# Why does being wrapped up tightly calm my anxiety? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278 "2016-11-09T20:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/21 "2016-11-10T11:50:51Z")
It’s not really that people have autism that makes them respond positively to deep pressure, it’s that people with autism very often have sensory processing issues in addition to being on the spectrum. Many people with ADHD have sensory issues too, and you can have _neither_ disorder and still have sensory issues. It’s a wide-spread enough reaction that they sell weighted blankets for both children and adults. I have ADHD and I’m contemplating buying [one of these](http://www.mosaicweightedblankets.com/womens-adult-weighted-blanket-large/) myself. There are other weighted products too, so you might also like browsing [this page](http://www.mosaicweightedblankets.com/weighted-products/). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/22 "2016-11-10T11:57:25Z")
> [@ripply](#): > > I’m not sure it does have the same effect. > > I don’t routinely discuss this with people but from what I’ve learnt, a lot of people would find it positively unpleasant, or even disturbing. Yes, just the thought of it makes me shudder. The idea of being squeezed and unable to move gives me the creeps. Different strokes… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/23 "2016-11-10T11:59:09Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > In the [Temple Grandin](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278469/) movie, they showed her having to create experimental evidence that the hug machine worked. She had other girls at her school try it out and documented the results. Some of the girls found it relaxing, some were indifferent, and some had more “unusual” reactions. > > I’m not sure why there would be that difference, but in the movie it seemed that some people found it comforting as well who weren’t on the spectrum. I’d be likely to freak out, but then, I tend to freak out when I’m physically restricted (tell me to climb a rock wall, lunch is up there, and I’m likely to do it; tell me I have to wear a safety harness to do it and I’ll find another source of food). I’ve seen babies have different reactions to being constrained, and to being constrained in different ways, but IANAPsychologist and have no idea whether or how much those preferences are lifelong. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/24 "2016-11-10T14:53:07Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > …and some had more “unusual” reactions. Such as? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/25 "2016-11-10T15:50:09Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Temple Grandin wrote about this in one of her books, I think it was _Thinking in Pictures_. She had built a special “squeeze box” device to compress her body when she felt anxious. I remember a similar device mentioned in the title essay in Oliver Sacks book [An Anthropologist on Mars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Anthropologist_on_Mars). Some googling shows that, yep, it is the same person. > [@markn\_1](#): > > Oh, [here’s a description](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hug_machine) of her squeeze box. Must…adult. Must…not…snark… ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278/26 "2016-11-10T15:58:59Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Such as? One of the women found it pleasurable. However, I’m not sure if that really happened back when she conducted her experiment or if it was movie fiction. In any case, they made it seem like not everyone had the same reaction to being in the device. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-being-wrapped-up-tightly-calm-my-anxiety/771278.md?page=1)