My son wants everything as tight as possible.

by Donna
(Richmond Hill, Ga.)

My son is six years old and was diagnosed with SPD and OCD when he was four. His issue seems different than the one's I have read and researched about.




He likes things as tight as possible. When he began school, he was supposed to wear a belt. Well, he was wearing the belt so tight that he was making his waist raw and scabbed. This went on for a couple of months and I just couldn't let him continue to hurt himself even though this is what his body wanted him to do. So, I spoke with the principal of his school and he no longer has to wear a belt to school...ever. It became part of his permanent file.

That problem was solved except, the pants that he wears have adjustable waist bands. This became the same problem when he figured out how to adjust them to the number 9 hole on each side. He would hold his breath and tighten them accordingly.

This went on for some time until once again, I decided to do away with this kind of pant. Now, we use pull on pants..no belts needed and no adjustable straps. I have had to alter the waist with a stitch or two because sizes and brands vary so much.

The other issue is his shoes. He wants me to tie them as tight as I can. He actually wants the eyes of the shoes touching each other. I have tried velcro and it is the same way. He still is unable to tie his own shoes. He wants to learn it he doesn't think he will be able to tie them tight enough.

The last issue is ..when he is seated at a chair at the table, he holds his breath and wants you to push him in until it is tight on his stomach. If it happens not to feel tight enough, he will remove himself from the chair ,push the chair aside, and stand to eat. This is not a problem at school because the school lunch benches are stationary.

If there is anyone out there who has had to deal with this type of sensory disorder,please help. I am in tears over this. I just don't know what else to do.



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Jan 30, 2024
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starstarstarstarstar 		Reply to Wyatt Carroll
by: Anonymous

Hello from France. I am a 17y old girl who need and love tight belts. For the look and for the feeling ... I do tight belts since i am very very young and feeling alone with this.
Feel free contacting me at zoelacoste6@gmail.com
Jan 26, 2024
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starstarstarstarstar 		1958 Belt issues
by: Wyatt Carroll

Hi I am 14 yrs old and I use a belt that is so tight that it made me have an hourglass figure from the 1950s thats my favorite decade esspecially 1958 because thats my favorite year of all time. any ways tell him he can't hurt himself like that and it will cut off blood circulation and it can possibly kill him. I landed in the hospital Because of this.
Dec 06, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		Re: Ratchet Strap
by: Anonymous

My cousin liked to wear his belt tight when he was a kid and he could never get it tight enough. So my aunt got a cargo ratchet strap like the one mentioned in a comment below and she would ratchet it in on his stomach tighter and tighter and tighter and TIGHTER until he was satisfied.

I remember I'd go over to their house and my aunt would be working in the kitchen, and my cousin would be sitting bolt upright in a straight backed chair in the kitchen, with the cargo strap ratcheted back about four inches deep into his stomach. Talk about TIGHT!!! The strap ran around the back of the chair to brace the ratchet behind him and attain maximum tightness. Of course as a consequence he was tight-fastened in place and couldn't get out of his seat.

But he just loved his "chair time," sitting there seatbelted into the chair hella tight, FAR tighter than any ordinary belt. We never heard of SPD, but so it went with my cousin back in the day. The ratchet strap really helped.
Jan 10, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		Shoes that have to fit snug
by: Bianca

My 6 year old daughter has to have her shoes fit tight. She has 5 different pairs of nice shoes. She will not wear them unless its tight. I have to put them in the dryer before school. Its a struggle every single morning. This is the first time looking up sensory processing. Is anyone else going through this?
Dec 31, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		TIGHT CLOTHES
by: Waspm Waist Lover

Yes, tight clothes, tight shoes and tight belts may all have related causes. WWL
Dec 28, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Too small shirts
by: Anonymous

When I was a boy I hated wearing too small shirts. I felt like everyone was looking at me. My undershirts were too small but no one ever saw them and I did like the way they felt on my belly
Dec 20, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH MEDICATIONS
by: Wasp Waist Lover

Please be very careful and cautious about having any medications prescribed for your son. These psychotropic or behavior correcting drugs can often do more harm than good. Keep in mind that ALL kids crave security and your son may be seeking reassurance from wearing pants or using belts that would generally be thought too tight. Counseling is a waste of time and money unless the psychologist has experience with this kind of behavior. WWL
Dec 18, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		My son wears his pants so tight he runs his waist raw
by: Anonymous

I have been trying everything to get him to break this "habit/tendency" nothing has worked. Elastic waist, draw string, belts he just has to have them extremely tight.

We have tried putting him on NAC but he forgets to take it and we forget to give it to him.
It was a nightmare trying to find anything he would tolerate to wear.even underwear. I dont know how to help my boy.

He was in occupational therapy but I dont think that helped at all. Any other suggestions?
Sep 16, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		NOT MUCH MORE TO TELL
by: Wasp Waist Lover

Hello, Marco: Due to my cataract problem, I have not much posted on ANY site. My eyes get fatigued after only half an hour doing anything needing close work like typing. It has been SO many decades since my stomach standing experiences that going into too much detail would be beyond me. I can supply only a few scraps here.

For some reason, likely due to hormonal or pituitary factors, I was a very thin but not skinny child. As my height increased, my weight would stay about the same. As a result my waist was abnormally small, only about 17 or 18 inches from the first grade up through the fourth. This is why it was so easy for Big Beatrice to tightly squeeze my waist with her hands or by using the smooth coils of sash cord. Beatrice did stand on my stomach a few times; she likely outweighed me by 30 pounds or so. Cannot recall more details.

Felicia, during the 7th or 8th grade, did stand on my stomach, when I likely weighed only 115 pounds at 5 foot 7 and she, taller, weighed at least 250! But she turned out to be an immature jerk and the experience was never repeated. Oddly, after that experience, my weight increased so that by the 10th grade I had filled out to complete normalcy. I had only one more stomach standing experience in college; it proved embarrassing for me and for the huge, heavy girl, who must have weighed well over 300 pounds to my 170. After that, my experiences ended for good. Hope this helps. My best, WWL
Sep 14, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stomach standing
by: Marco

Hello again Wasp Waist Lover.

I was kind of hoping to hear more detail about your childhood stomach standing experiences. I'm curious how much you yourself weighed, what your heaviest experiences where, and how much more you could have handled.

(Im open to email if you want to as well Js8324370@gmail.com)
Sep 14, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stomach Standing By Girls
by: Wasp Waist Lover

Hello, Marco: Yes, I am still around, although busy getting my cataracts (the curse of getting older) addressed. Your experience with stomach standing is commoner than you think, and certainly is not abnormal, though most uninformed people would say its weird or some other pejorative. The wish for pressure on the stomach from members of the opposite sex, especially ones who are heavier or at least physically larger than oneself, entails two basic motivations. One, the desire for pressure and two, the wish for non-sexual attention from girls or women in general. There MAY be some deep seated or underlying sexual component, but its usually NOT the foremost motivation or reason for wanting. Using objects like weights of course can be better controlled but does not entail the social component.

All sorts of very foolish pseudo-psychology has been brought into the discussion of stomach standing in general, ie. that the recipient wants to be humiliated, that he or she wants 'torture' or some other idiotic theory having little of no connection with reality. Pressure pleasure is still pleasure, just a different and uncommon one. Obviously if two girls join together, the amount of pressure will be increased. But one still has to be careful about balance. That is why, for safety reasons, I tried to persuade ONE heavy girl to participate and to make sure she had a reliable means to steady herself.

There is also another alternative: of having a board or much better, a padded one, of a proper width, laid across your abdomen, then having the two females, who should be roughly of the same size and heft, sit very carefully on either side of the padded board, in order to apply safe maximum pressure. But again, the females should be mature enough not to fool around or to think that the process is some kind of bad joke. Luckily, most of my experiences resulted in no injuries. One wants pressure, NOT pain! Pain is for masochists and other nut cases! Hope this helps.
Sep 09, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Stomach standing and girls
by: Marco

Although I didnt have the compulsion to have everything tight around me, I have always had a desire for girls to stand on my stomach. It all started when my heavier cousin sat on my stomach when I was lying on the couch. Feeling her heavier weight was very pleasurable to me. It was so pleasurable that I could have enjoyed it a lot more if another girl sat in her lap. That was the event that sparked my desire to feel the weight of girls on my stomach. But unlike some people, simply putting heavy inanimate objects on my stomach did not have the same effect.

(I wasnt as lucky as WaspWaistLover during childhood, and if your still around, I'd love to hear more about your stomach standing experiences!)
Aug 25, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hope
by: Anonymous

I came across this page when I recalled my own issues with my shoe laces when I was a child. Unfortunately Google didnt exist then and there wasnt a formal diagnosis made. I used to dread P.E. days when I was a kid as I knew that I would have to wear my sports shoes all day and they would have to be tied as tightly as possible. I would go to the bathroom multiple times a day just to untie my shoes and give my feet some relief before lacing them up again as tight as possible.

