For Women with ADHD ADD Who Want to Connect
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Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen, ACSW on Hey wow! I have quirky sensitivities... never occurred to me they may possibly relate to ADD, interesting link!
My number one irritant: Competing Sounds
I have a "competing sound" intolerance. A magnified example is two people talking on their cell phones next to each other. I simply cannot tolerate any competing sounds.
If I am talking to someone on the phone and can hear a dog, kid, radio etc in the background I have to hang up.
If I am watching tv with another person and they start talking, I have to mute the TV.
If I am watching a show that uses useless background filler music noise while people are talking, I have to change the channel.
Even the sound of a football game makes me nuts - the commentator speaking with the noise of the game in the background.
My irritation level goes from 0 to 60 in 1.3 seconds flat when I hear competing sounds. Unfortunately I have explosively blurted out SHUT - UP!!!! more than once, then have to explain my little quirk =(
I am also sensitive to certain lighting scenarios. Im ashamed about this reference LOL but for example on the Jersey Shore - I cant watch the show because each scene intro has this weird camera shake, mild strobe light effect to it.
I have always had a fabric intolerance. I recall screaming bloody murder for hours one halloween until my mother got my uber itchy costume off of me. I would often strip naked when I was very young, no matter where we were. Everytime we review the baby books the comment is "ah... my little streaker" lol
Now I cut the tags out of my clothes, even one little bit left sticking out makes me crazy. I have not even attempted to wear nylons in almost 20 yrs. Ive left many a perfectly good clothing items at the goodwill because I hated the way it felt. I strongly prefer cotton jersey, and any suits I own must be fully lined. I have even left work mid day because my clothes were making me crazy!
Permalink Reply by Sarah Christine Gogstetter on Permalink Reply by Kitty on Kitty,
I have the same sound issues and in fact, that's how I got my ADD diagnosis. I thought there was something wrong with my hearing- I couldn't hear on the phone if there was the slightest noise in the room or if there was background noise on the other person's line. I went for a hearing test and was told my hearing was above normal.
I kept researching, trying to understand my other symptoms too, and finally got an ADD diagnosis.
A LOT of these sensory issues are discussed in the book, "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Se...." You will be amazed to see so much of you described in that book.
Terry
Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen, ACSW on Terry thank you so much for the book suggestion! I am going to order more books on the topic, to also help loved ones get a better idea of what it is like inside my skin. Hopefully they will begin to realize nagging and whining at me won't do squat to motivate me, it will just make me stop answering the phone =).
I recently ordered the "survival tips" book, which I am now hoping to learn through osmosis, since it hasn't yet presented any competition to my impulsiveness =).
Terry Matlen, ACSW said:Kitty,
I have the same sound issues and in fact, that's how I got my ADD diagnosis. I thought there was something wrong with my hearing- I couldn't hear on the phone if there was the slightest noise in the room or if there was background noise on the other person's line. I went for a hearing test and was told my hearing was above normal.
I kept researching, trying to understand my other symptoms too, and finally got an ADD diagnosis.
A LOT of these sensory issues are discussed in the book, "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Se...." You will be amazed to see so much of you described in that book.
Terry
Permalink Reply by TU on Permalink Reply by Kitty on Kitty,
You're welcome! There's not enough written about sensory issues in adults, if you ask me; that's why I like that book so much.
And thanks for ordering my book. You can jump around in that one; no need to read cover to cover. : )
Terry
Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen, ACSW on Hi Terry, Yes I noticed and appreciated the format! You can tell it is by someone who understands ADD just by the way every page is not packed top to bottom with single spaced lines of 6pt font hahhahhaa Allow me to commend you on your ability to call it "finished" and get it out there!
I have a few childrens books that by all means are finished, are (I think) really great and contain subject not yet covered. I've even researched and selected a few agents for submission. But alas I get stuck, I really want to illustrate them too. After teaching myself to recreate my vision with software, over obsessing on every detail, finishing about half of them, I discovered that literary agents want the text only, no drawings, especially from not-yet-published authors. That quandry led to such severe indecision I have not done anything with them for a good 10 months =(.
So I'm hoping confessing all that will help me re-engage with it. Thats a new thing I learned, it seems confessing my shameful things releases the burden somehow - then by magic I actually start working on it, instead of just lugging it around as baggage!!
Hoping to make it to a chat sometime, thanks so much for this website!
Terry Matlen, ACSW said:Kitty,
You're welcome! There's not enough written about sensory issues in adults, if you ask me; that's why I like that book so much.
And thanks for ordering my book. You can jump around in that one; no need to read cover to cover. : )
Terry
Permalink Reply by Sarah Christine Gogstetter on I have found that I am much less distractible under incandescent light than fluorescent light, even the modern fluorescent light bulbs. I find I can read a lot more easily in incandescent lights than the fluorescent ones. This is huge since I am a science major and have to read a lot of math and physics textbooks, which can be difficult to read under any light. I do find my ADD meds make me a whole lot less sensitive to touchy, feely sensations. There have been a few night where I literally had to take a Ritalin in order to sleep because otherwise the sheets, my clothes, my pillows would all drive my body crazy. I became less sensitive to smells after I went up on my antidepressant, or at least I can usually tolerate them better.
