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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

sensory nightmare

153 replies

sensorynightmare · 29/04/2023 21:23

just thought this might be an interesting thread!

what is your sensory nightmare?! either NT, ND, ASD, doesn't matter anyone can comment :)

mine is grease- it gives me absolute shudders and I can't eat anything greasy with my hands. I use a spoon or gloves for crisps and the idea of eating a McDonalds/any takeaway with my hands makes me feel physically sick. I can't tolerate skincare products that feel remotely greasy either.

the other thing is the feeling of being in my bed and not having any socks on and my feet sweating on the covers. again, can't explain how sick this makes me feel but it is absolutely awful!

what's your sensory nightmare? :)

OP posts:
Bk1000 · 29/04/2023 23:22

Being in a crowded hot shop with too many layers on and my kids whining or arguing. It’s my worst nightmare, being hot makes me start to get itchy, people all around me jostling me and then the added noise and stress of my kids acting up, it’s enough to make me explode. I’m so glad I can do most shopping online these days!

tolerable · 29/04/2023 23:22

same

CasparBloomberg · 29/04/2023 23:33

Touching brushed metal, even the thought of it can set me off in cold sweat and nausea.
Also the smell if the metal gets wet, it’s so overpowering.
Have to be really careful around metal sinks

Margot78 · 29/04/2023 23:33

When the self service machines in our local supermarket are all ‘talking’ at the same time. Literally can’t bear it!

miniegg3 · 29/04/2023 23:42

Anything that feels dry.. like flour, chalk, wooden cutlery, newspaper cardboard, that disgusting sugar paper stuff you had to use at school, especially if I had short sleeves on and it touched my arm when writing on it 🤢 bare feet on the hard floor when there are tiny gritty crumby bits on it

CasparBloomberg · 29/04/2023 23:47

Reading a few of the touch sensory ones eg microfibre, paper I think they’re similar to the brushed metal I have. It’s intersting to see how many it affects.

I also forgot the sound of felt tip pens, that’s horrendous.

Emmmie · 29/04/2023 23:49

Velvet. It makes me shudder.

Lonecatwithkitten · 29/04/2023 23:50

Being tickled, my family never tickle anyone as I find it so upsetting.

We encourage children to have body autonomy in every other way apart from tickling.

minipie · 29/04/2023 23:54

Flour. And chalk dust. Especially a thin layer on a surface. Aaaargh.

Stephhh87 · 29/04/2023 23:56

Chalk.
Metal cutlery on plates.
burping.

midnightblue12 · 29/04/2023 23:57

Baggy socks which fall down.
Baggy bedding that separates away from the duvet inside.
Little bits of hair in my face.
Tights that don't fit properly and fall down giving you a weird crotch situation.

I honestly couldn't switch off from any of those things if they happened to me!

Nevermind31 · 29/04/2023 23:58

qbnespw · 29/04/2023 21:27

The same noise, or phrase repeated again and again. It gives me the rage so quickly.

This - can actually give me a migraine

yipitsher · 29/04/2023 23:59

Mine is body lotion I cannot bear my skin being all tacky - Same applies with roll on deodorant- who the hell wants sticky arm pits?

yipitsher · 30/04/2023 00:01

Jelly babies- I can't stand that squeaky powder feeling that they have 🤬

UrsulaBelle · 30/04/2023 00:09

For me it had always been metal scraped against metal, cutlery or serving spoons. I could never stand to hear knives being sharpened. Just recently I’ve realised as my hearing has deteriorated in my middle age, I can’t hear those high frequencies anymore and the horror has gone! 😉

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 30/04/2023 00:11

qbnespw · 29/04/2023 21:27

The same noise, or phrase repeated again and again. It gives me the rage so quickly.

Oh me too with this one - can’t stand a phrase (or noise) repeated over and ov

The sound of polystyrene is mine, sets my teeth right on edge

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 30/04/2023 00:11

Also the though of anyone biting wool

NotAnotherBathBomb · 30/04/2023 00:31

Hellocatshome · 29/04/2023 21:26

Wet tissue, I would actually rather gouge my eyes out than touch it.

Yep. Only made worse with the addition of a clump of hair.

Swimming pool changing rooms are my worst nightmare. I feel seen in Motherland.

NotAnotherBathBomb · 30/04/2023 00:34

Oh god and speaking of swimming pools, having to touch wet socks 🤢 and I DESPISE those blue plastic bag things they make you put on over shoes. Touching them to remove them after they're wet makes me want to faint.

When I see instructors walking around barefoot I feel so queasy I could never do it

DramaAlpaca · 30/04/2023 00:47

I'm having to skim through this thread. I can't read lots of the posts as they are making me squirm uncomfortably.

Someone mentioned bits of food left in a sink plughole - someone at work does this and it nauseates me.

One of the worst things for me is labels on clothes. I have to cut them off in case they rub on my skin, I can't bear that sensation.

OldTinHat · 30/04/2023 00:51

Cotton wool and polystyrene. *shudders...

Itsmebutnotme · 30/04/2023 00:52

Earthenware.... Ugh!

CockSpadget · 30/04/2023 01:07

Hiccups. Whether it’s me that has them, or someone else near me. Makes me irrationally angry.
Bones cracking. Eg, people cracking their knuckles, makes me feel properly nauseous.

Puddock1 · 30/04/2023 01:11

Walking on the wet floors of swimming pool changing rooms/toilets in your bare feet. Hate the slimy sensation so much!

CustardySergeant · 30/04/2023 01:15

UnctuousUnicorns "Buttons. Horrible, slimy wee things."

Buttons are dry, not slimy.