As a child there was no choice, if I wore the shoes I would have to lace them as tightly as possible. Eventually I found some things that worked for me. I tried laces that you didnt need to lace up and non lace up sports shoes. I was comfortable with elastic banding holding my shoes on (like Keds or skechers that use elastic bands instead of laces).

Eventually when I hit high school and I had to wear lace up shoes every day I learned that life was easier if I tied my shoes as loose as possible and the world wouldnt end (I later found out this is essentially exposure therapy, confronting my fears of not having tight shoes by having the loosest shoes possible and realising it wasnt that bad).

The thing with my OCD is that it had to come from me, otherwise i would suffer from terrible anxiety which would manifest in the form of tantrums and school refusal. I really hope this helps, and if not, at least gives you hope. I made it through!
Jun 03, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight Clothes for Four Year Old
by: WaspWaistLover

You might try buying items that are not rigid, have soft edges, but can be worn very snugly without pain. Your child is NOT trying to hurt himself or herself. They just like the sense of SECURITY that wearing things tight can give. Perhaps best to go through this site for more helpful hints. WWL
Jun 02, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Everything tight, shoes, shorts, goggles
by: Anonymous

Everything must be tight for my four year old, it is an everyday battle. Does anyone have. A brand of shoe or goggle that work well for this problem?
Mar 05, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		More About Stomach Pressure
by: Wasp Waist Lover

Interesting further personal observations by the last SPD contributor. Yes, pressure on the abdomen at the waist area can be very pleasurable, as long as the pressure builds up gradually, and the subject is willing. Obviously this does NOT apply to being punched in the gut! As explained in my rather lengthy earlier postings, there are manifold factors, anatomical, physiological and emotional, that come into play when one discusses pleasure as generated by pressure applied to the body. For instance, the foregoing contributor, in his first posting, described how he would lay across branches of trees to apply pressure to his stomach. I tried this ONCE, but found such a method uncomfortable. Obviously, in this case, my internal brain "wiring" did not process such a practice as pleasurable. It was the same, when once, I tried to lay upon a stack of books, facing down, to let the books press up into my abdomen, using my weight to help the process. This also did not work very well, and despite SOME pleasurable pressure feelings, the overall awkwardness caused me never to attempt it again!

In my case, even wearing a very tight belt was not an unqualified success, as earlier explained. It was only after learning to apply lotion to my stomach and lower back, thus lessening any skin pinching, that I was able to really pull my waist down below 18 inches AND enjoy the sensation. Now perhaps others, whether male or female, would not mind this skin pinching or be less fussy. Also, the time length anyone would enjoy wearing a very tight belt would be personal preference. It is not easy to deal with all of these variables, which is one reason that experiences of pressure sensations differs with each individual.

This inherent subjectivism would hold true for almost any endeavor into stomach discipline or pressure seeking. For instance, my own experiences with "stomach standing" were, overall, almost all pleasurable, despite the fact that the women involved were all much heavier than me. Even when their bare feet had sunk so deeply into my middle as to pass below the upper ridge of my spine, it still proved enjoyable, but others might find such downward force overwhelming or even painful. Again, it is a combination of willingness to embrace constriction and the power to yield to voluntarily applied pressure that perhaps are the biggest determinants in this particular case.

PS: Yes, children seem to be more willing to experiment with their own bodies, until such exploration is dampened by parental worries or outright disapproval. WWL
Mar 04, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		more on stomach pressing
by: Anonymous

This is further evidence that enjoying pressure on the waist is a purely sensual thing, not associated with any quirky psychological condition - certainly not in children.

On one occasion I was walking through a housing area when I saw two girls, aged 10 or 11, I suppose, playing on the grass near their houses. One girl was wrapped in a rug and the other was sitting on the rug. The one wrapped up was encouraging the other to sit up higher, I.e. right over her middle. As I walked on, I heard the girl being sat upon shouting excitedly "I love it, I love it"

For many, pressure on the waist or abdomen produces pleasurable sensations - and why not, as long as no damage is done (which is very unlikely).

Enjoy and don't worry.
Mar 03, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Remarks on Anonymous Testimony
by: WaspWaistLover

The personal testimony by Anonymous about "Pressure on Stomach" has the ring of truth. His wishes for a heavy weight on his stomach/waist area has a kinship with my own experience. I also agree that the habits of putting heavy weights on one's abdomen or wearing very tight belts is really not a 'disorder' in the clinical sense. While my previous entries on this site concentrated on schoolboy experiences, for a short time several years later I would balance a series of heavy barbell plates upon my abdomen and let them sink into me, putting up no resistance to their downward pressure. It proved to give me pleasurable sensations. In time, using a dumb-bell bar to hold them in place, I was able to balance well over a hundred pounds of such cement filled plastic weights upon my stomach, letting them sink into my yielding belly as deeply as possible. Never experienced any pain at all, even when the weights were pressing down firmly on the front of my spine!

Anonymous also brings up an intriguing point. Most stomach discipline behavior is carried out in secret. What IF the parents, instead of abruptly condemning such behavior, showed tolerance or even encouraged it? Might afford much needed emotional or psychological support to the young person. It is at least something to think about! WWL
Feb 28, 2019
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starstarstarstarstar 		Pressure on stomach
by: Anonymous

Reading below, I felt I could make a contribution.

As a boy I always wanted to get pressure on my stomach because it gave pleasure. I would lean over bars or branches to press in my stomach at the waist. I also wore belts very tight for the same reason.

As a young man, I lived near a rocky coastline. On Sunday mornings, quite early, I would go for a walk on the headland. I had a quiet spot that I went to - a grassy patch surrounded by rocks. I found a piece of granite as heavy as possible so I could just lift it whilst lying down. I would lift this rock on to my stomach and lie for quite a while feeling the heavy pressure. The pleasant feelings were so much that I didn't want to get up and leave. When I did, I would then tighten my belt as hard as I could for the walk back home. this never did me any harm whatsoever.

I believe this phenomenon is more common than it would seem and is not a symptom of any disorder.To all those parents whose children do these things, I would say don't worry about it.

If you were to help or encourage, I'm sure your children would thank you for it.
Feb 25, 2019
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starstarstarstar 		Question
by: Ab

Wish I had an answer for you but all I have are also questions. My son is about be 7 he has nvr been diagnosed with anything and he's not as quite as bad as that with his pants but he has to have tight fitting pants on and his shoes also have to be tight and laces tucked in his shoes or if Velcro pulled as tight as they will go. He literally gets so upset/mad or starts crying if they aren't or come loose.

Could this be a sensory disorder? I have taken him to therapy for a short Time because he would also chew his nails until they bled and once got badly infected along with other behaviors I recognize as anxiety but they were no help and the woman literally printed pages off the internet about nail biting and such.

Should I look into it more?
Dec 09, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		PATIENCE IS THE KEY
by: Wasp Waist Lover

I certainly hope this person's grand daughter will grow out of this behavior but must emphasize that it is not as uncommon or odd as it might seem. What is most needed is PATIENCE and UNDERSTANDING. This young girl may just be exploring differing kinds of pressure sensations and it is most unlikely that she wishes to actually harm herself. She may simply grow out of such behavior as did I. WWL
Dec 08, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Granddaughter has exact same issues
by: Anonymous

My granddaughter has the exact same issues. I am also looking for what I can do to help her
Dec 03, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING: SECOND PART
by: Wasp Waist Lover

NOTE: There may be some not unjustified skepticism over the tiny measurement of twelve and a half inches of my highly hand compressed waist as reported in my previous posting on this SPDC site only a few days ago. Such a minute measurement even surprised me at the time, though measurements in the middle teens had been achieved before with the use of tight belting. While such a degree of hand compression might seem extreme, even on a slender 8th grader, it must be emphasised that the pressure experience itself was wholly pleasurable: it was the domineering attitude and somewhat dismissive tone of the female classmate that made me uneasy and anxious to end the experiment. Most assuredly this contributor does not approve of, nor take part in any behavior where one partner tries to take advantage of or tries to control the other. That would be morally repugnant to me!

But the reader with cavils over the very small waist size achieved should keep in mind that this contributor, while of normal weight for his size was and remains small boned for one of overall mesomorphic or medium build. Thus it follows that the spine itself was likely somewhat smaller around than what would be normal for others in the medium body type category. Thus the tiny size achieved and measured would be quite possible anatomically for me at that time whilst being impossible for a teenager of larger build. Even now, about half a century afterwards, at 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing between 180 and 190 pounds, my wrist, with the measuring tape pulled snug, measures only six and a half inches around! To bolster this small boned trait, my ankle, just above the foot, measured only seven and a half inches,wholly consistent with my body type.

