Sensitivities

Amélie Unbound

Just doing the best I can.
May 11, 2005
2,920
339
Canada
✟4,727.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I'm starting a new thread because I didn't want to derail fuzzymel's thread about children crying.

I was talking about how I have sensitivities to many things, and that's one of the main reasons I don't want to have children. I mentioned:

Smells is a big one too. I cannot change a diaper without vomiting. My mother says, "It's different when it's your own baby." But I have a good reason to believe it wouldn't be different. (It would be too much information if I told you why, so just trust me on that. ;) )

Then snoochface said:

Smells get me too. Even smells most people consider to be "good" smells, if they are too strong I can't stand it. I complain to my husband sometimes because he smells like soap -- isn't that supposed to be pleasant? But I can't stand it. I can't walk down the detergent aisle of the grocery store, either. Perfume literally makes me gag.

And now I'm replying:

Yeah, I'm the same way. And oddly, if I try to plug my nose and breathe through my mouth, if an odor is particularly strong, I will still smell it... through my mouth! Is that crazy or what? Am I the only person on earth this happens to? Judging by the reactions I've gotten when I've told people this, I'm guessing I am.

Also, if I try to hold my breath for any reason, I feel like I'm being choked and I will start to gag and then vomit.

So I can't just not smell a strong odor. If I am in the vicinity of a strong odor, I'm in trouble.

I have very little control over it. I have tried using mind-over-matter techniques, but more often than not they don't work. I have this thing that I do where I start singing "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens," (you know, that song from The Sound of Music... yeah, I know I'm a dork :p) to get my mind off the bad smell and my body's reaction to it, and sometimes that will work until I can physically remove myself from the vicinity of the bad smell, but if for whatever reason I am unable to physically get away, sooner or later the odor will win and I will vomit.

Since I notice that many of us childfrees here often seem to have a lot of unusual things in common, I was wondering if anyone else has any odd sensitivities like this. To smells, or to anything else.
 

Epoh99

Veteran
Oct 28, 2005
1,654
72
✟9,683.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
...And oddly, if I try to plug my nose and breathe through my mouth, if an odor is particularly strong, I will still smell it... through my mouth! Is that crazy or what? Am I the only person on earth this happens to?...

NO! I do that too! It's so weird but the same thing happens to me. I have severe sinus/allergy issues so I figured it was do to that since I never met anyone like that before. I remember being really young and whenever I'd see someone that looked like the smelled I'd try to hold my breath while going by them because I knew I'd get sick to my stomach but holding my breath didn't work because... see below.

Also, if I try to hold my breath for any reason, I feel like I'm being choked and I will start to gag....

I can relate completely! I remember when I was little trying to hold my breath under water and I would seriously feel like I was choking and have to come up right away. I was in the pool just last week and went under to get my hair wet and couldn't hold my breath for more than a couple seconds and was choking by the time I came up, as brief as it was.

...I have this thing that I do where I start singing "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens," (you know, that song from The Sound of Music... yeah, I know I'm a dork :p) to get my mind off the bad smell and my body's reaction to it...

You are not a dork, unless Snooch and I are dorks too. She suggested for me with my anxiety to sing a song like "Hello mudder, hello fadder..." I actually use that exact song now if I'm in public and starting to feel really anxious.

I'm in a hurry but the only other sensitivity I can think of off the top of my head is cold. I get cold really easily, and I am not skinny by any means. I bring a sweater everywhere because I know I'm going to get cold eventually. At work I wear 3/4 or long sleeves year round. People look at me like I'm crazy because outside it's around 120 F but inside the air conditioning in public places gets too cold for me!
 
Upvote 0

snoochface

Meet the new boss -- same as the old boss.
Jan 3, 2005
14,123
2,967
57
San Marcos, CA
✟175,236.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Libertarian
Yes, yes, and yes! One of the reasons I never learned to swim is because I breathe so weirdly, I can hold my breath for a long time but when I start to breathe again I start gagging -- and it terrifies me that might happen in a pool.

I already mentioned the smells thing. And I am extremely heat/cold sensitive. I have about a one degree threshold for temperature changes in the house - 73, I'm cold, 74 I'm comfortable, 75 I'm hot. And without fail, if I complain of being cold or hot, we'll look at the thermostat and that's what the temp is.

