HI! New here. I think I may have SPD, but I'd LOVE some input from others who know for sure that they have the disorder or have dealt with people whp have it. I have a rather crippling anxiety disorder that's for sure. What's not understood however is it's cause. I love my counselor to death and she's been amazing but the two of us can't figure out what causes my anxitey episodes. The only empirical cause that we've been able to figure out is that when I have an overload of information coming into my head (like having a big task with lots of parts that I have to keep up with at once) or when there's no information about my environment at all (such as at night when I can't sleep because there's so much silence and I can't see anything in the dark). I really want to see a specialist on SPD and get an official diagnosis and treatment for it, but I'm really low on personal funds right now and can't afford a pricey doctor's visit if isn't neccessary. I've taken the 18+ symptoms test on this site and have the list symptoms. I'm so sorry the list is long but I tried making a URL for the list so you didn't have to sift through this but it didn't work. The best I could do to make it readable was put spaces between the symptoms and it took a while so please read it beacause I really need help and input:

-have unusual sleeping habits or sleep schedule,

-have great difficulty with transitions (one activity to another, going from inside to outdoors, major life changes, etc.),

-become engrossed in one single activity for a long time and seem to tune out everything else,

- spend hours at a time on video games, reading, online browsing, etc., very low energy level,

-resistant to change in daily life and environment,

-bothered by clothes (fabrics, tags, seams, pantyhose, ties, belts, turtlenecks),

-have a very limited wardrobe,

-excessively ticklish

-very sensitive to pain, compared to others

-avoid touching anything "messy"; if you must, you wash your hands right away or only touch it with your fingertips,

-avoid crowds and hide or disappear when guests come over,

-sensitive to noises that other people do not seem bothered by (clocks, refrigerators, fans, vaccuum cleaners, construction, etc.),

-easily distracted by auditory or visual stimuli

-over react to loud noises, like sirens,

-bothered by hands or face being dirty ,

-lethargic, hard to get going,

-appear "lazy" and unmotivated

-difficulty waking up in the morning (may not even notice alarm clock)

-have to fidget and "fiddle" with things all the time (coins, keys, pencil, paper clip, rubber band, anything within reach),

-often touching and twisting your own hair,

-are a thrill seeker; love fast and/or dangerous rides, leisure activities, and sports,

-seek out fast, spinning, and/or upside down carnival rides,

-will often rock or sway body back and forth while seated or standing still,

-frequently tip chair on back two legs,

-restless when sitting through a lecture, presentation, or movie,

-prefer foods with very strong tastes and flavors,

-bite lips or inside of cheeks,

-frequently shake your leg while sitting or falling asleep,

-love to sleep with multiple or heavy blankets on top of you,

-may still engage in 'childish' coping mechanisms (sucking thumb, sleeping with a favorite blanket or plushie, etc.).

-seek out crashing and "squishing" activities,

-crack knuckles often,

-love crunchy foods (popcorn, carrots, chips, nuts, pretzels, etc.),

-great difficulty settling body down for sleep,

-love to touch and be touched,

-have to touch everything,

-difficulty locating items in a cupboard, drawer, in your closet, or on a grocery shelf,

-difficulty remembering or understanding what people are telling you,

-talk too loud or too soft,

-difficulty with speech and annunciation,

-bump into things frequently

-difficulty telling time on an analogue clock,

-difficulty lining up numbers correctly for math problems and/or balancing a checkbook,

-clumsy, uncoordinated, and accident prone,

-difficulty walking on uneven surfaces,

-confuse your right and left sides,

-prefer sedentary tasks, avoiding sports or physical activities

-frequently bump into people and things,

-easily fatigued by physical tasks,

-often knock drinks or other things over when reaching for them or nearby items

-feel the need to talk yourself through tasks,

-significant difficulty learning to tie things,

-dislike changes in plans or routines, needing structure,

-often described as "stubborn",

-are very emotional and sensitive, may also be prone to crying,

-can't seem to finish anything,

-have difficulty making decisions,

-prefer solitary activities rather than group participation,

-are often impatient and/or impulsive,

-don't always register or understand social cues and non verbal language

-have difficulty accepting defeat or forgiving yourself,

-easily frustrated

-need sameness and routines; need to know what to expect (need to know what to expect)

-get frequent panic or anxiety attacks

-OCD-type qualities,

-are easily distractible and often unorganized

-difficulty seeking out and maintaining relationships

-avoid eye contact

-difficulty falling asleep or getting on a sleep schedule.

