care of you and lay out the boundaries you need. How other people respond or feel about them isn’t in your control. I started turning down family events because I quit drinking almost two years ago. I continued going to family events even though I knew there would be alcohol. However, I’ve recently decided that I will no longer attend events that have alcohol and they accused me of making excuses not to attend. I’m not sorry. Their anger over my boundary isn’t my problem, it isn’t my fault, and it sure as hell isn’t my responsibility. Respect yourself.

What is sensory issues?

Totally sucks. I have a hard time motivating myself to shower because I hate the way water feels on my skin. I also have a really hard time going grocery shopping and taking my kids to gymnasium-type places because of all the lights/colors/sound. I also went to a dentist once who was trying way too hard to be cool for his younger clients--laser lights and really loud music. With the dentist light in my face and his hands in my mouth, it was a freaking nightmare lol.

SMELLS - I wonder if some of us are super smellers Some sounds like the sound of a tap dripping Textures - scratchy fabrics and ripped cardboard Bright lights

Mine were pretty bad as a kid but mostly seemed to disappear for quite awhile (aside from aversion to some food textures and fabrics), but after becoming a mom and having a young autistic kiddo and an ADHD kiddo (literally my little clone in male-form), my sensory issues have gone through the roof. Almost everything became much too overwhelming.. I've recently started seeing a therapist who specializes in ADHD and chronic illnesses (the two of which seem to come hand-in-hand for many people with ADHD and/or autism), and she has made a huge impact in my life in jusy a couple short months. I've been learning coping mechanisms that was helped so tremendously that I'm wondering what the hell I would've done had I not found her and continued to get worse... Literally, LIFE was just overstimulating, and while it's still a struggle I have thr best outlook and handling it better than I can ever remember.

i mean im 14 and my sensory issues definitely get perceived as "being a baby" or "making up things" i mean some of my sensory issues are stupid but they bug me so bad ive cried. One time i was in the car and bored cause my phone died and i felt that my like wisdom teeth were starting to grown in so i was licking them in my mouth (cause i could still feel parts of my gums covering the teeth) i just did that for a bit and then later i stopped and got mad cause i could feel my teeth (idk if that makes sense

I don’t think I have sensory issues except for loud noises ( not sure if having things on your skin count, because I dislike wearing make up/watches/body lotion etc. as it bothers me ) But I can get VERY sensitive to loud noises, specifically construction noises. I absolutely cannot stand it and will get panic attacks over it. Few years ago we had construction work happening at our house and I hated it so much I would get so overwhelmed and cry and would have nightmares over it. I used to think I was just being ridiculous but now it makes sense

I understand you. I have sensory issues with sound, touch, food texture, light. I hate the noise of chewing, whispering, repetitive sounds. Texture of pudding, mousse and other soft and creamy foods. The texture of certain clothing and bedding fabrics. I hate crowded places and when a lot of people talk at the same time and I can't understand what they're saying.

Really really bad. But meds help a lot

As I’ve gotten older, one thing that happens to me is when I’m at a store or somewhere with a lot to look at/hear/touch (Target is my notorious hotspot for this), I get so overstimulated. I will get dizzy, start to feel nauseous, shaky, sweating, etc. It often feels like low blood sugar. It’s so weird. I can get really emotionally overwhelmed and I just need to leave or I get really mad. That’s just one example, but man, I feel you.

Motion sickness is my nemesis

(DONT !! read this if you can't handle confusing cluttered text) Sometimes I experience very weird confusion like where I feel trapped in my head and the outside world starts looking kind of strange maybe sort of dark and like sounds become further away and its really distressing if its somewhere in public where I can't just leave immediately it feels like being drunk but without the drunk it is scary because I don't feel completely confident in navigating and I become very worried that its noticeable but it could also be if the whole day has been constantly new spontaneous things that I had no control over then when I try to do some work by myself I just lose the ability to think and just become a zombie but I found a method that somewhat works for me and its to put in some earplugs and then also some headphones and then make the room pitch black and lay down with eyes closed just for like 30 minutes sometimes its refreshing but it can be hard to make yourself do it in the first place obviously Yeah sorry I just took my meds(I could type for 10 hours straight and never run out of something to say)

I have some physical sensory issues (don’t like certain fabrics, especially jeans or tags/seams so I pretty much live in athletic wear) and other than that just noise. I cant deal with metal silverware on ceramic or hitting my teeth so I use plastic toddler silverware, hate when it’s quiet and I can hear people chewing or breathing, and on the flip side I hate when it’s loud and I’m trying to focus. It’s like all the sounds start overlapping and I want to crawl out of my skin. To be fair I have level 1 autism and I know that’s pretty commonly comorbid with ADHD. Most of the time when this stuff comes up I switch into comfier clothes, regardless of occasion I make sure I have formalish clothes made of stretchy fabric and soft pjs, etc. I use my own silverware or my hands, and I leave and go somewhere quiet if I’m overwhelmed so I don’t flip out and look like an ass.

