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What Does It Feel Like To Live With Sensory Issues As An Adult?

May 16, 2019
by Becky Ferrigno

I am more than willing to admit that my daughter’s sensory issues stem from my DNA. So in many situations, I can sympathize with what she is feeling. So what does sensory processing disorder look like in adulthood?

It means you are still bothered by textures including itchy fabrics and sleeves that hit you in strange places. That’s right, I am talking to you ¾ length sleeves and long sleeves that hit at the wrist bone!

Mushrooms, beef, any vegetable belonging to the squash family that was texturally offensive as a child are still probably the same today. The only difference is that as adults we can say “No thank you” and no well-meaning adult forces us to “try a little.”

For me, it also means that repetitive sounds still drive me crazy. Loud, crowded situations continue to trigger my flight instinct, so I avoid them if at all possible.

I also have found that the interventions I used as a child and a teenager still work today. Chewing gum clears my mind and helps me think. I can only listen to K’s Choice when I write because it is melodically predictable and the words are hard to understand. I still sleep best in complete sensory deprivation- silent and pitch black.

At this point, all my sensory people out there are nodding their heads and adding their quirks to the list. Why? You will always have the same central nervous system and so you will always have the same sensory issues.

Just something to think about as you go about your day.

Until next time,

~Becky

 

Want to learn more about our sensory journey?

Check out: https://www.beckyferrigno.com/where-our-journey-began

                     https://www.beckyferrigno.com/where-our-journey-began-part-2/