Just overall I feel very numb to sensory input and my surroundings. As if everything just isn't as big a deal as others would feel it to be, like if I saw a movie with flashing special effects or listened to music with what is described as having really good rythm. The volume or scale at which other people describe things are far larger than the scales or sizes I would describe things to be at. Other times I get so much information coming in that I get an anxiety attack or more common an anxiety episode where I just get really freaking anxious and have to lie down or play games until it passes. Having an overload of information or not recognizing and being able to understand information seems to be the only thing that consistently triggers this anxiety.

I am not asking for an online diagnosis, as I'm aware only a doctor can provide this, but I'm asking if my experiences are so typical of a person with SPD that you would advise specific testing for it? And does this sound like SPD in general?

Hello, Serah.

I am new to this forum, but I relate to the description of your condition. My life was transformed when I discovered that many people are sensitive to certain substances and/or foods, even though they do not test positive when being tested for allergies. The problem with testing is that any test is determined by set parameters, according to the knowledge of the person designing the test. Many of us who are affected by certain foods and food additives do not experience a discernible physical reaction (like a rash or swelling), but are affected by mood swings or sometimes even psychotic episodes; symptoms that are recognized by fewer health professionals, or even accepted by many "old school" practitioners. Please discuss with your therapist how to experiment with your diet to identify sensitivities. You could start with things that are considered common culprits, like corn, corn derivatives, wheat, and wheat derivatives, which are in almost all prepared foods. You will probably need to eat only foods you have prepared yourself from scratch, like salads and fresh fruits and vegetables. You will need to read the labels of everything you purchase. If you like meat, you would do well to stick to "grass-fed" beef, etc. It may sound like a lot of work, but if you take the time to learn what your system likes and does not like, you will feel so good that you will not care what is required. Good luck!

(04-13-2015, 04:00 AM)Serah Wrote: HI! New here. I think I may have SPD, but I'd LOVE some input from others who know for sure that they have the disorder or have dealt with people whp have it. I have a rather crippling anxiety disorder that's for sure. What's not understood however is it's cause. I love my counselor to death and she's been amazing but the two of us can't figure out what causes my anxitey episodes. The only empirical cause that we've been able to figure out is that when I have an overload of information coming into my head (like having a big task with lots of parts that I have to keep up with at once) or when there's no information about my environment at all (such as at night when I can't sleep because there's so much silence and I can't see anything in the dark). I really want to see a specialist on SPD and get an official diagnosis and treatment for it, but I'm really low on personal funds right now and can't afford a pricey doctor's visit if isn't neccessary. I've taken the 18+ symptoms test on this site and have the list symptoms. I'm so sorry the list is long but I tried making a URL for the list so you didn't have to sift through this but it didn't work. The best I could do to make it readable was put spaces between the symptoms and it took a while so please read it beacause I really need help and input:

-have unusual sleeping habits or sleep schedule,

-have great difficulty with transitions (one activity to another, going from inside to outdoors, major life changes, etc.),

-become engrossed in one single activity for a long time and seem to tune out everything else,

- spend hours at a time on video games, reading, online browsing, etc., very low energy level,

-resistant to change in daily life and environment,

-bothered by clothes (fabrics, tags, seams, pantyhose, ties, belts, turtlenecks),

-have a very limited wardrobe,

-excessively ticklish

-very sensitive to pain, compared to others

-avoid touching anything "messy"; if you must, you wash your hands right away or only touch it with your fingertips,

-avoid crowds and hide or disappear when guests come over,

-sensitive to noises that other people do not seem bothered by (clocks, refrigerators, fans, vaccuum cleaners, construction, etc.),

