Mary Jane, in her article, talks about her aversion to clothes with
fitted waistbands, various food textures (tomato sauce is fine.
Tomatoes are verboten!).
She and I share an aversion to loud TVs, unsolicited touch, large
crowds, and more. She lists many more from a survey she took of
attendees at the 4th annual ADDA conference that was held in
Washington, DC back in 1998. It's quite interesting to see what
adults with AD/HD listed as trouble spots. You can read her survey
results at http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26415
In working with adults with AD/HD, I will usually ask if they are
bothered by hypersensitivities and often they are amazed to hear
that they are not alone. Perhaps you too are bothered by the things
listed above and never realized the connection between that and
having AD/HD.
What To Do
First, recognize that this is part of your own neurology. You are
simply more sensitive to your environment and your own "skin".
Instead of trying to tough it out, find ways to make your life more
comfortable.
Here are some ideas to help you manage your hypersensitivities:
The main point is to stop fighting what you can't control and find
ways to ease you into your days with as much comfort as possible.
Remember, you're not "weird"...it's just your wiring.
Helpful Resources
"The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine Aron (Broadway-1997)
"Too Loud, Too Bright, To Loud, To Tight: What to do if you are
sensory defensive in an overstimulating world" by Sharon Heller PhD
(Harper Collins – 2002)
"Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD" by Terry Matlen, MSW
(Specialty Press-2004)
"Women with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Sari Solden, MS, MFCC
(Underwood Books-1995)
Copyright Terry Matlen, MSW and Mary Jane Johnson, PCC,
ACT
Terry Matlen, MSW., ACSW, is a psychotherapist and consultant
specializing in AD/HD in adults. She is the author of "Survival
Tips for Women with AD/HD", director of http://www.addconsults.com and
myADDstore.com and serves on the board of directors of the
Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA). A popular presenter
at local and national conferences, Ms. Matlen has a passion for
raising awareness of the special challenges for women with AD/HD
and the unique issues parents face when both they and their
children have AD/HD.
Mary Jane Johnson, ACT, PCC, is a Professional Certified Coach that
works with women who have ADD and are struggling with organization
and time management. She was on the founding board of ADDA (1989)
and is currently Vice President of Programming.
Comment
Comment by Batlise on May 3, 2011 at 6:31pm
Comment by Melody on April 27, 2011 at 10:20pm I have the same symptoms as Renae and also have two children who are definitely diagnosed ADHD. In fact, due to the complexities of their issues I have come to conclusion, along with our team of support professionals, to have them both receive a neurological evaluation to rule out the possibility of aspergers disorder. This is for some reason a really hard thing for me to do.... emotionally.
I blog about out trials and struggles at Life's Twisted Stitches, for those who are interested in reading more about parenting 2 children with neurological challenges.
Comment by Karen DeBolt on April 27, 2011 at 3:03pm I struggle so much with sensory sensitivities especially to fragrance. Its so bad that I now just tell people that I'm allergic to perfume so that they can understand why I'm trying not to vomit. Its horrible in restaurants especially because it will literally turn my stomach if someone has too much cologne on in the next booth! I can't go into any kind of import store anymore because of the incense or potpourri smells! These are smells that most people enjoy which makes it even harder to explain.
I hear all the time from my clients who have children with ADHD that they are struggling with sensitivities of various kinds. The most common is the infamous tags in clothes and the seams in socks--fortunately its getting easier to find tagless and seamless clothes so that makes it easier. I'm hoping that sensory issues will be included in the latest DSM when it comes out because it is such a misunderstood aspect.
Comment by Tammy L on September 23, 2009 at 7:57pm
Comment by Becca Colao on June 9, 2009 at 4:24pm © 2013 Created by Terry Matlen.
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