Yeah I gave Epoh the "hello mudder, hello fadder" trick. Hey, it works! ^_^

One more: taste. I am so sensitive to changes in flavor of any kind. Like, if I'm drinking a glass of water and the dishwasher is running, I can't put the glass on the counter above the dishwasher because the fumes from the steam make my water taste like soap. Ugh. I always order my water in restaurants without lemon or fruit of any kind, and I can tell when they just take the lemon wedge off a previously prepared glass. Certain vitamins and minerals, like B complex, I just cannot take because the smell is so overwhelming there's no way I can stand it.
 
Upvote 0

Amélie Unbound

Just doing the best I can.
May 11, 2005
2,920
339
Canada
✟4,727.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I'm in a hurry but the only other sensitivity I can think of off the top of my head is cold. I get cold really easily, and I am not skinny by any means. I bring a sweater everywhere because I know I'm going to get cold eventually. At work I wear 3/4 or long sleeves year round. People look at me like I'm crazy because outside it's around 120 F but inside the air conditioning in public places gets too cold for me!

Oh my goodness! Me too! I'm not skinny either, but I too often wear long sleeves even in the summer, for the same reason. People are always making comments to me like, "Aren't you hot!?" And, "Just looking at you dressed like that makes me feel hot!"

This is so weird that we have these things in common. :)
 
Upvote 0

Amélie Unbound

Just doing the best I can.
May 11, 2005
2,920
339
Canada
✟4,727.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
One more: taste. I am so sensitive to changes in flavor of any kind.

Yes, me too! I have taste sensitivities and a lot of other food issues.

I have to go out right now, but I'll post more about this later.

I am always truly amazed by our similarities.
 
Upvote 0

bluebug83

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2007
431
54
✟8,336.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
As far as strong smells go, there are definitely some smells (though a fairly small set of them) that will make me gag when I smell them. I have never vomited because of a smell, though I think it's due to an internal self-defense mechanism because I am really, really, really scared of puking to a strong degree. :)

Yeah, I'm the same way. And oddly, if I try to plug my nose and breathe through my mouth, if an odor is particularly strong, I will still smell it... through my mouth! Is that crazy or what? Am I the only person on earth this happens to? Judging by the reactions I've gotten when I've told people this, I'm guessing I am.
I believe this, since I've heard that smell and taste are very closely linked. The only "flavors" we taste are sweet, bitter, sour, and salty; everything else is absorbed through our sense of smell. And Orchard, didn't you say you're an HSP? I could see that making you much more sensitive to smell through your mouth.

At work I wear 3/4 or long sleeves year round. People look at me like I'm crazy because outside it's around 120 F but inside the air conditioning in public places gets too cold for me!
I do the exact same thing. Offices really seem to like to turn up the A/C to an unbearable level on hot summer days. When I used to work at my mom's company, the owner of the building used to turn up the A/C so high I would have to go outside periodically to take warm-up breaks! Fortunately, the place I work at now isn't that ridiculous (partially because the office building is so much bigger), but I still never wear short sleeves to work unless it's a hot day and I won't be there the full 8 hours.

Along the same lines, I am very sensitive to temperature differences between the inside/outside of a car. If it's a cold day outside, but the sun is shining and creating a "greenhouse effect" in the car (making it feel quite warm), or if it's a hot day and I have the A/C blasted, I start to get a headache after awhile. I recently determined that I prefer long car trips on cloudy, not sunny, days for that very reason. Bright sunny days seem to cause the temperature differences.

My final awkward sensitivity is texture in foods. I've been a pretty picky eater ever since I was a child (causing many embarassing experiences throughout my life), and I think it's largely due to this. Sometimes if I'm chewing something and the texture seems really off, I gag really badly when I try to swallow it. One of the worse things for me is something soggy that is NOT supposed to be soggy (ie, bread), which is why I don't put liquid sauces on my sandwiches or milk in my cereal. Even if I chew my sandwich for too long, I can get the "gag effect" when I finally try to swallow the bite.
 
Upvote 0

Epoh99

Veteran
Oct 28, 2005
1,654
72
✟9,683.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
....
One more: taste. I am so sensitive to changes in flavor of any kind. Like, if I'm drinking a glass of water and the dishwasher is running, I can't put the glass on the counter above the dishwasher because the fumes from the steam make my water taste like soap. Ugh. I always order my water in restaurants without lemon or fruit of any kind, and I can tell when they just take the lemon wedge off a previously prepared glass. Certain vitamins and minerals, like B complex, I just cannot take because the smell is so overwhelming there's no way I can stand it.

I totally forgot about taste! I am super sensitive to taste and sometimes it drives my husband crazy because I won't go to certain food places because of how their drinks taste. I don't like using those re-usable water bottles because no matter how much I rinse them after washing it seems like I can still taste the soap and it grosses me out!