As far as elastics, that is in fact an allergy for me. Elastic is a rubber and if you are allergic to latex/rubber, then it will make you itch too. I am also violently allergic to wool. Also, I absolutely cannot stand the smell of bananas, but that too is an allergen too. I am allergic to horses and horse poop. I used to hate horses, inspite of my mom's absolute love for them. I no longer hate them, because I now realize I am violently allergic to them. Sometimes the things we are sensitive to, might actually be indicative of a mild allergy. It is especially indicative of this if the problem gets progressively worse or intense. Some of my sensitivities have evolved into full blown allergies. I now get hives from wool and rubber based products, I now wheeze whenever I am around horses, I get really sick if I eat broccoli, and so forth.
Histamine, the chemical that goes up when you are having allergies is a neurotransmitter and is in the stomach too. So maybe the only thing you get starting off is an itchy brain and slightly queasy stomach. I have found I am more easily annoyed by stuff when my allergies are fully active. Maybe you are allergic to the paper of the tags in your shirts, I've noticed that the ones that bug me the most cause me to itch and develop a rash.
Another thing to consider is that since many ADD/ADHD people live very stressful lives, we might be closer to adrenal fatigue than some other people. Cortisol is a steroidal hormone that suppresses allergies, which is produced by the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands. Now when you are stressed you produce more adrenaline and cortisol. This overproduction of cortisol can leave our bodies depleted of our natural cortisol.
Last thing, I have noticed that I get more sensitive to stuff when I'm dehydrated or my blood sugar gets too low or I haven't had enough protein. My sensitivities decrease when I replenish these nutrients.
Permalink Reply by Terry Matlen, ACSW on Does my comment make sense to anyone other than myself? I was trying to share strategies I have developed/discovered that have helped me reduce my sensivity to my enviroment.
I do still have somethings that drive me nuts like the sensation of friction between my writing instrument and my paper. I buy gel pens or other pens that write smoothly, my pencils have to write smoothly. I like using pencil lead that writes smoothly and dark because they write more smoothly. If I have to use an old fashioned blackboard, I have found that colored chalk writes with less friction than white chalk. I buy special binder paper that is narrow-ruled and has a smooth texture. also I buy liquid highlighters because they remain brighter than ordinary highlighters.
I use fans to help buffer auditory distractions, including silencing the silence. I even have the use of a table fan as one of my test accommodations at school.
There is one sensation I absolutely can't stand to this day is the feeling of gritty friction. It sends chills through my entire body. Cotton balls and fancy pens can create this sensation.
Sarah Christine Gogstetter said:I have found that I am much less distractible under incandescent light than fluorescent light, even the modern fluorescent light bulbs. I find I can read a lot more easily in incandescent lights than the fluorescent ones. This is huge since I am a science major and have to read a lot of math and physics textbooks, which can be difficult to read under any light. I do find my ADD meds make me a whole lot less sensitive to touchy, feely sensations. There have been a few night where I literally had to take a Ritalin in order to sleep because otherwise the sheets, my clothes, my pillows would all drive my body crazy. I became less sensitive to smells after I went up on my antidepressant, or at least I can usually tolerate them better.
As far as elastics, that is in fact an allergy for me. Elastic is a rubber and if you are allergic to latex/rubber, then it will make you itch too. I am also violently allergic to wool. Also, I absolutely cannot stand the smell of bananas, but that too is an allergen too. I am allergic to horses and horse poop. I used to hate horses, inspite of my mom's absolute love for them. I no longer hate them, because I now realize I am violently allergic to them. Sometimes the things we are sensitive to, might actually be indicative of a mild allergy. It is especially indicative of this if the problem gets progressively worse or intense. Some of my sensitivities have evolved into full blown allergies. I now get hives from wool and rubber based products, I now wheeze whenever I am around horses, I get really sick if I eat broccoli, and so forth.
Histamine, the chemical that goes up when you are having allergies is a neurotransmitter and is in the stomach too. So maybe the only thing you get starting off is an itchy brain and slightly queasy stomach. I have found I am more easily annoyed by stuff when my allergies are fully active. Maybe you are allergic to the paper of the tags in your shirts, I've noticed that the ones that bug me the most cause me to itch and develop a rash.
Another thing to consider is that since many ADD/ADHD people live very stressful lives, we might be closer to adrenal fatigue than some other people. Cortisol is a steroidal hormone that suppresses allergies, which is produced by the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands. Now when you are stressed you produce more adrenaline and cortisol. This overproduction of cortisol can leave our bodies depleted of our natural cortisol.
Last thing, I have noticed that I get more sensitive to stuff when I'm dehydrated or my blood sugar gets too low or I haven't had enough protein. My sensitivities decrease when I replenish these nutrients.
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