Hyposensitivity

[FireandShadows]

Ok, so I know Aspies can be hypersensitive to lots of things and I've also heard we can be hyposensitive to pain. But what about just general hyposensitivity? As in, you can't feel any sensation. If you rub your arm, you can't feel it unless you rub really hard or scratch. Does anyone else experience that? I often find it's worse when I'm starting to fall asleep. My entire body goes kind of numb and it keeps me awake for ages and I get really frustrated. I also experience hypersensitivity of the skin, but mostly when I'm in a meltdown or sensory overload.

 

[krisi]

I'm hypersensitive tactilely, whether I"m having a meltdown or not, but I might be hyposensitive when it comes to gustatory sensation. I find myself needing to put a lot of food in my mouth to really experience the taste. When I was little, my mom's first husband often told me to "stop eating like a chipmunk," and I often find that I have to slow myself down and take smaller bites even still, because I have this tendency to try to put a lot in my mouth very quickly in order to really taste it.

On the other hand, again in the tactile realm, I'm hypersensitive even in my pharynx. I have a normal swallow with a normal amount of stasis(what's leftover in your pharynx after the cricopharyngeus relaxes and contracts to let food into your esophogus. Also, stasis should be minimal. "Normal" stasis is barely anything left over). However, I find myself needing to vocalize or clear my throat after most swallows of most textures, because I can feel that teeny tiny amount of stasis. :blink:

 

[142857]

I've got a high tolerance for pain... except when it comes to dental work. Some of my experiences with dentists have been the stuff of nightmares. And I did do some screaming when I had my vasectomy done a few weeks ago - having told the doctor that I am largely immune to local anaesthetic he still gave me the tiny subcutaneous injection and went in with the surgical tools like a bull in a china shop. Ouch.

Other than that I think my taste buds, sense of smell, and hearing, are slightly more sensitive than most people.

Off topic, I had a girlfriend with a different neurological condition (severely bipolar). She was hyposensitive when it came to taste and smell. One night she nearly ate a salad full of rancid prawns that everyone at the table could smell (even from 2 or 3 metres away) except for her. She would also put huge amounts of salt on food just so that she could taste it. When she was a little kid she got her uncle, a farmer, to cut off a piece of a new salt lick. She kept it beside her bed and licked it regularly. When we went on a tour of the salt mines in Salzburg (Austria) she had a great time licking the walls.

 

[CJinherPJs]

I find that my face often becomes hyposensitive when I'm tired and I have to apply much more pressure just to feel it.

As for hypersensitivity, I occasionally get it with my hearing, but it's really not so bad now. When I was little, soft noises would seem loud, and loud noises would terrify me.

 

[OmegaGreen17]

The only real hyposensitivity I think I have is my over sensitivity inside my brain! Haha.

Also, some loud sounds can really "go through you" for me.

 

[FireandShadows]

@CJLurking - Yeah, that's like what I'm talking about, with the face thing. I just wanted to know that I'm not the only one it happens to XD

And yeah, loud, unexpected noises make me physically hurt and it kind of fries my brain, makes me panic. And high pitched sounds can instantly send me into panic and cause me to completely melt down because they hurt my head. There are some shops I can't go into because something makes a horrible sound that I simply cannot stand.

But CJ, you were saying it kind of got better as you got older?

 

[umbrellabeach]

I often find it's worse when I'm starting to fall asleep. My entire body goes kind of numb and it keeps me awake for ages and I get really frustrated.

I experience something similar; sometimes if I sit still or lie still for a long time I start to feel kind of weird and numb-ish, but if I just move around I feel normal again. The feeling makes me sleepy, though, so it's good if I'm going to sleep.

 

[FireandShadows]

I experience something similar; sometimes if I sit still or lie still for a long time I start to feel kind of weird and numb-ish, but if I just move around I feel normal again. The feeling makes me sleepy, though, so it's good if I'm going to sleep.

That's cool that you can feel normal again and it helps you sleep. That must be quite handy, lol. Swap? XD I'm joking.

 

[umbrellabeach]

That's cool that you can feel normal again and it helps you sleep. That must be quite handy, lol. Swap? XD I'm joking.

Well, it's funny because I thought everyone experienced that while going to sleep... when they say someone's almost asleep I imagine they feel like that. It's a pretty sleepy feeling. When I move around I wake up more, unless I'm really tired; then I just go back to sleep, lol.

