1. What brings you here?

Just realized that what I have is treatable. I'd been thinking I was a HSP, not realizing I have had mild SPD from birth. Great to learn how many resources there are for people with SPD! and they seem to help me!

2. What is your relations to someone with SPD? Do you have it? a child of yours? Do you treat SPD kids as a professional?

have it

3. Share a little of your journey if you'd like.

Always been sensitive, thought I'd just have to deal with it. My definition was that normal things that I can't escape in life were like torture.

Felt like I'd be going along, and every now and then people in dark suits would show up and abduct and torture me for a few minutes to weeks, when a sensory disaster happened. I couldn't feel safe, because sensory disasters could happen anytime as part of life. Felt like I was just marked to be tortured regularly.

Any number of normal occurrences (injuries, dental stuff, hair cuts, cutting my fingernails too short, sheets on bed being wrinkled) can be very traumatic. My boyfriend got angry at me for crying so much about stuff he thought was no big deal. He thought I was a big baby, even though I am handling a lot of other really difficult (non-sensory) challenges really well. (I am in treatment for Lyme disease.)

But great to learn that stuff like skin brushing and sensory diet can help. I'm already trying to make a sensory diet for myself and it makes me feel so much better -- and I haven't even seen an OT yet or gotten the right brushes in the mail (they are coming via priority mail!).

4. Is there any immediate help you need?

recommendations of books, OTs in north Texas,

Which sensory diet activities or products help you the most?

my issues are mostly with touch on my skin (scratchy stuff, clothes that cut off at weird places like 3/4 sleeves, tags, seams) and noises (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, bass music, loud sounds). I basically try to keep my body and environment feeling exactly the same all the time. I wear clothes that feel similar to one another, I always wear the same type of socks, my bed has to be just so, etc.

5. SPD doesn't run your life! What are you or your child's gifts? Interests?

Consciousness and reality. I read a lot of books. I write a funny and insightful blog. I am a resource person for people with Lyme, I hook people up with info.

6. What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies or interests?

David Icke fan. trying to get through Lyme disease, it's pretty absorbing.
I like stuffed animals, I have a bunch of Snoopies and a cute lamb. I get the ones with good faces.

Welcome Ledum! You are dealing with a lot, with Lyme disease and your SPD... do you think being ill has made your SPD worse? It's always interesting to observe what triggers those times when, as you say, the men in suits come. Having adults with SPD around to talk to parents who have young children with SPD is so valuable as they try to work out what is happening for their child.

Yes, maybe being sick has changed my biochemistry and lowered my coping resources, and it's given me physical, as opposed to sensory, aversion to noises, where I feel pain in my eardrums, rather than in my brain.

But from my perspective, SPD has caused a lot more suffering than Lyme disease. I think that depending on the person SPD could be as painful as almost any other condition.

(05-06-2011, 06:15 AM)BusyMum Wrote: Welcome Ledum! You are dealing with a lot, with Lyme disease and your SPD... do you think being ill has made your SPD worse? It's always interesting to observe what triggers those times when, as you say, the men in suits come. Having adults with SPD around to talk to parents who have young children with SPD is so valuable as they try to work out what is happening for their child.

Hi Ledum, welcome! I'm an adult with SPD as well. I thought I was HSP. Even that was better than just thinking I was a pain in the butt. I just joined the forum a few weeks ago. It's a great resource. Lots of friendly, knowledgeable people.
I could relate to so many things you said about sound and tactile and never being able to predict when you were going to jetteson into sensory hell.
I look forward to hearing how your brushing turns out. I haven't looked into that yet.

Yeah! Skin brushing and sensory toys seem to be a great way to cope with sensory emergencies.

I'm going through one myself now for the next few days (need to wait til next week to get my dental appliance adjusted, ugh), and I'm getting through it better because of playing with squishy toys. got a squishy gorilla toy at walmart.

I also ordered some sensory toys from National Autism Resources (http://www.nationalautismresources.com/s...ation.html). They have some great stuff and it's not too expensive.

You can get the skin brushes there for a few dollars: http://www.nationalautismresources.com/w...brush.html

here's a video on how to do the skin brushing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47mm9jW0LM

I've been doing it with a brush used for lymphatic skin brushing (a different thing), and the brush is too hard, so I'm eager to get the right brushes in the mail.

I do notice that if I do these things OFTEN, then my brain feels different. The hands make up a big part of our brain's sensory map, so if we can keep getting lots of pleasant stimuli on our hands, maybe that can inhibit the sensing of some of the unpleasant stimuli.

Also knitting using a Knifty Knitter from walmart. Very easy to learn and if it's comfortable for you it's a good distraction and you can feel like you're getting something done. I made a little baby hat in about an hour last night. Pretty fun!

(05-07-2011, 01:58 PM)ledum Wrote: Yeah! Skin brushing and sensory toys seem to be a great way to cope with sensory emergencies.


I also ordered some sensory toys from National Autism Resources (http://www.nationalautismresources.com/s...ation.html). They have some great stuff and it's not too expensive.

You can get the skin brushes there for a few dollars: http://www.nationalautismresources.com/w...brush.html

here's a video on how to do the skin brushing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47mm9jW0LM

I do notice that if I do these things OFTEN, then my brain feels different. The hands make up a big part of our brain's sensory map, so if we can keep getting lots of pleasant stimuli on our hands, maybe that can inhibit the sensing of some of the unpleasant stimuli.

This is helpful info! You should add it to the thread about skin brushing. Thanks again.