There was not time in the first part of this more technically slanted entry to address all the issues that could be raised about children seeking to apply to parts of their body through the use of tightening belts, shoes or by pressing or pushing certain body parts, chiefly the abdomen in the case of Carol's young son, into comparatively unyielding projections like table tops or the like. Such practices in young children were what began the present discussion thread. For instance, on a few occasions, this contributor would pile up a stack of books on the bedroom floor perhaps 8 or 10 inches high, and laying across this book stack crosswise, would allow his stomach region to 'sink' as far as possible into it. But this method of pressure seeking proved short lived, as the horizontal position was somewhat uncomfortable and certainly undignified! No doubt other youngsters tried this and other methods as well.

This brings up a broader point. What body type or build would best lend itself to such practices? At this point recourse must be made to certain categories put forward by the late Dr. William Herbert Sheldon Jr. (1898-1977), who is best recalled as the chief proponent of "constitutional psychology". While his psychological assertions about body type and personality traits have long been discredited, the broad PHYSICAL categories might still have applications here. His three broad body classifications of ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph or light, medium and heavy boned kinds of human builds might be applied to youngsters of either sex engaged in the search for self-applied pressure to given body parts or areas. It would be a contention of this SPD member that the bulk of pressure seeking youths would fall into the first two categories, with far fewer falling into the heavier or endomorphic body class. There may be very good reasons for my asseveration in this instance.

The use of tight belting or inwardly applied pressure on the abdomen presupposes a certain degree of compliance or yield factor, as stated in the first part, to have a meaningful effect or one that indeed affords the desired bodily feelings. The abdomen of a heavy set child, besides being usually covered by a thick layer of fat, has, do to that and lack of internal flexibility, often has much less of such compliance. Therefore any constrictive pressure applied there would be both difficult and able of yielding a very small range of pressure stimulus. Why then even bother with such odd behavior? This would NOT apply, of course, to other areas of the body, such as wearing tight shoes or other types of clothing.

On the other hand, in the case of either ectomorphic or mesomorphic builds, there would be enough abdominal yield factor, not insulated by sensory filtering fat layers, to more readily afford much more significant sensations from tight belts or other means of pressure application. In the case of these two somatic categories, it would be thus much easier to induce what could be called "sensory intensification". Besides the broader consideration of the 3 basic Sheldon body classes, there would be, derivative from these sub-classes of bone and skeletal sizes within those ranges. A mesomorph, for instance, while of middle build and certain properties of fat and muscle mass, might have smaller or larger bone size within their broader classification. The same would obviously apply to a youth of ectomorphic build.

Therefore, with respect especially to tight belting or kindred abdominal constriction, it would be possible for members of each given body type, to achieve lesser or greater waist sizes based on anatomical factors alone, irrespective of degree of personal motivation. Again, such many sided or multi-factorial considerations would best be determined either by broad statistical surveys using carefully worded questionnaires or better, by laboratory investigations on much smaller groups of test volunteers and sympathetic family members with open minds. The results of such a carefully crafted study would do much to dispel the anxieties of worried parents over voluntary constrictive or pressure seeking behaviors in their offspring and shed more needed light on, to me, a very much needed area of research. Anything is good that fosters better understanding. WWL
Nov 30, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		LAST EXPERIMENT AND EXIT
by: Wasp Waist Lover

Towards the end of the period of most active interest and participation in abdominal pressure seeking, it occurred to this young experimenter that up to that point, all of his practises were simply carried out in isolation, with no attempt to combine any of them. This lack of a 'systems approach' came to an end during the 8th grade. Whilst resulting in the most intense and enjoyable pressure of all, it paradoxically brought to an end this long period of youthful experimentation.

To make a long story short, this last experience involved another heavy girl, but one MUCH larger than my grammar school classmate Beatrice. Felicia, a rather quiet member of my 8th grade junior high school class, must have stood at least 5 feet ten inches tall and weighed well over 200 hundred pounds. While hardly a Raquel Welch, who was all the rage in the latter half of the Sixties, she was hardly what one could call ugly. She was, like so many very heavy teenagers, shy and rather awkward. It took several weeks to gain her confidence and to reassure her that yours truly was not some genial nutcase! Even on the Sunday we chose to meet, she kept a cautious and understandable skepticism. She lived on a side street just a few blocks down from our more imposing family home but advised, wisely, not to use her bungalow but an nearby rental cottage owned by her family but currently not rented.

We entered by the rear kitchen entrance but not furtively, as this was the one sure way to garner the suspicion of any observant neighbors. Once inside I saw that it was reasonably well appointed for a small four room house. The parlor, covered with deep floral carpeting, seemed the best room as there were Venetian blinds to block the scrutiny of nosy trespassers. Felicia also took a gaudy embroidered cushion from a rocking chair for my headrest, since I would be lying down on the carpet, near an inner wall. Beholding her massiveness, much larger than my smaller, slender but not skinny frame, anxious feelings could not be wholly dismissed but my stomach still seemed willing enough! As it was still warm my outfit consisted of just shorts and a T-shirt, which was pulled up to reveal my midsection. Felicia, slowly and cautiously put one, then the other foot upon my middle, lengthwise on either side where my backbone, using the a door surround to steady herself. Happily there were no falling mishaps!

There was not much point in resisting her downward force nor were my less than muscular stomach muscles up to the task. It was bearable but still a bit overwhelming at times. Naturally yours truly could feel, as with the few times this had been done before, some of my digestive organs being pushed up into my rib-cage, firmly against the diaphragm, which made breathing more work. Her feet pressing deeply into my "gut" afforded the most pressure felt to that time. Felicia became somewhat concerned over how MUCH of my spinal ridge rose as she pressed past it seemingly towards the floor beneath. Being so large and so thick waisted, she had likely never before beheld live visual indication of a human spine! To me on the other hand, such an unstoppable descent was the best part! When her stocking feet seemed to have sunk into my belly as far as they could, the intense pressure was at its peak but I was getting worried about my increasingly panting breath. So a hand signal briskly waved and seeing it, Felicia duly but gingerly stepped off. As much as the abdominal compression and pressure felt great, it was a relief to have this large woman off my middle and to capture my breath.

As planned before, kneeling beside me, using the old green tinted measuring tape from my mother's sewing basket, Felicia measured my now hollow looking middle and gasped when she read the measurement of a fraction over 18 inches. She told me she likely had a bigger waist as a baby! With no prodding from me, she put her hands around this little midsection and gently squeezed it till her hands reached all the way around! This gave me some pressure pleasure but no risk of being squashed. But then an odd note crept in. With a grimly determined smile, she began to squeeze me very hard and in a few seconds her hard grasp had spanned my tiny middle till her fingers much OVERLAPPED! She did apparently not want to let go, despite seeing a worried look come over my face. While the waist constriction and resulting pressure were still very pleasurable, a feeling of being somehow 'trapped' entered my mind. I asked her to measure how small my waist had become, so she released her grip momentarily to get the tape. Pulling it as firmly as possible over my highly compressed waist, she said the tape showed only about 12 and a half inches! Thrilling in a way but my overriding concern was to bring things to a close and for both of us to get out of that fusty smelling rental cottage! Was her rather grim determination some means of compensation for years of schoolboy taunts over her size? Who knows? But I was bent on NOT becoming some kind of personal compensatory 'squeeze toy'!! So uneasy did I and my insides feel at home afterwards that evening supper did not see me at the table. It proved to be several YEARS till this pressure enthusiast bothered to again take an interest in it! WWL
Nov 28, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
by: Wasp Waist Lover

NOTE: In case any member or reader of this Sensory Disorder site doubt my use or recall of such precise waist measurement numbers, perhaps thinking that their use was simply a means to bolster the verisimilitude of what were essentially only poorly remembered life incidents, let me assure you that these unusually tiny measurements were in fact the case. As a retired research assistant and published writer in the field of applied acoustics, my daily work revolved around the checking and compilation of much experimental data of a highly technical nature. Another reason would be a much higher than average long term memory, especially regarding details generally forgotten by many others. WWL

With regard to the use of tight belting or of any other means to selectively appliy pressure chiefly to the abdominal cavity, sundry interactive factors come into play. One, the strength of the feelings prodding the wish for high pressure and the resulting pleasurable sensations. Two, a willingness to experiment but also to experience brief spans of minor discomfort or minor setbacks on the way to achieving them. Three, the physical properties and condition of the practitioner as regards to the yield factor or compliance of the internal organs and flexibility of the skeleton/muscular supportive structures, especially the diaphragm and ribs. Four, the precise makeup of the sensory and nervous channels leading to the brain and how the power to transmit nerve input might be coloured by age, sex, body build or disposition. Five, seeking to understand the factors above and to apply such understanding to the issue of voluntary bodily discipline.

