My 'texture issues' have always been a little joke with my friends

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My 'texture issues' have always been a little joke with my friends

But Ive never thought about some of the weird habits/issues I have with some things until someone told me about synesthesia (which sounds interesting, but isn't my deal) which eventually led me here.

Most of my things are about touch, usually textures. When it comes to eating any type of soggy bread is a big no-no, I usually avoid sandwiches/subs and burgers because some kind of sauce or oil could have soaked into the bread. Even touching it will make me gag let alone putting it in my mouth, which then I wouldn't even be able to make myself swallow the food. Bread or croutons dipped in soup, cookies dipped in milk type things absolutely gross me out just by looking at them because ill feel/imagine the texture in my mouth. Cant do 'soft chunks' of foods: chunks in salsa or pasta sauces with tomato, onion etc chunks. Mushrooms raw or cooked, cooked onion is the worst feeling after the soggy bread...

I cannot stand wet hair, it grosses me out to touch or to feel my hair being touched by someone else while wet. Anything that feels rough/dry/cracked or bumpy I cannot help but pick at/rub over constantly. I avoid some types of... dry feeling fabrics? It feels uncomfortable to touch softer paper napkins/kleenex and after using them I have to rub my fingers together or on something else to get rid of the feeling. Sometimes I get the feeling in my mouth as if i was chewing on napkin, grinding it between my teeth... and that's just not a pleasant feeling haha. Takes forever to get rid of the sensation. Whispy, fluffy types fabrics, like cotton balls or cotton stuffing, those foam mats you put over your mattress are all veryyyy unpleasant.

Ugh... there are so many of these little things I could never type them all, but Im glad to see that some people here have mentioned similar feelings because my friends usually think Im nuts if I mention any of these little annoyances/habits! :)

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My 'texture issues' have always been a little joke with my friends

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Jan 31, 2012
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I have the exact same problem
by: Anonymous

Ever since I was a kid, my fingernails and fingertips have always had this problem. This problem doesn't bother me very much anymore because I don't clip my fingernails too short. It has mostly been my fingertips that have been bothering me, and the only textures that I love are rubber, metal, plastic, and leather. Leather is best :3 !

If you are having the same problem with your fingertips, I advise that you let your fingernails grow out a centimeter or two. My fingernails scrape the horizon of my fingertips whenever I check. Don't let your fingernails grow out too far though, you'll get hangnails, and my fingers usually tend to feel uncomfortable whenever I let my fingernails grow out too far.

Does anyone else have this problem also with their skin and not just their fingertips? 'cuz I've always had this with all of my skin: legs, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, neck, face, ears, and feet.

Dec 06, 2011
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.
by: Charlie

my food phobias started when I was 2. I'm now 19 and I'm only slightly better.
Are any of you getting better, if so, how?

Dec 05, 2011
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texture issue
by: Anonymous

omg me 2! its just in my mouth. pudding, jello,yogurt, even melted ice cream and pancakes make me gag! that puffy gooy feeling is so gross to me.

Oct 05, 2011
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Peach fuzz and velvet
by: Anonymous

I have this serious aversion to peach fuzz or anything that feels velvety. It gives me chills all over my body to even think of peaches. The worst thing for me is to see someone eating an unpeeled peach. I must immediately cover my front teeth with my tongue or else they hurt. I love peeled peaches. The texture of the fruit does nothing to me, it's just the skin. Anyone else have that issue? However, now that I'm reading, I realize that I do have issues with other textures. I was that kid who always tore off their shoes if the seam on the socks were out of line. I hate itchy fabrics or tight cotton clothing.

Also, I don't like to see my foods mixed on a plate. It bugged the heck out of me when my mom would serve me a meal as a kid b/c she would slop the food on the plate and everything would get mixed together. Major no-no in my book. I like to eat one thing at a time & don't like my foods to touch. I hate to see people mix up their foods, looks like dog food. And I really, really hate to see people take a bite of food then immediately take a big sip of their drink and swish everything together before swallowing. Disgusting! Anyhow, I'm a weirdo! Glad there are others like me! :)

Sep 14, 2011
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Omg
by: Anonymous

I found this site after my boyfriend asked why I freak out so much when he touches/scratches the blankets in our bed. I thought it was getting better for the longest time, I could control making a fist and getting angry but it happened again tonight I have been like this all my life. When I was a kid I would sleep in an inside out sleeping bag because that WA Athens only texture that did no bother me. Now I sleep with my feet on the cold wall. Is there any treatment for this? I really can't be freaking out anyone scratches their jeans or when I make my bed. Help!