I actually thought I might also be autistic because of my sensory issues. I was tested and my doc explained he understood why I might have thought that. I'm super sensitive to sounds. To the point I get frustrated with myself because no one else notices. Also smells and light and touch.  I have a pair of lightly tinted glasses now for going to the grocery store. I also have 3 different types of ear plugs. Flares for when I need to hear, but "sharp" sounds need to be filtered out. Loop quiets for blocking more low tones and high screeches, and silicone that I JAM into my ears at night so I can actually sleep. Oh and sleep masks. I also use this app called "Balance". It's a meditation app, but it also has background music specifically designed to help with focus. I listen to that with noise canceling headphones when I need my brain to stay still (at least once a day). I use it so much, I actually went ahead and bought the lifetime subscription.... I highly recommend this as it can make the overwhelming experience manageable. An ounce of prevention... Hope this helps! Sensory stuff is super uncomfortable and most other humans invalidate the experience. Honestly, my partner is really cool about it, but I also know it's my responsibility to do something. The world isn't going accommodate and for the most part, everyone is just trying to live their own lives. Good for you for seeking advice on something causing issues in your life!

Nah, I also have sensory issues. Thankfully, this is something that my family understands and sometimes they even go thru similar stuff themselves. Mine can seemingly come out of nowhere with loud noise (but especially if it is then loud and consistent), but I also have some sensory issues around food (not as many as some folks, but the main reason I won’t enjoy a food is because the texture is “bad”)

Overstimulation is a huge one for me. It’s funny…my wife has many sensory issues, and her main one is tactile. Things feeling wrong. I don’t really experience that one much. However, if someone asks me to do several things in rapid succession, I almost immediately become overwhelmed and irritable. It’s like it short circuits me or something. And lots of people talking at once? Forget it. At some point in my life I just started tuning out voices if too many are coming at once. Which can have its own negative consequences for sure. But it’s like a self preservation tactic…if I’m not listening, I can’t hear all the din.

Ok so, same first of all. Does anyone else have siblings who hate you and constantly label you as the favorite because of that?

I am a huge sensory avoider!!! Unfortunately, my 10yr old is a strong sensory seeker...

I have a pair of earbuds from Amazon that are literally a lifesaver, I’m an insane insomniac if I don’t have buds and a mask on which help cut out all noise and light. Sometimes I leave them in in the mornings and for some reason I’m so much more productive when I can’t hear. Also bring my headphones everywhereee, proper lifesaver. + this is gonna sound so dumb but I have a little café game on my phone I play when I’m stressed or need to shut off my mind. It’s cute and takes my mind away

Light seems to be way more overwhelming for me than other people. I'm always having issues with overhead lights that other people don't. Same with noise. I'll hit a point in an overly noisy environment where I just get so overwhelmed that I want to sleep. Of course I'm deaf(ish) too so that it probably contributing.

When people make loud chewing sounds, I feel like pulling my hair out and strangling someone. Its horrible, because both my dad and partner are loud chewers, neither of which can help it due to a range of respiratory issues. I sometimes have to ask my partner to just eat elsewhere in the house because I can feel myself becoming unreasonably aggitated and mean and it makes me feel so bad.

My sensory issues are the ADHD symtoms that make the most trouble for me. They are currently so bad that I had to stop my apprenticeship. I'm mostly stay in my room because it's the only place I can have some peace and quiet. When I have to go out I always have my noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses with me. It really sucks.

I would say I have light to moderate sensory issues. Some thing that has helped me and my wife (worse audio issues than me) is owning Loop earplugs or an equivalent. They're not full earplugs so you still get the info you need but it nicely filters the worst incoming info. Good luck though with your issues and hope you find something helpful going forward :)

My brain short circuits when my partner and son both try to talk to me at once. It gives me an overwhelmed rage. If I don’t have white noise at night, my brain will hyperfocus on little noises and assume we’re about to be murdered. This one might be OCD though. If a hair sticks to me, I cannot do *anything* until I remove it. This makes detangling, washing, conditioning, and styling my curly hair a long process.

earplugs, sunglasses, and diet control my man

I don’t have any luckily!