In the specific examples cited by the worried mother heading this discussion thread, her son, for reasons certainly known to himself, pulled in his belt, or pushed himself or was pushed against the edge of the family dining table. Now, it would be very easy to assign to this somewhat odd behavior all kinds of motivations, including that even of self-harm! As judged by the concerned parent or kindred adults of the family, such behavior, to people unskilled in the lesser known aspects of child psychology, would indeed appear both startling and worrisome. Not to in any way lessen the truth or genuineness of such concerns, it must be kept in mind that the average parent, unless in the medical or allied fields, has no background from which to judge such practices by children. Their views have been coloured by both flawed or fragmented knowledge, or by personal biases very far removed from either a restrained assessment or scientific objectivity.

When attempting to understand or to treat behaviors falling outside the range of the commonplace, it becomes most necessary NOT to project upon them conventional ideas of fitting behaviors for young people. For it is all to easy to leap to explanatory causes that might agree with the inanely superficial understandings offered by "pop Psychology" or by the equally vacuous pronouncements given by "experts" on daily talk shows or other entertainment media clothed in the spurious trappings of "expertise"! As pointed out in one of my earlier postings, the behaviors described in some of the earlier postings represent seldom more than unsystematic gleanings from a host of decidedly under-qualified sources.

For instance, this contributor, for a very brief time during childhood, wanted to be seated at a table or other piece of furniture having a projecting cornice, whereby he could either pull his stomach region as far into this projection as he could stand or have someone do the same. But he found that, in his case, this method of pressure seeking was either clumsy or uncomfortable, due to a misalignment of table and abdomen. Thus it never became a favoured means with which to indent the waist as far as possible. This discussion may well be continued at some future time. WWL
Nov 23, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Further thoughts on Waist Discipline Wishes
by: Wasp Waist LoverAnonymous

In my last posting this writer described how his waist had been reduced to 14 inches over several loops of sash cord pulled very tight by a much larger and stronger girl classmate. A couple of details were left out. After reading the number off the old workbench measuring tape, my accomplice, Beatrice, became very enthusiastic about reducing me to such a tiny circumference. With much pride she boasted that her neck was bigger than my waist! This prompted her to suddenly grasp my wasp like middle and in a second she had COMPLETELY reached around it! Not only did this prove how TINY her strength had made me but prodded me to beg her to squeeze my waist even smaller, for even more delightful feelings of pressure! Save for a little chafing and a few red marks this reduction had been certainly all pleasure for me! But we soon realized her Folks would return from errands soon and not wanting to be caught in a weird or embarrassing situation, we both went out for more convention yard play.

Now the reader might ask of what significance are these odd little recollections of long ago? Simply that they show a not uncommon wish for experimenting with one's body, with no feelings of self-harm or wish for the bizarre. Compared to the proven harm from violent TV programs and the moral pollution streaming from the Internet, wearing of tight belts or shoes, or pressing in one's belly must assuredly rank as much less worrisome. WWL
Nov 21, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		More About Tight Belts & waist binding
by: Wasp Waist Lover

In my previous posting as "anonymous",it was stated that my smallest waist measurement achieved by use of a tight belt was about 16 inches, which was endured with little hardship and much pleasure for 2 or 3 hours. Of course this was during elementary school days of over 50 years ago, when my body was very slender but by no means skinny.

But on further reflection, significantly smaller circumferences were achieved, though not by self tightening a belt or wide strap. This other method was by having loops of clothesline or sash-cord wrapped snugly around my waist, then pulled in as tightly as could be endured. This was done in the cellar of the home of a female classmate, the biggest girl in my 6th grade class while her parents were out shopping. While the cord was pulled in as tightly as she could, I held onto one of the supporting poles. By her vigorous pulling, with much more strength than mine, she was able to tie off the rope, then using an old tape measure she let me know my severely indented middle now measured only 14 inches over the rope! Doubtless my waist was even smaller inside the loops of rope!

Such hard constriction was very pleasurable, despite making me a bit breathless for a moment. But after a while the rope itself, NOT the constriction, became uncomfortable, so she undid the knot, letting my waist almost return to its normal 25 inches after a few minutes.

After this one shot experience, I tried to again reach 14 inches around using the same old leather belt but my muscles were sadly not equal to the task. It was after the failure to equal that extreme constriction that I turned to what is now called stomach squashing. All of these practices, no matter how odd they might seem, at least allowed me as a young person to easily maintain a very small waist, smaller, in fact, than many of the girls in my class!
Nov 19, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		About Wearing Tight Belts
by: Anonymous

From my own experience as a young boy, I do not think pulling in one's belt is any kind of disorder in the medically defined sense. There is far too much tendency to assign persona-l preferences that are different to some kind of O-C-D or other even worse. This seems an over-reaction.

As a 5 year old I could pull in my belt at least 5 inches tighter than normal and it did not hurt me at all. Of course it was not this tight all day! Given my small boned slender frame, by the age of 8-9 I could pull the belt down to only 16 inches with no ill effects save some reddish marks at the waist. Sometimes I would skip a meal so that it would be easier to try to go even smaller. This practice of tight belting lasted until perhaps being a high school freshman. Again, no ill effects and I could pull the belt down till my waist, over the belt, still measured only 19 inches!

I was secretly very proud that my waist, pulled in, was three inches smaller than Raquel Welch's 22 inch waist!

Another odd habit that did me no harm was having large or heavy girls stand on my stomach for several minutes, whilst I sucked it in, letting their feet sink deeply into my "gut". This was in junior high school mostly. Once, I persuaded the fattest girl in the school, who must have weighed close to 300 pounds, try this, but got scared and never went through with it.

Heavy stomach standing entails a slight risk which does not apply to wearing tight belts. But I wish to emphasize that youths of either sex wearing tight belts do so because they find pleasure in so doing and are certainly NOT trying to hurt themselves or to get attention of the wrong sort.
Oct 09, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Propioceptive dysfunction, not sensing where you are in space
by: Anonymous

Hi Kim! Im Olga, the one who commented right before your post. Im 39 yrs old...still have the bald spots to show.

I dealt with needing my hair tight, my pants snugg and tight and my shoes. I had an awkward posture, was very timid, being social. I cried and cried but didnt know why. Everyone would come to me and try to console me but it was just this feeling of not wanting to be in my own skin.

Thank heavens I have had inner growth to put it all in perspective now. I helped my daughter recognize when she was feeling anxious because I identified with these feelings so well.
Oct 08, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		6 Year old with tightening issues
by: Kim

I have a 6 year old daughter and for the life of me couldn't figure out what was going on. She has a huge issue with her ponytail not being tight enough, this has been going on and off for a few yeas but has really escalated the last few months.

She also does this with her seatbelt (5 point harness). She will literally end up with tears running down her face that it's not tight enough (ponytail or seatbelt). This is an everyday, multiple times a day issue, to the point I'm at my wits end. She also does this with her shoes but not as much as the other two.

Have your kids pediatricians been any help with this. Or you have found any tricks to help your kids (and you) with this issue?
Sep 09, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Update
by: Olga

Since my last comment I left off by saying we were going to be evaluated by board of ed because my daughter was entering kindergarten. Since then she's had an IEP and the plan helped by giving her extra time and having one on one in class. She never got help for SPD, because no therapist familiar with it.

The main thing I found to be helpful was controlling my own anxiety. I got anxious when I knew we had to get in the bath, or get dressed, because it was such a hard task to accomplish. My last comment was posted 6/18/12, she was 5.

Today she is 11 and we look back and laugh about some things she has outgrown. Explaining to them and helping them verbalize this thing is key. It has been a long road, we learned so much. We got Occupational therapy for propioceptive dysfunction. Wasnt very effective. She has conquered the bath finally, but hates wearing deodorant. She went from super neat perfectionist,with ocd behavior to super messy room, disorganized. She still needs tight clothing, but became less rigid and more open to try new styles.

Lastly she understands her challenges and thats half the battle.
Sep 09, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight Shoes & Waistbands
by: Anonymous

My 6-year old grandson has the tight shoe & tight pants issue also...Every morning it's a struggle to get him dressed. My daughter waits until they are walking out the door to have him put his pants on. I found that If I make a small grunting noise while tying his pants, he accepts it as being tighter than it really is.

We've tried explaining that he is cutting off the circulation but he apparently has no control over this. Perhaps if it doesn't subside on its own, they will try sensory training or whatever it's called. I feel sorry for the poor little thing. It's frustrating for everyone.
Jan 14, 2018
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starstarstarstarstar 		Never Tight Enough
by: Anonymous

Oh my God. I am a single parent of a 11 year old boy and lately he can not get his shoes tight enough. I have known that he does not get enough feedback from his body from other things such as using so much pressure when printing, how Tight he puts his goggles on etc. But thought the tightening was an OCD thing.