-easily distracted by auditory or visual stimuli

-over react to loud noises, like sirens,

-bothered by hands or face being dirty ,

-lethargic, hard to get going,

-appear "lazy" and unmotivated

-difficulty waking up in the morning (may not even notice alarm clock)

-have to fidget and "fiddle" with things all the time (coins, keys, pencil, paper clip, rubber band, anything within reach),

-often touching and twisting your own hair,

-are a thrill seeker; love fast and/or dangerous rides, leisure activities, and sports,

-seek out fast, spinning, and/or upside down carnival rides,

-will often rock or sway body back and forth while seated or standing still,

-frequently tip chair on back two legs,

-restless when sitting through a lecture, presentation, or movie,

-prefer foods with very strong tastes and flavors,

-bite lips or inside of cheeks,

-frequently shake your leg while sitting or falling asleep,

-love to sleep with multiple or heavy blankets on top of you,

-may still engage in 'childish' coping mechanisms (sucking thumb, sleeping with a favorite blanket or plushie, etc.).

-seek out crashing and "squishing" activities,

-crack knuckles often,

-love crunchy foods (popcorn, carrots, chips, nuts, pretzels, etc.),

-great difficulty settling body down for sleep,

-love to touch and be touched,

-have to touch everything,

-difficulty locating items in a cupboard, drawer, in your closet, or on a grocery shelf,

-difficulty remembering or understanding what people are telling you,

-talk too loud or too soft,

-difficulty with speech and annunciation,

-bump into things frequently

-difficulty telling time on an analogue clock,

-difficulty lining up numbers correctly for math problems and/or balancing a checkbook,

-clumsy, uncoordinated, and accident prone,

-difficulty walking on uneven surfaces,

-confuse your right and left sides,

-prefer sedentary tasks, avoiding sports or physical activities

-frequently bump into people and things,

-easily fatigued by physical tasks,

-often knock drinks or other things over when reaching for them or nearby items

-feel the need to talk yourself through tasks,

-significant difficulty learning to tie things,

-dislike changes in plans or routines, needing structure,

-often described as "stubborn",

-are very emotional and sensitive, may also be prone to crying,

-can't seem to finish anything,

-have difficulty making decisions,

-prefer solitary activities rather than group participation,

-are often impatient and/or impulsive,

-don't always register or understand social cues and non verbal language

-have difficulty accepting defeat or forgiving yourself,

-easily frustrated

-need sameness and routines; need to know what to expect (need to know what to expect)

-get frequent panic or anxiety attacks

-OCD-type qualities,

-are easily distractible and often unorganized

-difficulty seeking out and maintaining relationships

-avoid eye contact

-difficulty falling asleep or getting on a sleep schedule.

Just overall I feel very numb to sensory input and my surroundings. As if everything just isn't as big a deal as others would feel it to be, like if I saw a movie with flashing special effects or listened to music with what is described as having really good rythm. The volume or scale at which other people describe things are far larger than the scales or sizes I would describe things to be at. Other times I get so much information coming in that I get an anxiety attack or more common an anxiety episode where I just get really freaking anxious and have to lie down or play games until it passes. Having an overload of information or not recognizing and being able to understand information seems to be the only thing that consistently triggers this anxiety.

I am not asking for an online diagnosis, as I'm aware only a doctor can provide this, but I'm asking if my experiences are so typical of a person with SPD that you would advise specific testing for it? And does this sound like SPD in general?

hi bab..my name is Kerry I have been doing research into sensory processing for an online business which I am hoping to start next year..I have found a site called pinterest you can sign up for free..if you put in sensory for adults it gives you loads of tips,advise and suggestions that might help you, it also gives advise on red flags for spd that show you what to look out for...I hope this helps sending hugs kez.x

We may not have the same sensory attributes. I can handle messy things, as long as I can wash up afterwards. I can't handle loud noises, they're often incapacitatingly painful, or flashing lights, they're dangerously disorienting. But in this society, sensory differences and/or autistic traits make us misfits. Even if we're not sensory misfits the same way, we're all sensory misfits together.