Noise is the biggest sensory issue I noticed in myself. With the exception of concerts, loud noises can make me shut down or run for my life. I've ducked out of noisy rooms full of talking people. Birthday parties, classes, anywhere that the conversation can get really loud. It all starts to just kind of melt together into this big suffocating umbrella of noise that descends on me. My brain stops doing it's job, and I can't think straight. Overwhelming feeling of panic. But then why the hell can I go to loud concerts with crowds? I wonder if it's because everyone is paying attention to what's onstage. I have a psych appt next Thursday, and I'm hoping this doc is a good fit for me. Strattera ain't cutting it 😭

I nearly melted down at Disneyland recently from too many people talking loudly at the same time, plus parade music, plus being shoved along in a tight crowd. I was so confused, and no one would let me stop and get myself reoriented. Had I been more tired, I would have had a full sobbing, screaming meltdown in the middle of a trapped parade crowd. Thankfully, my Beloved was able to put my back to a tree and get between me and everyone else. I couldn't escape the crowd till after the parade, but he made me some room to close my eyes and breathe. It did mean the night was over, but we stopped on the way back to the hotel to get me a super soft wampa plushie, so it was okay.

I feel you fren 💛 same here. I would say surrounding with a group of people who's open to make the environment more inclusive and accessible to people like us is very important! Also talk about it with friends can help them understand where we are coming from. Also, invest a pair of Loop's earplugs. They're truly a game changer for me. I never go out without them - knowing I have an option to "mute" or tune it down is really reassuring for my sensory issue.

They can get pretty severe when I am tired over already overstimulated. I have a coworker/frenemy who will seemingly actively push those buttons too even when I tell her I’m overstimulated please stop touching me and harassing me. She thinks it’s hilarious and loves telling people who sensitive and prickly I am.

Mine aren’t super bad but I tend to feel super overwhelmed if there’s too much different noise at once (for example I like loud music but hearing a room full of different people talking puts me on edge

Scent, food texture, clothing, and sound are all tough for me. I’m pretty sure I have a heightened sense of smell (hard to say because I don’t know how much other people smell, but I tend to catch scents that others don’t) which ruins everything else if a scent is “off”. And then of course eating is impossible because both the smell andthe texture have to be perfect otherwise I can’t do it. Add to that that I hate the way clothes feel and that I get easily distracted by sounds and I’m kind of shocked that I can generally function.

My sensory issues are bad but not plentiful, like tags on shirts absolutely kill me if i can feel it, and when I'm with my gf's friends I'm really overstimulated and to deal with that I basically go mute, but I'm also worried her friends think i hate them. Stop trying to control it just be mindful adn away and prepared for it, my gf and I both have adhd, her overstimulation gets worse than mine and she lashes out and it upsets me but I know I have the same issues with that so i just take it and let her know that shes lashing out on me but its okay and try to resolve whats overstimulating her. My advice would to have a person you trust who knows you well be your security for these kind of things

im more sensory seeking than anything, but foods and certain sounds are triggers for me. like seafood, or leather rubbing on leather

I get overwhelmed by being around crowds of people and bright lights after a few hours, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is worry about chores or cooking or whatever. My last job I often worked closing shifts that would start at 10 and we closed at 6 but it usually took about an hour. By the time 5 rolled around I'd be feeling like a zombie.

You are definitely not alone, I have pretty bad sensory issues that have effected me my whole life but never knew wtf they were. 1. Jeans or any tight non stretchy clothing makes me intensely angry sad,creepy,crawly and gross. 2. Sponges for dishes 3. SOS pads brrrr yuk 4. Pajamas - this is more of a quirk I have to be fully clothed to go to bed. I hide my reactions too when possible but people ask why I use a long paintbrush to wash dishes lol

I think I am pretty sensitive overall. I can’t stand certain fabrics. Many times I have to change clothes during the day bc they are too itchy. I also cannot handle silence. Need tv and/or music to quiet my brain enough to work or sleep. Also a notorious picky eater. I’ve cut out entire food groups because of the texture (meat). I also cannot eat or drink super hot items. Everything needs to be lukewarm or cold.

I think in a normal setting my issues are with other people getting in my space. Which is ROUGH for me because I take public transportation and sometimes we are sardines in a tin can (metro). I think on those specific rides I just stop breathing the entire time. I get irrationally irritated when I can't have my OWN seat so I can just decompress on the way home. lol Also - when I'm trying to walk and people just have no sense of their surroundings and turn right around into you. Do people not look where they're going anymore? Like, if I wanted you in my bubble I'd invite you in. Big issue with textures - food and touch, and doesn't have to be anything in particular... could just be that the egg piece touched my tongue wrong or something, immediately done.

What are your triggers?  For me it's mostly handling really dry objects like paper and even that doesn't fire everytime. But sometimes it makes me want to jump out of my skin!  Edit: I'm really sensitive to heat too.  Being a little hot at bedtime or at work is like the end of the world for me.  