Agree stress compounds it. The saying "you do not know what you are missing until you experience it, I think is the reason why our children start doing this tightening things. After wearing a tight shoe, belt or pants they get feedback to that part of their body and this starts the process for wanting that feeling all the time now.

The majority of the medical field do not accept sensory processing as something real so this is challenging to get help. At least in Canada as it is not listed in the DMI. My son does not have a steady stream of pee because he does not have enough sensation.

Doctors always want yo blame stress as the culprit for everything. Parents of kids with these issues are the best source of help. Thank you, I am calmer knowing that with age and maturity things become more manageable.
Nov 26, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		6 year old son wants all his shirts to be too small.
by: Anonymous

My 6 year old son just started this behavior where he wants all his shirts to be above his belly button. He said he doesn't like it when his shirts touch his belly button. His undershirts which are too small for him he wears them around the house all the time because they are too small.

His undershirts are not a big deal because he wears them under his dress shirts. Now he wants to have all the dress shirts unbuttoned past his belly button so they don't touch his belly button.

Anyone ever heard of this? I can't have him going to school with his belly button showing. He said he likes the way the air feels on his belly. Any advice is appreciated.
Apr 19, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight belts
by: Anonymous

Anyone with a tight belt issue, themselves or their child, should search 'tight belts' and look for 'Tibian's tight belt memoirs' for reassuring information: i.e. it's not totally abnormal and apparently not harmful. (alternatively look for it on staylace.com)
Best of luck
Apr 13, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		I am the same way.
by: Anonymous

I liked tight belts as a kid, and as an adult I STILL like them! I got a ratchet strap from the hardware store, and I often like to tighten it over my waist. I have never had a problem with it, I just love the feeling. I would suggest getting a ratchet strap for your child, that way you can tighten it as much as your child wants with no tantrums.

This is not abnormal, some people just like tight belts. I wish my parents had bought one of these for me, it is very frustrating if you can't get your belt tight enough!

Keeper 04629 25' x 2" Ratchet Tie-Down with J-Hooks, 4 Pack
Mar 16, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		This is so familiar
by: Melissa

I am literally in tears right now reading these comments. I thought I was alone in this.

My 8 year old refuses to wear shoes at all because I can't get them tight enough or they aren't high enough up on his heel. He loves flip flops because he can control that.

He has to wear athletic pants with drawstrings and is constantly pulling them tighter to the point of leaving marks across his stomach.

I don't know what to do but I know I have to do something for him and for my sanity.
Feb 03, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		I never knew...
by: Anonymous

This whole page has brought me to tears. I never knew this existed or was even a thing other people experienced. I am 28 years old now and for the most part I got over my issues, but they still linger to a certain degree.

When I was a kid - from 1st-6th grade - I had an awful time with getting dressed. Mainly for school, because we had strict uniforms. Getting ready in the morning was a nightmare for both me and my parents. Every single day! They all laugh about it now, but it always disturbed me. I always wanted an answer for my sensitivity, because I could never explain why I felt the way I did. I just knew nothing felt right.

Before leaving for school, I would have my mom step on my shoes and pull on my laces as tight as she could, but it was never enough. We would repeat this until we came to an impasse. We'd either run out of time, or my mom just said 'enough'. The end result was always me bawling my eyes out and throwing a tantrum. I couldn't explain any of it.

By that time, I had already pulled my belt as tight as possible and slicked my hair back flat into a ponytail and then yanked that tight. I broke a lot of hair ties. As you can guess, everything had to be TIGHT as can be! I would often have to repeat the process until it felt "just right"...whatever that sensation was.

Everyone in my family said I walked funny and stiff like a board. I think it was because I'd get it to feel ok, and I was afraid any movement was going to jostle it out of place. Either that or I didn't enjoy the sensation of the clothing rubbing against certain parts of my skin. I probably would have just stood there all day in place if I could have.

My feet often went numb from being tied so tight, especially the top of my foot. I hardly moved my toes all day. While I wore my belt so tight I had indents in my skin, I never had any real negative effect from that. My hair was pulled so tight it was painful by the end of the day. The pain never bothered me, but I definitely can't say I got pleasure from the pressure like a lot of others mentioned in the comments. It felt more like relief.

I went years without wearing socks because they drove me absolutely bonkers, but because of this I had the worst smelling feet of ALL time, which led to self-esteem issues. When I finally found a brand of sock that didn't bother me my mom would literally buy every single pair the store had. Buying shoes was a similar feat.

Still to this day I have occasional issues with my hair, clothes, and shoes. Except now I am kinda the opposite. I wear socks all the time. I wear my hair mostly loose. Belt still goes on tight, but nothing like before (to the point of strangulation). Picking out shoes is still a problem (sneakers especially). I have to try on like 100 pairs before I find one that fits right...and they are almost alway ugly and NOT the fashionable ones I wanted to buy. A small sacrifice for my comfort and state of mind.


Most clothes - except shirts I never really have isues with them - are hard to buy. Sometimes for no reason I will be agitated by the mere FEEL of certain clothes. Often to the point of frustration and anger. All these little quirks still hang around in subtle ways.

I also notice that if I am stressed I will have to redo my hair multiple times to the point of agitation and wanting to pull it out. Underwear and bras will drive me nuts and I'll pull at them relentlessly. The difference is that now I RECOGNIZE it enough to stop myself and try to calm down. I'll say, "It's not the hair that's bothering you.", but I still can't pinpoint what is, but the agitation does eventually pass. I also try to distract myself by focusing on something different.

I have not been diagnosed with anything, but I have pretty serious anxiety and have some minor obsessive compulsive behaviors. I have trouble regulating my emotions as well.

I'm posting in the hopes that this will help someone out there. It does get better and we do learn how to cope with the sensitivity.
Jan 25, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight belts
by: Anonymous

In the 70's Brownies wore those lovely uniforms of brown dress and leather belt. My daughter, at the age of 8/9 came home from brownies one evening and, for some reason, pulled in her belt to the last hole and beyond. She then said that she would like to be able to have it like that all the time. From then on she wore a belt with almost all her clothes and usually pulled tight.

On one occasion, I remember, on adjusting an elastic belt, she was saying "It's not tight enough, it's not tight enough." She was like this for quite a few years, sometimes liking to have her belt pulled in as far as it would go, and would sometimes wear it all night. One time, at school, some girls said "Wow, you've got that tight - can I try it on?" and several tried to fasten the belt at the same point. She obviously liked the tightness round her waist and it never did her any harm. It didn't seem to be linked to any 'disorder' and was just normal for her. I think this sort of thing is too easily considered a problem.
Jan 23, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight belt
by: Anonymous

He will do as he is asked and will tighten the belt tooooo tight that he might pump up his stomach. He says at night time in the bunk beds he puts on the belt extra tight and asks his friend for help . Some one please help me about this I don't Know why he does it he just does. He stuffed his stomach so too full at thanksgiving and guess what the belt was still toooooo tight his stomach was bulging over and he kept tumbling and giggling it around. He hate the loose belts he said that he want all men with straight eyebrows and brown hair to do the same. It's torture for his stomach and he wants to make a YouTube video and a short film about a girl torturing him with the tight belt stomach stuffing weird thought for him I thought.
Jan 22, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight belt
by: Anonymous

My son who is in the marines likes to wear his uniform belt so tight that when he eats his stomach bulges out of the top of this belt.he also likes to have his pants and belt a certain height he likes it around navel height (belly button height) and pulls the belt so tight his stomach (gut he says) ,you can hear it gurgle and slosh and rumble.

The belt looks awe full tight and when he comes home for break he never seems to take of his dress blue. underneath this dress blue apparently he pulls it super tight, so tight that when he sits down It presses into his stomach and the belt on the jacket is pulled tight as well.

The marine Sargent said that's what a marines should do with there uniform apparently it's uniform code or regulation to all Marines He says a tight belt pressing into the stomach is making a soldier and being strong.

He will still eat with the tight belt around his stomach cinching and squashing his gut and he will even ask for seconds. He especially loves the smell of vinegar,used engine oil and he calls them smells (tripship) I don't know why he just does. He asks me to pull it extra tighter than he does even though he is strong. He said to me that in the marines ( his quote "if I make a mistake or loosen the belt I will get my stomach stuffed" he loves that sort of stuff.

The belt buckle is one of the main tightness with the belt it presses into his stomach and he says it's the marine way to smell like vinegar used engine oil and trip smell. When I was driving him home he put on the seat belt so tight it made him I'll flat. He says again pity I got my stomach stuffed it was bulging over my belt he said.
Dec 13, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Sounds like deep pressure on SPD scale
by: Ncm

I hope you are finding some good solutions here. The main issue with SPD is to find the outlet for him for "satisfy" that desire in a safer way. For him, much like my son, he seems to like deep pressure. If you give him deep pressure in his "sensory diet", it may help satisfy this in doses so he doesn't need it all day in pants and shoes. Some deep pressure options. Soft brush and basically combing his skin, compressing every joint together as massage in his body starting with shoulders, elbow, wrist, hand, fingers then to legs. Weighted blanket to sleep. Bouncing on trampoline.

