Hi Dave,

For me the hypersensitivity can present in a lot of different ways - I'm very very good at avoidance of things that might be an issue when I can (it is one of the strategies that people with hypersensitivities develop without really realising it).

For touch - very very aware of any touch on my skin, particularly unexpected. Just don't like it, if it's unexpected. The feel of certain things can make me almost shudder, but the main thing is feeling like "I need to wash my hands right now!!".

For sound - cannot block out certain sounds, usually little sounds such as someone scratching their leg through pants. Gets on my nerves no end. When sound has thrown me into overload (that I know of - I think I'm often unaware that I'm heading towards/overloading) it's felt like I can't focus on anything else, there's fear, and I can't verbally respond to what someone is saying to me (I'm finding mostly really quiet sounds are what tend to do this to me). Too loud just hurts. Noisy shopping centres I now feel that my anxiety level rises.

For smell - bad smells make me gag. On the whole I cannot adjust to them at all. Other strong smells can be a problem in making me feel a bit sick.

Taste - tastes I do not like make me gag. I don't think textures bother me too much, but there are a lot of tastes I do not like. At all.

Sometimes I just end up really jittery, feel like nothing can calm me down. Sometimes I just end up in a really really bad mood (often for days - I'm figuring now that that is probably a meltdown more than anything). Sometimes a situation will just build me up into tears (and before I had the diagnosis I had no idea why. I knew that crowded noisy restaurants were a problem, but had no idea why).

I have IBS, which is probably just another symptom of all of this, which is worse when I'm stressed (in any way). Since starting OT/brushing etc. my IBS has been quite a bit better.

Hope that OT will help you!