Aug 23, 2011
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I thought I was crazy.
by: Nikole Wisnicky

Thank you for sharing. Here I was, thinking I was alone with this.

I have most of my problems with fabrics and especially after a shower. Towels, blankets, bed sheets, shirts, pants, unclothing, socks. Basically anything that isn't metal or plastic makes me cringe.

Seeing commercials where someone wipes their hand across a bed sheet makes me sick!
So do many other things like turning pages in a book... Thank god I'm not alone in this..

Aug 22, 2011
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Me too!!
by: Anonymous

I have a terrible texture issue too!! I cant touch towels if there dry, i cant touch wood, and i cant touch tissues. I hate it! My boyfriend thinks its funny, he'll grab a towel outta the dryer and chase me with it =/

Aug 18, 2011
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This sounds so much like me!
by: Anonymous

This sounds so much like me! Soggy bread is definitely out! I hate soggy things- bread, crackers, etc. The only type of toast that I like is Italian toast because real Italian toast doesn't get soggy when you put butter on it.
I hate foods with mixed textures. Shepherd's pie comes immediately to mind with the corn mixed in with the mashed potatoes! Ugh! It takes me forever to eat it because I pick out all the corn and try to get the potatoes off of each kernel before I will eat it. I also can't stand "mealy" textures like most beans and watermelons that are too ripe.

But there are some foods that are my favorites because of their texture- I love the chewiness of most Asian noodles, especially those Korean rice cake things.

As for touch, I don't like light touch, but I love to touch things. I want to know the texture and feel of things... Unless it's slimy and squishy.

I have one auditory thing- the sound of fuzz being pulled off if fabric gives me this brief sick feeling in my stomach and makes my teeth tingle. I feel it just thinking about the sound.

May 28, 2011
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me too...
by: Anonymous

I can't stand the texture of some foods! Pasta is the main one. I can eat spaghetti or mac n cheese, but cut it into small pieces then usually swallow it whole. Today I made ham salad to eat over the holiday weekend and can barely choke it down. Is there such a thing as "covers" you can put over your teeth to mask the consistency? Taste isn't the issue, its the texture.

Apr 13, 2011
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Me too!
by: Anonymous

Really soggy bread is bad, but stewed tomatoes are the worst food in the world! How do you feel about nail files? It is odd to have someone else describe such similar issues to mine. I'm pretty open about my sensory issues, esp around texture, which interestingly allows others in my life to be quite open about theirs and you would be amazed how common sensory stuff is in adults. Just most of us are embarrassed or something and don't talk about it.

I decided a long time ago that this is part of who I am, it actually helps me be more understanding in my job (I work with adults with intellectual disabilities who may not have the verbal skills to explain why they won't do something)and once I stopped relating to my issues as something that was wrong with me I was immediately much happier. I think as adults we often put so much stress on ourselves because as children we were interpreted as just being difficult, lived through massive power struggles with authority figures, and heard a lot of you"ll grow out of it. But we didn't. I decided to quit trying to grow out of it and embrace it. I don't eat the things that don't feel/taste good, I don't touch things that make my skin crawl, I don't wear clothes that make me uncomfortable and I still cut out my tags in spite of the fact that I am 34 years old.

Since I gave myself permission to be as I am, I have had less resistance and no anxiety about trying new foods (although I will remove anything I know for sure will be a problem), higher tolerance for noise and a greater commitment to shopping until I find clothes that feel good and look good. I've even learned to tolerate filing my nails. I hope that someday the world will be a more understanding place for anyone who continues to feel they are somehow wrong in their world.

Mar 29, 2011
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:)
by: Charlie

I'm so glad I've found people who have the same issue as me. I can't handle mushy food- like mushy peas, mashed potato, chips etc. I can't handle slimy food like baked beans, pasta, lasagna etc. It's so frustrating trying to explain it to people :)

Mar 22, 2011
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WOW...I thought I was the only one!
by: Anonymous

I was amazed at how much I can relate to everything you described about your food issues. I can't stand mixed textures at all. I like crunchy foods, but mushy, slimy, or gooey foods terrify me. I'll never forget when I was in a restaurant and my friends ordered spinach and artichoke dip. They begged me to try it and said "oh, just take one bite!" and I was trying to explain to them that they don't understand that I just CAN'T get myself to try it! I sat there with the chip covered in the gooey nasty dip and I just couldn't bring myself to eat it...the thought of it made me almost cry! It was so embarrassing.