When sitting at dinner, try wearing a sweatshirt but put it over the back of the chair, as if he answered the chair are wearing it. If you find the outlet by trying a few notes and noting change, have the work into school right before most stressful times. If you find ways to satisfy, he also won't need it all the time, just before stressful times or transitions. Dinner could be one too because of the talking and not fully understanding social cues. Good luck.
Dec 07, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		OCD and its link to PANDA (mental health)
by: Anonymous

My 12 year old has exhibited this behavior, except it is with her hair. If it is not tight it leads to frustration, anger, not wanting to go to school.

It started when she is 4 years old, she was obsessed with her shoes, belts, clothing being extremely tight. She also had severe bouts of separation anxiety. Often I would have to miss work to return to the preschool, caregiver, my friends and family to calm her down when she was a toddler(up to age 6)She continues to suffer from this (now she can't be from her dad).

Read and article on the illness PANDA (PEDIATRIC ACUTE NUEROLOGICAL DISSORDER) and realize that she has had numerous episodes of sore throats(strep throat). OCD is also a symptom of PANDA, which has not received much attention or made known to parents (awareness is key). It generally affects 1 in 200 children.

To add to this, she is genetically predisposed to Anxiety (inherited from both my family, myself and her father). Only by educating ourselves about mental illness can we be able to provide the care and treatment for our children. A parent might not have anxiety or suffer from it but one of your aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. does and this itself is a step in acknowledging that it has been inherited. Research. Educate. Share.
Oct 15, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Great to se honesty
by: Anonymous

As a young lad I enjoyed the pleasure of stimulation that having my stomach constricted gave.
Since, it has come to light that parents were supposed to hug their children occasionally and never did. Is this a substituting that need?
Oct 11, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Adult now looking back on my issue with tight clothes!
by: Anonymous

It's so funny that so many adults have come back to comment on this too. I just remember around 5 years of age screaming "tightawwwwww" (couldn't say my R's) when my mom would be tying my dress belts. My shoe laces had to be extremely tight, my pony tails/braids as well. I had to do the chair thing too, have my mom push me in while I sucked in my belly. My bed sheets had to be perfectly laid on me without wrinkles or I would wake up screaming for my mom to come fix them. I hated brushing my teeth, my mom had to tackle and sit on me and I was usually naked throughout this process. Geez my poor mom...realizing after writing all of that.

I grew out of it (and then some, I'm kind of a slob now) and just wanted to comfort parents with kids going through this. I'm a petroleum engineer, very sociable, mother of 2... no cognitive deficits or OCD or SPD or whatever else they're coming out with on this. Although I am prone to anxiety at times, but not enough to be diagnosed with GAD.

Life goes on from these weird kid issues. You'll laugh about it one day (we certainly do) so parents please, don't worry too much. I'm sure now I'd be labeled with a sensory issue for this stuff, only to outgrow it under a year. Don't stress.
Aug 29, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Same here 21 y old from France
by: Pauline vaillant

Hi, i am same about the need of tight belts. So strange, hard to explain.
Aug 29, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight shoes.
by: Anonymous

As a kid for a long time i used to where lace up shoes because they were tight. However I loved how tight they were so much I would tighten them to the point just before they broke. But this ended up stunting the growth of my feet meaning that now a at the age of 16 I am wearing size 4 shoes (My friends that are similar heights to me are wearing shoes almost twice as big).
Jul 25, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Daughter is 11 and still doing this~
by: Anonymous

My daughter has been doing this since she was a baby. At first it was cute, she loved the feel of silk think (such as her blanket- rubbing it etc.) then as she aged and began tying her shoes and tightening the waist bands of her pants it became problematic. After research, my concerns were confirmed: Tight clothes (such as waist bands, belts, etc.) can cause nerve damage. She is going into jr. high this year and everyday is a struggle having to tell her to loosen up her pants. She gets tearful, saying they feel too loose. I may ask her doctor to refer her for possible help or therapy to help her cope with her sensory issues. I don't know what else to do- I have even threatened to cut the waist band adjustors out of her pants because I don't want her to have nerve damage around her waist. Thank you all so much, so glad I am not alone!
Feb 04, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		tight shoes an belts
by: Pauline Vaillant

Hi, happy to find other peoples to talking to about this.
I am f 23y from france, and not a lot of information in france about "spd" or this type of "problem".
Since young, i must have my shoes and belt really tight. It make me in secure, cant really explain why !
Nobody really known this, i was not diagnosisted.I just have some probleme in school about concentration.
I just whant to say if your daughter or son wear tight shoes or cinch waist really tight, dont judge and even let him doing it, cant injury (myself never probleme).
i have a question please : your son or daughter ever asking you to try yourself wearing a tight belt ?
Thank for talking...
Pauline
Oct 16, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Son wants his pants very tight. SPD or OCD?
by: Anonymous

My 9 years old son started a year ago to like his pants tight as possible on his waist,if the pants does not have string or belt then big tantrums comes.and the worse part is he starts to roll up the pats down till show all his butt,and the shirt has to be long to cover his butt.and then the pants length get short on his leg and looks like he's wearing a size 5 pants.

He also wears two underwears every day and roll up the underwears down till looks like a string and show all his butt,he makes basically a string with his two underwears and positions on his rip that letting his butt out,yes very weird.

He is also a selective mutism,but he got a lot better with that lately.
He was diagnose with high level of anxiety,the doctor wanted to him on a small dose of medication,but my ex husband doesn't let him take the medication.

He also does not accept to cut his nail,he cries and says that hurts and the day I cut his nails he can't touch anything at all with his hands. I have to cut when he's sleeping because if he sees he gets very aggressive.

Now I'm not sure if this is SPD or OCD
Aug 28, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		Spd
by: Anonymous

Tactile defensiveness and propioception therapy from an occupational therapist will help but, I would buy crocks, no belts use a weighted jacket or carry a heavy backpack or something. Use a stool at the table.
May 03, 2014
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starstarstarstarstar 		I'm 34 now and I remember feeling this when I was around 4-6 years old
by: Anonymous

So interesting,
I resonate with a lot of these comments. I remember I needed my ponytails and pigtails pulled tightly, my velcro shoes as tight as possible against my feet and would always want to feel a bit of tension... I think it helped me feel secure in a way but also 'supported' (( I still like my sneakers/hiking boots tight to help keep my ankles supported)).

I am not sure what its all about... I also like things visually lined up and organized, which i noticed some other folks listed.

the kids will figure it out and perhaps its helpful to have them work with therapist specialists to help them work through these issues that may be related to emotional processing?

To this day, I love feeling 'snuggled in' to things - like those massage squeeze-booty things- it helps me relax...

perhaps these kids need a bit of physical therapy massaging for tension relief?

Good luck!
Dec 15, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Shoes laces way too tight!!
by: Anonymous

My son turned 9 last month. For approximately the last 6-12 months he has tied his shoes so tight that we've had to replace broken laces numerous times. Now, he tightens them so tight (eye to eye) that he has constant bloody sores and scabs under the tongue of each shoe.

He also makes this facial movement that pops his jaw so often that he complains of ear pain. When I point it out, he is not even aware that he is doing it. After reading these comments, I also realize the tightness of his pants/drawstrings is yet another related issue.

