Greetings. I'm 35, and am pretty sure I have had SPD or some sort of sensory issues for most of my life. It's been a lifetime of ups and downs, and of course when I was a child my family didn't know much about sensory anything, so I was sometimes treated harshly and told to buck up and deal with it.

I've done moderately well at learning how to cope but my challenges with noise take a daily toll. I am being treated for depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder (though I'm not sure about the bipolar diagnosis). Although I have never hesitated to seek treatment for those issues, I have always been too anxious to talk to a health care professional about my sensory issues. (Which is really dumb, since I have a feeling that they are probably at the root of my other illnesses.) I've managed to have a fairly normal life, am married and have a son, but I'm finally just... too tired to keep simply "coping".

(The woman who works near my desk at work just came back from lunch eating an apple, so I have to go somewhere ASAP where I can't hear her eating.)

I'm looking for help, basically. All the stuff I've read seems to point me toward misophonia, and everything I read about misophonia seems to fit me to a T. When I look for resources on OT or treatment, it seems like it is all geared toward children ONLY, and not adults. Any advice on finding treatment, and where to start? Do I start with my primary physician? I have a good counselor, but she is clueless about sensory issues and seems to think I just need desensitization.

I'd really like to have a more normal (or at least peaceful) life, someday.

Thank you.

Welcome. I really hope you can start to find the help you need.

For me, I looked around for OTs first before talking to my primary physician. The OT I found deals with SPD, but mostly in kids, so it was enquiring with her as to whether she did take adult patients - which she does. So make that enquiry. Some may primarily deal with kids but will take adults.

Then I spoke to my GP, armed with info about SPD and that the OT is the person to deal with/diagnose. He happily then wrote me a referral.

Best move I've made. I haven't had many OT sessions, but they've helped me a lot, particularly with giving me techniques I can use myself.

Definitely ask the OT if they will take you but my guess would be yes. Maybe most of sensory therapy is aimed at kids with everyone going with early intervention, but a good OT will be able to apply the theory in a meaningful way to any age group.

Maybe also look into a weighted blanket and/or compression wear. And someone - I think Sirena? mentioned ear plugs that cut out some sound ranges that are most aggravating, maybe try those as well.

I can't remember who said it(TT?) but also put a sensory toolkit together for yourself. maybe just search for tool and see what comes up - think it was TT but she had some really awesome advice on this part.

Don't just keep "coping"... it can't be easy or a happy place for you.

Hope you can find an OT and start on this path soon!