How sensitive are you to stimuli?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Constant sounds (like the humming of the cooler behind me) are okay, most of the time. Chewing, however, makes my blood boil. I try really hard not to let it, but I can’t stand the sound of chewing. Ardred makes huge concessions on this for me, and I love him for it.

Anything that blocks my vision (like a dirty windshield) drives me batty.

I think I have a really sensitive sense of smell. I can smell disinfectant very strongly. Also, if food is about to spoil, it smells absolutely awful to me, especially milk.

22

Am I the only person in the middle of the spectrum? When I’m concentrating I’ll ignore things going on around me, but all it takes to get my attention is to say my name.

23

When I’m otherwise absorbed, someone has to repeat my name several times to get me to pay attention. However, when nothing much is going on, but there’s background conversation, I often think people have said my name when they haven’t.

24

I’m pretty sensitive, and it drives me (and probably my family) crazy. (I think I’m getting worse as I get older, too.) I have to have a fan in my room because the noise of the tv two rooms away will keep me awake, and if the hallway light is on, the faint light beneath the door will give me a headache if I don’t turn toward the wall.
My hearing is very acute, so volume drives me crazy. Even worse, though, is when the car radio is on, the kids are yammering, and someone is talking to me at the same time. That can trigger a bout of oversensitivity that can last days, and it’s just damned awful.
I think some of my sensitivities are related to hormones, too. Usually the progression is of things that bother me escalates. One day it’ll be the too-loud tv, the next few days I’ll start to notice how everyone is touching me all the time, a day or so later I’ll realize I can’t even stand the feel of water hitting my skin in the shower. Then something will shift and boom! back to normal. It’s bizarre and somewhat scary. :frowning: Last time I realized I couldn’t even stand to take a two-minute shower I promised myself I’d go to the doctor if I got that bad again.