I'm also very sensitive to the "vibes" I get from people and I'm right 99% of the time (I actually can't think of a time I've been wrong but I'm sure there has been :D ). Just standing by someone I can tell what kind of person they are. When I was younger I always discounted my feelings but after so many years of being "right on" I am comfortable and confident in my impressions.
 
Upvote 0

Rebekka

meow meow meow meow meow meow
Oct 25, 2006
13,101
1,229
✟34,375.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
I totally forgot about taste! I am super sensitive to taste and sometimes it drives my husband crazy because I won't go to certain food places because of how their drinks taste. I don't like using those re-usable water bottles because no matter how much I rinse them after washing it seems like I can still taste the soap and it grosses me out!

I'm also very sensitive to the "vibes" I get from people and I'm right 99% of the time (I actually can't think of a time I've been wrong but I'm sure there has been :D ). Just standing by someone I can tell what kind of person they are. When I was younger I always discounted my feelings but after so many years of being "right on" I am comfortable and confident in my impressions.
I have occasionally been wrong about someone (and a couple of times I thought for a period that I was wrong, but eventually my first impressions were proven to be right), but I have the "vibe" thing too.

Unlike many of you, I don't have good ears - I have bad ears, but they are extremely sensitive - they hurt whenever there is noise (even not-so-loud noise) (see the crying children thread).

Edited to add (my computer is conspiring against me, it posted before I had finished!):
I do have a great sense of smell and taste - which is why I enjoy cooking so much. It hasn't turned me into a picky eater actually - I enjoy all sorts of food because they are all so different. I enjoy wine tasting too. Smell and taste are one and the same to me, and I think the wine tasting has improved both even further. So to me, the sensitive smell and taste are a blessing, not a curse. Bad smells make me nauseous, and I can't stand some strong perfumes or aftershaves (and deodorants are even worse), but I don't have it as badly as some of you guys. If possible, I do hold my breath to avoid smelling nasty smells. I can't tolerate smoke, and I avoid bad cooking too (so I'm not picky in food, but in cooks - which is why we hardly ever eat out, and if we do it's in expensive restaurants).
 
Upvote 0

Rebekka

meow meow meow meow meow meow
Oct 25, 2006
13,101
1,229
✟34,375.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
Oh, and I'm very sensitive to hot and cold, too - I need a lot of blankets on my bed (even in summer, except when it's more than 30 degrees C) and I always have to wear multiple layers of clothes. But, I can't tolerate heat - anything hotter than 25 degrees C makes me nauseous and gives me a headache, which is why I don't like summer much.
 
Upvote 0

snoochface

Meet the new boss -- same as the old boss.
Jan 3, 2005
14,123
2,967
57
San Marcos, CA
✟175,236.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Libertarian
Oh, and I'm very sensitive to hot and cold, too - I need a lot of blankets on my bed (even in summer, except when it's more than 30 degrees C) and I always have to wear multiple layers of clothes. But, I can't tolerate heat - anything hotter than 25 degrees C makes me nauseous and gives me a headache, which is why I don't like summer much.
Celsius? Isn't that some newfangled European measurement thing? :D

(Seriously, I am the epitome of the ignorant American, I do not know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit :blush:)
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Rebekka

meow meow meow meow meow meow
Oct 25, 2006
13,101
1,229
✟34,375.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
Celsius? Isn't that some newfangled European measurement thing? :D

(Seriously, I am the epitome of the ignorant American, I do not know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit :blush:)
:D I'm the same, I don't know the conversion to Fahrenheit! :hug:

Apparently, 73 F = 22,8 C
74 F = 23,3 C
75 F = 23,8 C
(all three are favourite temperatures of mine, in summer - but in winter indoors I prefer 21 C which would be 69,8 F).

Then the other way round:
30 C = 86 F (so hot that it makes me sick)
25 C = 77 F (my absolute maximum, hotter makes me uncomfortable)
 
  • Like
Reactions: snoochface
Upvote 0

snoochface

Meet the new boss -- same as the old boss.
Jan 3, 2005
14,123
2,967
57
San Marcos, CA
✟175,236.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Libertarian
:D I'm the same, I don't know the conversion to Fahrenheit! :hug:

Apparently, 73 F = 22,8 C
74 F = 23,3 C
75 F = 23,8 C
(all three are favourite temperatures of mine, in summer - but in winter indoors I prefer 21 C which would be 69,8 F).