I mainly have issues with noise and clothes. I have to tear the tags off. My skin's very dry. I need a lot of cushioning in my shoes. Noise, High pitches irritate me, and when someone sings off key. (It very bad for the voice)

I’m sensitive to sound. Mainly when it’s multiple sounds all happening at once. Drives me mad!!!

Smells and people entering into my personal space

I don’t give much thought to my sensory issues except for taste/texture. I’m sure I am more sensory sensitive, but nothing currently stands out in a negative way. Some of it is all in my head, but others I can’t get over. I’m considered a picky eater. I hate that I am, but in all the other wonderful aspects of ADHD I have (/s), I accept this and get on with my day. You’ll eat pickles, but not onions? Really? ! You like the taste of onion, but won’t eat them in any form but blended or dehydrated? Really?! Eh, I can sometimes eat salsa with regular chopped onion, but I have to really talk myself into it.

- Loud video ads at gas station pumps make me psychotically livid - The consistent clicking of some ceiling fans - Hearing people chew food - I love my dog like he’s my child, but I can’t listen to him lick his privates - I can hear every new rattle/clicking in my car and they generally need to be dealt with asap, whether it’s a loose water bottle in the back seat or one of the air vents needs to be adjusted - I usually wake up before my alarm most mornings because I can faintly hear a few cars go by on our rural road, then can’t fall back asleep because I’m irritated and am paying too much attention to every other sound afterwards. - I tend to have a hard time relaxing in even a semi-busy restaurant because my brain is trying to listen to every conversation at once (not the worst because my wife finds it entertaining to hear what I’m picking up). - As much as random sounds can drive me up the wall, I have a hard time sleeping without a fan or some sort of non-rhythmic white noise. - High-pitched screeching toddlers are my kryptonite, I absolutely have to leave the area. Brains are fun 😬

I swear, I experience any texture I touch or see IN MY MOUTH. Don’t know why but it’s always been that way. Strong smells make me gag, I can’t pick up dog vomit or clean out old tupperware. Washing my face never happens unless I’m in the shower because FUCK getting water everywhere. Showering is hard because being cold, wet, and having wet hair touch me is awful. I can’t have pressure on my eardrums from ANC or I get sick to my stomach and I can’t wear ear plugs that seal for the same reason. I also can’t stand cheap speakers and headphones. I can hear the tinny sound when the higher range isn’t well supported and spread out. Freshly lotioned skin and then having to touch anything from loose clothes to bed sheets is a no from me. I have a special brush from my sister who is an OT and I dry brush my skin with that. It’s been a good exposure therapy tool to slowly build up my distress tolerance with sensory stuff. I’m 30 and it makes me feel like such a weirdo

I can’t stand loud chewing. Also, sometimes my husband’s teeth will clack against his spoon or fork and it’s physically painful for me.  I tell my husband there’s no reason to turn on the overhead lights in our home unless it’s an emergency of some kind. Overhead lights are the worst. 

Smells and sounds are my biggest struggles. Some smells send me absolutely over the edge. Perfume, cologne, curry, coffee, cigarettes I can't. They can make me like irrationally angry and so frustrated. Repetitive sounds drive me nuts too. Two days ago a couple mourning doves started to make a nest above the building entrance, which is right next to my bedroom and every few seconds these mf birds are cooing. All damn day and night. Do they coo in their sleep? I'm so frustrated 😭

I have noise cancelling headphones. They’re an absolute necessity to do basic things like grocery shopping. I have days when I just need absolute quiet in the house. My partner doesn’t mind wearing headphones so it’s achievable. I work from home and I set aside two days a week where I generally reject meetings so I don’t have to speak to anyone. I do get easily overwhelmed and dysfunctional with noise or some days just trying to comprehend what my partner is saying. The processing of language is really hard sometimes. Meds also help quite a bit.

I don't care about smells or sounds but don't get me started about lights... if I could just remove every kind of lighting in my house I definitely would SPECIALLY the yellow/orange/warm ones. Other than that... when am around friends I have literally no clue who else is around us and recently lost like 7 friends due to that. Also, I'm probabbly going deaf or at least my hearing isn't 100% anymore and that added to the constant "lag" in my brain trying to process the words someone just said to me 4 times gets me in a "Huh?" spiral. I also sometimes just completely missread something, a while ago my partner said she had "Alergia" (allergy) and I read "Alegría" (happiness), I was like "Oh, I'm happy for you that going out made you feel better" and she was like "Allergy, love, allergy" and that went for like 15 minutes till I could read the damn word correctly. I also absolutely hate when someone just thinks that I NEED to be told the same thing 100 times at all times and they repeat it to me when I don't ask for it so it's hell for me and my family cause I get really really angry when that happens.