We had him tested for autism/aspergers around 3 years of age due to his unusual way of "playing" ( lining up toys and anything else). The hospital said he did not have it. He is a perfectionist, I'm guessing a bit OCD, and will usually stop what he is doing to put things in their "proper" place (paper in trash an etc.) before he can continue his activity. We have an appointment with the pediatrician in 2 weeks. I hope I can get some clarification as I am extremely concerned that these could be signs of deeper issues. Thanks for sharing!
Feb 09, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		I am in the same boat
by: Anonymous

I am dealing with the exact same issue with my 4 yr old. She hasn't been diagnosed but I came to the realization about 1 yr ago. She soon after got diagnosed with Epilepsy. I haven't seen much in my reading about the tightness. It is a fight with us ALL the time!! I have cried in the parking lot at school after dropping her off. She is also very rough. She hugs rough, kisses rough, etc. she needs a forceful contact. There are many more issues we deal with from day to day. I'm trying to let her mature a little before I take drastic measures. Just hang in there and know you are a GREAT mom and you are doing everything you can.
Jan 29, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		This sounds farmiliar in my 7 yr old son
by: Anonymous

Our son is constatnly tightening his pants...adjustng the length of them and always tieing and retieing hislaces until they are tight enough, which by the way never seems to happen. Socially he is spectaculr....is very good with smaller children and has no trouble with friends BUT is very shy, as odd as that may sound. He does not accept kisses and gets upset when someone kiisses him against his will. Also he has to be extrememly close ot the kitcen table, very snuggled in, and also loves to snuggle up really close with me. He is ever so bright in school and does not throw temper tantrums BUT does get quite emotional when somethinghas not gone correct. He puts on a tuff guy persona but really feels it when he was not able to help someone out. with all that said Im quite concerned about him. this constant having tohave everything tight is my biggest worry and I could really use some help.
Nov 16, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Amy's tight belt
by: Anonymous

I am 74 and I have known the feeling all my life from the age of about 6 - and I don't think it's a disorder - unusual perhaps, but 'normal'
Nov 14, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tight Belts!
by: Anonymous

Hi,im Amy,15 years old.
I Love to have my belts very Tight!
I always wear thick leather belts that can get tightened without stretching or bending.
I love to pull them in about 3 holes tighter than 'normal',and it gives me a really Nice feeling in my body,specially in my stomach!
This has gone on since i was 11.
I dont know if its related to SPD.
It certainly isnt harming me,
and i Love the feeling!
Anyone else who recognices this???
Jun 19, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		I was like this as a child!
by: Anonymous

I can't believe I've stumbled across this, I thought I was the only one. As a child, around the age of 5 I was obsessed with everything being tight, my hair had to be tight, my seat had to be pushed right into the table so it was tight, and I always made sure my dad held my hand as tight as he could, so that it was near enough bright red, otherwise I would start crying and taking tantrums. I'm not sure why I was like that, in a weird way I think it made me feel secure or in control.

I was very shy as a child, but had no problem socializing with friends and I loved school. I think I definitely had some symptoms of OCD, I couldn't touch anyone elses belongings or I felt extremely dirty, and would wash my hands repeatedly and I was obsessed with everything being perfect, even ripping up my school work if I'd crossed anything out on it. I also had massive mood swings as a child, if something wasn't 'perfect' or wasn't in my control, I'd scream, cry and get really worked up.

I'm now 18 and I don't really think it still affects me, I like my clothes fitted, but not extremely tight and I don't obsess over it. I was diagnosed not too long ago with GAD, and was just wondering if maybe anxiety was the cause of my need for tightness.
Jun 18, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My 5yr.old daughter has to have everything tight.
by: Olga

It began at around 3yrs. old. Her sleeves had to be fitted and long even in the summer, her socks never fit right, she didn't want to wear any jeans, hated shorts. Couldn't explain to me what the problem was. Always seems angry with something. Now she just turned 5yrs.old and still does not wear jeans, not because the leg is too loose but because she can't have anything touching her belly button. She only wears leggings because they are fitted and can easily be rolled down. Her skin is raw on her hip area from the seams digging into her skin from rolling everything down, even underwear. Will not wear anything too bulky on the top of her waist for that reason. Everything has to be a certain length on her sleeves and waist. Her hair has to be in a tight ponytail at all times even bedtime, she would even pull it tight first thing upon waking in the morning or even if she gets up in the middle of the night. She is always to hot or cold. She hates bath time, brushing teeth or having to change clothing. Hates having to go anywhere as it relates to all of the above. Will pass up any kind of fun to avoid these things. If i make her do any of it, will be a tantrum the whole way through it. I dealt with the same thing as a child so I am grateful to know what I'm dealing with here but sometimes it is a challenge to find the balance between being stern with her and having the sympathy because i know what she feels inside. It has gotten easier because she is learning to verbalize it. We are currently being evaluated to help us with the start of kindergarten in September.
Mar 17, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		5 yr old
by: Anonymous

hi i am going through the samething with my 5 yr old he has to have his straps on his shoes as tight as can get them we bought him shoes without straps that he just slips on,also he will want to go with his aunt then he dont wanna go then he screams cuz he wants to go its like he can't make up his mind he talks obsessivly,he is loud i'v tried to figure out ways to help him cope idk what else to do,
Nov 20, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My son has just started this behavior
by: Anonymous

My son turned 9 today and started needing his waistband and shoes laces tight in the last 2 weeks. Along with this came what I thought was him cracking his neck however I realized today that it is mainly just a neck movement which he is not always aware of. He is ADHD and on a stimulant so I will discuss all these new behaviors with his pediatrician. I'm at a loss to help him.

Nov 10, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My son does the same things
by: Anonymous

As I was hemming the waist band of my sons Sweat pants, I decided to google My son wants everything tight, and I could not believe what I was reading. I had no idea that there were other families dealing with many of the same issues. My son tightens his belt so much that I don't know how he breathes. Every time we put on shoes, its the same thing "tighter,tighter" he says. I am so mad at myself right now, because I can't tell you how terrible I have acted dealing with this problem. I seriously have had tantrums like a 2 year old arguing with him. It becomes a screaming, yelling, crying match. I feel so bad!! We too have 6 pants/ shorts whatever in a different color. I take in waistbands and tie shoes in thousand of knots.

I try to appease him and then a new season or school uniform comes and I try to "break" him of what I thought was a phase. Only to lose the battle every time, which leads me to once again take in pants... I certainly now am going to look at what we jokingly call his "Issues" very differently. I had called his pediatrician about this once before but was told it was probably just a phase, I will be making a call again. Thank you for opening my eyes
Sep 17, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I was similar to this as a kid
by: Anonymous

This experience sounds so similar to myself when I was a boy. I had an older cousin who always used to hold me on her lap. And somehow there was an unspoken custom between us, that she always had to hold me with her hands pulled way back deep into my stomach. She would hold me quite tightly, with my stomach held in an inch or two deep.

I was perfectly content as long as she was holding my stomach in tight like this. I guess our family looked on it as just one of those quirky things. It continued until my cousin went away to college.

I also asked my babysitter to hold me this way, with her hands sunk back into my stomach "just as tight as you possibly can." It was a simple way to keep me entertained, so any time she came over to babysit she would hold me on her lap with my stomach pulled in extremely tight. She was a big farmgirl, and she used to hold my stomach in just about as absolutely tight as was physically possible. I don't think it could have gotten any tighter. And then I was quiet and perfectly satisfied, and we would watch TV together as she held me this way all through her favorite TV shows.

I also sometimes wore my belt pulled in really tight, I would pull it in to the last notch and I remember I wanted it even tighter. And I remember riding in the back seat of our car on vacation trips, with my seat belt pulled in on my stomach just as tight as it would go.

I never understood what all this was about. I don't think anyone did back in those days. It was just one of those things! To this day I've never entirely outgrown it, and it seems it's never done me any harm.
Apr 19, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Tight belts
by: Anonymous

I, too, as a kid used to like my belts very tight. I had elastic 'snake' belts and used to adjust them so tight I could only just fasten them. I was not into wanting anything else too tight although I did like any sort of pressure on my stomach. I used the chair/table method often. At school at a desk with fixed seats, I used to push a 12" ruler into my stomach and wedge it against the desk.

I never grew out of it, there was no evidence of any kind of disorder, physical or mental, and it has never done me any harm but has given me much pleasure over the years.

I introduced my daughter to the practice when she was 8 - very gently, no coercion - and she took to it quite well. My view is that this is not necessarily a disorder, but an experience many could have given some initiating factor. to parents i would say "Don't worry".
Apr 08, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I was also Just lIke That...
by: Anonymous

I think I know why he does that...When I was about 9 or so I remember having to wear 2 pairs of socks & have my mom tie my shoes as tight as she could. I would get irritated or mad because she didn't do it tight enough. It had to hurt. Same with my pony tails. She wouldn't let me wear more socks only 2 pairs. She used to comment about how weird it was and said it will cut off my circulation but that was the end of it for her. No Dr's. I wish I figured out the allergy stuff when I was a kid. My life would have been so different.Less suffering.

I'm now 43 and know what causes it. Once in a while that same feeling will come over me but in a different forms too. I feel the need to put pressure on my gums or did my nails in them (I know weird) or bite my lip until it hurts. It happens when I eat foods I'm allergic to. I have discussed this with my MD and she agrees. I also have Aspergers and had an uncle with sever autism/aspergers.

I have tried this out numerous times and as soon as I eat wheat, soy, eggs or preservatives especially sodium benzoate and MSG, I get that same weird feeling of a need for tightness till it hurts. When I am eating really healthy I do not feel that way at all. Not even a little bit.
I also remember back then, I would not feel well and get worse after hot dogs and would eat only the bun when we were at a picnic. The signs were there. It was always after breakfast or dinner that I would feel this way the most.