 

[Ana54]

I'm hyposensitive to stimulation. I got really depressed that way.

 

[FireandShadows]

What, does the hyposensitivity depress you, or is it caused by your depression? Sorry, I didn't quite understand >.<

 

[CJinherPJs]

@CJLurking - Yeah, that's like what I'm talking about, with the face thing. I just wanted to know that I'm not the only one it happens to XD

And yeah, loud, unexpected noises make me physically hurt and it kind of fries my brain, makes me panic. And high pitched sounds can instantly send me into panic and cause me to completely melt down because they hurt my head. There are some shops I can't go into because something makes a horrible sound that I simply cannot stand.

But CJ, you were saying it kind of got better as you got older?

Sorry to keep you waiting. Yes, it did kind of improve as I got older but loud noises do still take a bit of getting used to. The vacuum cleaner was the worst offender when I was younger. Whenever my mum got it out I ran to my bedroom and covered my head with my quilt, I didn't want to be in the same room because the noise hurt my head. I still get that occasionally, it's like being in a different room or blocking my ears takes the edge off it, but the need to do this isn't as often as it used to be.

 

[Ana54]

The hyposensitivity depressed me.

 

[richbebo]

If i can hear music i really cannot understand people over it, i know this is normal if the music is loud enough but its at a volume where others dont seem to have a problem. Also if i am talking to someone on the phone and someone else tries to talk to me i just get really confused and cant understand either people.
Also caffien doesnt relie give me a boost put just a little bit after 6 in the evening thats it i cant sleep

Maybe i'm wrong and all people suffer from these i dont know lol

 

[FireandShadows]

@ Ana54 - I'm sorry that it has depressed you, truly. And I wish there was some way I could make it better. *hugs tightly*

Nerd by Default - I think I understand what you're talking about with the music, except I'm sort of the reverse; I can't hear the music if people are talking unless I turn it up loud, or I really focus. And the telephone thing, I definately understand. If more than one person starts to talk I have to tell them to shush otherwise I can't understand a word and feel a bit panicked.

CJLurking - That's ok ^^ I'm glad that it's become better than it was before. I also find putting my fingers in my ears takes the noise to a bareable level, but it makes me look a little strange at school, lol.

 

[jmnixon95]

I am hyposensitive with some tactile things (I like putting my feet under the front two legs of a chair while I'm sitting in a chair... everyone looks at me like I should be in pain, but I actually like doing so). However, I'd call myself, overall, a very hypersensitive person. My hearing is the most affected sense, though all of them are affected.

 

[CJinherPJs]

CJLurking - That's ok ^^ I'm glad that it's become better than it was before. I also find putting my fingers in my ears takes the noise to a bareable level, but it makes me look a little strange at school, lol.

Same, whenever the fire alarm goes off at school I just plug my ears with my fingers until I leave the building... which can take a while when the whole school is evacuating. I find it quite stressful, being in a crowded environment with a loud, high-pitched noise but hey, I held it together. :lol:

 

[FireandShadows]

Same, whenever the fire alarm goes off at school I just plug my ears with my fingers until I leave the building... which can take a while when the whole school is evacuating. I find it quite stressful, being in a crowded environment with a loud, high-pitched noise but hey, I held it together. :lol:

Well done for holding it together! I don't think I'd be able to, lol. Fortunately, my school's small, so it wouldn't take long to get away from the noise.

 

[RooRoo]

i can feel pain however when i was a teen i remember grabbing a light bulb that was on it took a few seconds for me to realize thats hot and that hurts... i tend to bump in the things a lot and hit my head a lot . i have knock my self uncontentious one time and had a concussion most likely more than once. i tend to not remember running into things and i bruise really easy so when im asked how did you get that bruise im sorry but i just do not remember . i spent most of my child hood in a small school but transfered to a new larger school for more help with school work and tutoring they did not think i would do well with a bigger school with more people but i did. i do get annoyed at certain noises such as clocks ticking bells people chumping food making noises with their mouth or taping on a table or a lot of people talking allat once or even asking me to many questions all at once i just can not stand all those things.

 

[Calcifer]

I'm hypersensitive to certain things, like if someone lightly tickles my arm. But, when I scratch my arm enough that you'd think it'd cause pain, it doesn't hurt (or, in my case, ease my itch).