Also, I hate touching "dry" fabrics. It's hard for me to fold my clothes after they get out of the dryer because it's such a weird feeling on my fingers. I have to rub my fingertips to stop the feeling.

Oct 08, 2010
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same for me
by: Abby

i have the same "issues" with the soggy bread, i can eat it and its fine unless i chew it for too long and then i notice its soggy and it makes me feel real sick. Also i can't eat sandwiches with anything in them that could make the bread soggy cause there is no way im eatin it even if its only a tiny bit thats soggy :( Also i can't stand mashed potatoes, there is no get over the feel in my mouth when i eat it, it is my least favourite food of all time, but the weird thing is i can eat boiled potatoes just fine and it will not bother me, its been a big thing in our house, and my dad is always tellin me that boiled and mash are both the exact same, but there not to me. i can't really mix textures in food like if im having something soft like pasta with a sauce on and i come to a piece of onion in it i have to spit it out cause its just... wrong i can have different texture but not at the same time in my mouth. its not just food texture though, cause i can't stand certain textures that i touch, like that velvet type feel or any kind of fur or soft feeling its especially horrible when i have wet skin ugh its makin me all uncomfortable just thinkin about it :(

Feb 27, 2010
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You feel that too?
by: Anonymous

That was so strange to read, that you feel it in your mouth as well when you touch a fabric or material that can only be described as 'dry'. I feel it in my teeth too, even when I'm touching it with another part of my body. I'm surprised to encounter this on typing in "problems with texture of cotton" on Google, lol- I really thought it might just be me. Have you found anything that makes it better or easier?

Nov 25, 2009
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SPD and disconfort
by: Anonymous

You describe the problems regarding food and clothing, i live THIS in my family. And only through this website we know that it is SPD. but not enough to understand why we do not live in USA but in Europe, and here is not know.so no hope for therapy to children of SPD.

Nov 24, 2009
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wet bread
by: Anonymous

I have exactly the same thing with wet bread so I rarely eat bread at all because it gets wet when you chew it. Sometimes I can eat certain brands as long as it's not too fresh and I don't think about it. The minute I think about it I gag and choke. So basically I avoid bread totally unless I get a craving (which I sometimes do, go figure).
I can't even look at someone eating a sandwich, the thought of all that soggy bread sloshing around their mouth.... I'm heaving a bit just talking about it. It makes lunch time difficult when everyone grabs a sandwich and sits around talking with their mouths full. I usually look somewhere else or go in another room till the bread's all been consumed.

I have a similar yet less severe thing with bananas. Some days I just can't hack the texture and if i get one of those stringy bits in my mouth I'm likely to throw up.

I'm a picky / faddy eater in general. I'll eat something all the time then suddenly I'll hate it and won't go near it for years. That always goes down well, when someone says 'I've made your favorite' with a huge grin and I say 'god I hate that stuff'.

Jan 22, 2009
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I relate!
by: Anonymous

HI, I hope you don't mind my saying but your post made me smile, yes even laugh- a relieving one! The wet hair thing- I never even considered that SPD. I have to have outfits (including bathrobes and sweatshirts over her clothing to protect her from being wet) all lined up for my daughter to change thru after her bath because her hair drips and she can't have even a spot of water on her clothing.

My daughter just was diagnosed and started OT and what you wrote fits her perfectly. My son was just the same only I never knew until now that there was an actual definition for it. Then tonight after freaking out over the noise noise noise (I'm always wishing I will go deaf that's how much I can't stand it), and looking up SPD, it dawned on me to look at the questions for myself.

I get a big yes on social and noise, clothing issues and stickiness (figures my daughter loves to be slimy and sticky and doesn't seem to notice when she's getting everything she touches sticky which freaks me out LOL).

It's really tough to deal with some days so it was great to read your post and recognize my life in it. I am still learning that different things that what we have endured for years is just another aspect of it. I guess sometimes all one can do is have a good laugh and take it another day at a time. Good luck!

Nov 20, 2008
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Interesting!
by: Anonymous

I was wondering if you were getting any OT for this and if not, are you planning to? Also, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you and were you always like this? My son has SPD and I'm wondering if he will ever grow out of it. Thanks for sharing!

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My 'texture issues' have always been a little joke with my friends

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My 'texture issues' have always been a little joke with my friends