It's worth a try. Don't have a blood or scratch test those did not work. I had an inter-dermal allergy test that worked the best. Although it did not pick up on eggs and they are what make me the most sick next to preservatives. So food tolerance tests are the only full proof way. Time consuming but well worth it.
Hope it gets better!
Mar 12, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I was one of these kids
by: Samantha

Hi, my name is Sam. I'm nineteen, and student athlete at a university. It seems all of you are parents dealing with the extremely similar problems with your children. You see, my parents had to deal with the same thing. But they never knew what it was, instead they would just make new holes in my belts, and tie my hair so tight their hands would be swollen and red. Today I was curious, because I, along with the rest of my family, were very aware of my "tightness" problem as a child. Funny thing is nobody ever knew what it was, and it seem's all of you are describing me when you talk of your kids.

I dont remember when it all stopped, but I do remember always being SO angry when my shoes, hair bands, belt, gloves, jacket cuffs, soccer cleats, and snow pants weren't tight enough. A tantrum almost everyday, and once in a while my parents would get so mad and give up, telling me "that i would just have to miss practice" (which would by the way, not work and only result in hysterics from me) When I would visit my dad's house he could always get things tighter than my mom did, but nowadays he always tells me that he thought he was going to kill me when he pulled belts so tightly around my stomach.

I dont know what to think of all this, or where i could possibly relate it with other problems i have had in my life. I am being assessed for adhd by my university right now, but I'm not sure if that has much to do with any of this. I know besides the whole LONG "tightness" phase, I am an extremely stubborn person, with wanting things a certain way, and (though i try hard to stop myself) will feel very upset and distracted if one thing small thing goes wrong, or is unplanned.

Anyway, it was always weird when I was reminded of my "little" obsession when i was young. But besides a few scars across my waist, and the many belts, hairbands, and shoelaces that were destroyed for the sake of my feeling comfortable...it would seem i have nothing to show for it.

Thank you so much...it seems i have something to let my parents in on.
May 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		response
by: jen

Your child needs OT. My child is also a sensory seeker and likes to wear tight clothing, she loves swim suits. goodluck
Apr 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My daughter likes things tight
by: Whitney

Reading all these stories are reflections of our every day life. Shopping is not fun or easy, dressing is not easy and riding in the car with the seat belt touching is not easy. I feel that our family is on a runaway roller coaster. You get one thing under control and then something else pops up. She is 8 and I find that if her clothes are not good then when she gets home from school she is out of control. Gymnastics has helped some but not fixed the problem.
Apr 26, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Deep pressure
by: Anonymous

My son is 9 and has to have lots of touch often tight hugs and so on. We have done the brushing and scratching of his back. He also needs a seat to sit on at school and a ball. He also has a weighted pressure vest that he loves a ton. I am also checking into the weighted belt and am making a weighted blanket. He is very aggressive and gets agitated very easy. He has never been diagnosed with SPD but trying these things and seeing them works is proof to me that this is very much a big problem in his life.
Apr 24, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I know what you are going through and more
by: Anonymous

I am a single mother with a 9 year old son who absolutely positively needs his sneakers, boots, jacket hoods, pants, and waistband of jacket incredibly tight. He makes me tie his shoelaces unbelievably tight. The only unique thing is that he is afraid of the shoelaces untying so he demands that I tie shoelaces so the eyelets literally touch from toes all the way to ankles on his sneakers with 20-25 teensy weensy minuscule knots in each. It takes a good hour getting him out the door for school each day. Untying those incredibly tight balls of knots on his sneakers takes a good 60 minutes!! He wants each knot pulled as tight as I possibly can.

He had a unique experience this week as I brought him with me to mall on week off from school and I was looking for new Nike Shox at Lady Footlocker. He asked the young salesgirl, who was wearing glasses and a ponytail in brunette hair, to help him tighten the waistband of his North Face jacket. He whispered to her while I was trying the sneakers on that it was pouring outside and if she could tighten his jacket.
Well, she most certainly obliged. He said to make it as tight as she possibly could, I'm assuming. This is because when he came to me the jacket bungee like ties were pulled so tight that they reached (no exaggeration) to his ankles. He then boldly asked her if they would get caught on anything. She said yes and then proceeded to tie the cords on the right and left sides with really tight individual precise knots. These bungee cords were stretched out so long by what she did that the knots were really small.

As I paid my bill, she apologized for what she did, saying that he was concerned about the safety of his jacket. She must have tied 50 knots in each. He was so proud and scolded me for not tightening his jacket and tying up the bungee cord the way she did. It took me a whole 5 days to untie all those horribly tight knots that young Lady Footlocker girl did.

My son is obsessed with knots. At this craft store in mall, he asked Chinese sales girl to tie strings into knots while I was with him. He wanted her to make a "knot ball." Somehow, she knew what it was and tied the shoelace strings into well over 100 knots!! He loved it. It took him 3 days to untie all those knots!

It is nice to have this forum to vent and empathize with you. My son likes everything as tight as possible and with tons of ridiculously tight knots! It is nice to know I am not alone, though very embarrassed!
Feb 16, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Confused
by: Anonymous

My 8 year old son has to have pants so tight that it leaves terrible marks on his stomach. He will only wear Starter pants because other pants have to thick of drawstrings and won't get tight enough. His shoes have to be very tight. Laces have to be tied up to 10 times each morning to make sure they are "the tightest ever". He has actually torn several pairs of shoes when he pulls the velco tabs off. He has started not wearing shirts with logos or prints on them because it feels terrible on his skin. Mornings are so unbelievably hard and he says he is sorry but he can't wear what I want him to. OMG - I had no idea this was happening with other kids - I feel so bad for being ugly to him.
Jan 16, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		my daughter needs everything very tight
by: Anonymous

My daughter just turned 7 and she has to have everything as tight as possible also. she will not wear sneakers because when she is in school she can't make them tight enough. she will take her socks off and just put her shoes on. the only thing that she will wear on her feet are boots. (thankfully it is winter, i don't know what i will do in the spring)getting dressed and out the door for school is a nightmare. i filled out and evaluation through her school 2 weeks ago, the guy refuses to call me back. any ideas on what i can do in the meantime. does anyone else have the behavioral problems as well?
Dec 22, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I know what you are going through!
by: Anonymous

I know exactly what you ar feeling. My son who is 5 was recently diagnosed with SPD. My son is going through the shoelace issue. It is a battle every morning before we go to school and throughout the day. Buttons on his shirt is also an issue. He has to wear an undershirt. Wiping off the kiss you give him to the belt etc. My husband and I felt bad when we finally got the diagnoses. we new something was wrong but could not help to think he is just being difficult. We have started the brushing and have seen a difference. He longer wipes off the kiss and now his shoelaces at times are tight or loose. There is hope. Hang in there.
Dec 21, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		brush treatment
by: Anonymous

You may can try a brush treatment on him so.. it can redirect this as well as give them input. Also try alot of deep pressure w/ a large ball before dinner or before putting on clothes.
Dec 15, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		My Daughter Wants Tight Clothing Too!
by: Betty

Hi there

Just so you know, you are not alone on this one!

My daughter, who turned six in August, needs her clothes and shoes to be very tight or she can't wear them. For the longest time I had no idea what was going on, she would tantrum when getting dressed every day without fail. There would be a repeat performance at the front door when having to put shoes on. I realized that "tight" was her feeling. It seems to settle her and make her feel that she is in control of herself and I stopped trying to fight it.

She now has her "Happy Clothes" which give her what she needs. She wears track pants with wide elastic and a drawer string. She wears an age five t shirt under her day clothes and her pjs. She wears socks and panties that are a size too small for her and shoes that lace up, or velcro up as tight as they can go. I have bought about six of the same tracksuits and about six tshirts all in different colours but the identical type. This is all she wears, all day every day!!!

She took it a step further having to have her hair tied up very very tight. This really concerned me and lead to so many tears every morning when I couldn't get it tight enough that we eventually cut her hair in a bob style. She now settles for the same two tight hair clips to make her feel okay.

Her need for tight clothing hasn't gone but our way of managing it has improved her ability to get dressed incredibly. I still brush her daily using the Wilbarger Protocol and have her on a sensory diet at home. Anxiety definitely increases her need for tightness and now that I am aware of this I can try and help her before she spirals into misery.

It is not easy, but one day at a time, it seems to be getting easier to manage. All the best, Betty

PS Compression clothing is available too, but we decided to try other things first and so far have not needed to go that route.
Dec 14, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Son wants tight everything
by: Shane's Mom

My son is six too and he does the same things except the table and chair thing that he has not thought of yet , I suppose. He is in OT at school where they ordered a special seat for him that has sides and moves. He also goes to OT at a Rehab hospital once a week and has aqua therapy to teach his body differently. I too get frustrated, but only at the people who say I made him tat way or that I am doctor shopping to find something wrong with him when I know he was born this way.
Dec 14, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		supplement
by: Anonymous

Please post the name of the zinc supplement and the place that produces it. many thanks.

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