Then the other way round:
30 C = 86 F (so hot that it makes me sick)
25 C = 77 F (my absolute maximum, hotter makes me uncomfortable)
Thanks for the info! I'm glad I'm not alone :hug:

I prefer hot weather to cold. I would rather have 365 days of 90+ degree weather (ummm, more than 30 C) than one day of 32 degree weather (I think that's 0 C).

My husband thinks that's weird because you can always put something else on if you're cold, but you can't do much when you're hot. But I hate having on a bunch of clothes or wrapping up in a blanket if I'm not in bed. I want to be able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt all year and be comfortable.

That said, even if it's 1,000 degrees outside (in whatever temperature conversion that would be :D) I still need at least one blanket on the bed. It's not a warmth thing, necessarily, it's more the feeling of having the weight of the blanket on me while I'm sleeping. I can't sleep with just the weight of a sheet.
 
Upvote 0

Rebekka

meow meow meow meow meow meow
Oct 25, 2006
13,101
1,229
✟34,375.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
Thanks for the info! I'm glad I'm not alone :hug:

I prefer hot weather to cold. I would rather have 365 days of 90+ degree weather (ummm, more than 30 C) than one day of 32 degree weather (I think that's 0 C).

My husband thinks that's weird because you can always put something else on if you're cold, but you can't do much when you're hot. But I hate having on a bunch of clothes or wrapping up in a blanket if I'm not in bed. I want to be able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt all year and be comfortable.

That said, even if it's 1,000 degrees outside (in whatever temperature conversion that would be :D) I still need at least one blanket on the bed. It's not a warmth thing, necessarily, it's more the feeling of having the weight of the blanket on me while I'm sleeping. I can't sleep with just the weight of a sheet.
I'm like your husband - I like to be able to add things to get comfortable. Last summer it was so hot (the Netherlands have a mild sea climate, summers shouldn't be hotter than 90 F), 35-38 C for weeks, that I really suffered and had to stay indoors (we don't have airco because usually summers aren't that hot - but with the climate changing, airco might become common over here) because I can't function in that heat.

Also, winter clothes are more flattering for my belly than a bikini is. :D

Yes, I need the weight on the bed too. They should make summer sheets: as heavy as a blanket, but without the warmth.
 
Upvote 0

fuzzymel

Contributor
Sep 25, 2006
5,020
595
Not a clue
✟15,527.00
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
20-25 celsius is enough for me. I am so pale I kinda blend in with a white background (In one of my old passport pictures it really does look that). I dont like too hot and I dont like too cold.

I managed to get sunburnt while going for a 2 hour walk on Saturday. It wasnt even that hot so I didnt expect it. The sun likes cooking my skin. Will have to buy some factor 50 next time.

My poor skin is so sensitive. When me and DH started dated I found I was allergic to his aftershave. My face would go bright red after we had been kissing. Dont know what my parents must have thought when they saw me coming through the door with my face glowing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: snoochface
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Epoh99

Veteran
Oct 28, 2005
1,654
72
✟9,683.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
...

Then the other way round:
30 C = 86 F (so hot that it makes me sick)
25 C = 77 F (my absolute maximum, hotter makes me uncomfortable)

Oh my, you'd never survive where I live. It gets to 48.8 C here (120 F). I hate it with a passion. I really do. You can't touch the steering wheel, you sweat if you just step outside, and so on. :sigh:
 
Upvote 0

Rebekka

meow meow meow meow meow meow
Oct 25, 2006
13,101
1,229
✟34,375.00
Faith
Marital Status
Married
Oh my, you'd never survive where I live. It gets to 48.8 C here (120 F). I hate it with a passion. I really do. You can't touch the steering wheel, you sweat if you just step outside, and so on. :sigh:
Oh, I'm so sorry for you! :hug:

Yes, I'm thankful for living in such a mild and wet sea climate. I'm afraid that our summers will become hotter though - they have been quite hot the past four years. I was indoors a lot.
 
Upvote 0

invisiblebabe

He will restore the years the locust hath eaten
Feb 12, 2004
3,639
300
40
Second star to the right, and straight on 'til mor
✟20,234.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
I am very fair skinned too, I glow in the dark. I get sunburnt within 5-10 minutes and I never tan. So I don't really like summer.

lol, same with the fair skin and very easily sunburned... but i love summer! sunny days are my favorite... and i like skirts, sandals, painted toenails, tank tops... :)

my maximum for heat is probably around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. ideally, i'd love every day to be anywhere between 60-85 F.

i hate hate hate winter. the freezing cold makes me depressed.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums