Physical Contact

[Osymandus]

Im good with it as well , normally decensatised it would have a ppaeared (see other posts for a change) . But some material used to make be gag ?

[Captain_Ludd]

Im exactly the same, I dont like physical contact, although I can tolerate it if a.) its a family member or friend and b.) I know that its coming, its not so much a sensation thing it just makes me feel very uncomfortable, my solution is to try and avoid "huggy" people.
Btw does anyone else automatically jump/flinch away when tapped even lightly on the shoulders even if you know its coming? I really hate it (it used to provide certain idiots at my old school hours of fun) but I can't help it.

[Pixibeatz]

I only really enjoy hugs from my boyfriend, hugs from anyone else kinda feels weird, either because I can't see the point in people hugging all the time or because i have a slight paranoia that any of my guy mates hugging me might be a sign of an ulterior motive, hugs from girly mates are allowed but i don't enjoy or get any benefit from them. having said this i am usually the first person to give a sad friend a hug.. double standards lol, i guess its cos i know other people don't find it weird. my brother who is also a bit dyspraxic is odd though, he calls me emotionally stunted and insists on many hugs to prevent me from becoming an ice queen.

[Captain_Ludd]

I'm kinda glad im not the only one that gets called emotionally stunted cos I'm choosy about who I hug I know a lot of people that just randomly hug for no apparent reason (the ones I try to avoid) and for me it just looses all meaning (or is that just cold?)

[peterkeegan]

I sometimes feel uneasy about some people touching me to the extend that I don't like it. Getting a thumping off my step dad in my teenage years doesn't help.

[Pixibeatz]

its true if you hug everyone all the time it loses its special meaning

[chequabelle]

I'm so glad I found this post.
I'm generally quite good at controlling this and other aspects of my dyspraxia when I'm feeling OK, especially as I have alot of patience so I don't tell anyone or let it show when it bothers me. I just act normal. It's especially bad when I'm tired, overheated, or generally quite grumpy, as with other aspects of my dyspraxia.
I have managed to stop flinching when the people I'm close to hug me.
It's especially hard to explain to people though, as when I initiate it I'm fine, and no one seems to understand that. Either I have an issue with being touched or I don't.

Until I found this forum I didn't think it was dyspraxia related, just thought it was me being silly.

Nice to know I'm not alone

[bumbleguff]

i dont like people invading my bubble (personal space) as i call it unless i have a warning first ....that includes family, friends ..........pretty much anyone. Even with a warning i can still have problems with hugs if i am having a washing machine on spin dry day....................(my name for the days that my head gets so unfocused everything jumbles together)
Touching off of strangers , whether its a knock or a handshake or just passing by in close proximity is a nightmare for me personally, and the only people that doesnt seem to trigger the panic off are young children. i guess i just dont feel threatened or swamped by them.

[sanabitur_anima]

I am overtactileand I hug people when it's innappropriate.

[agsiul]

I have a weird one for you. I hate being touched as a rule and one of my friends chased me round the flat to give me a hug once....because they thought it was so funny.....the whole thing was quite funny. And I particularly hate touching skin. a really nice woman in work is always grabbing my arm. for a whole year every time she grabbed me I'd spend the whole time thinking of breaking her arm while she was tryingt to talk to me. I just pull away now but she clutches on. But after all that I like getting a massage from a massus. I have trouble with my back and I had to get it delt with and it turns out that when it's presure put on a particular muscle that is causing problems it seems to be ok. It's the same with my head. I hate having my head touched. It is very sensitive and I get migraines but for some bizzare reason if someone like a hairdresser or massus knows what they are doing it is quite relaxing. Again I think it's the [presure they put on in the right muscles. Not sure but I think that is why its ok.

[RaeB]

I know how its like I hate touchy-feelyness I can only accept hugs off close family and only at certain times and never of friends or stranger, also I hate nightclubs as u are always brushing up against someone its awful

My friends dont really understand why as alot of them hug each other all the time but they know not to hug me as I just tense and thats it, I am also not good with being sympathetic and I hate it when people cry at films they are not real!!!

but otherwise ok

[Grackle]

Me too. I didn't connect it to dyspraxia though.
I hug my family members. I've had to teach myself to touch other people though. Like touching someones shoulder or arm in sympathy. It makes you seem warmer and more caring I think. Plus I have to force myself to shake hands with people.

I'm often startled when people touch me and it makes me very uncomfortable. I was sitting on the ground once watching a fireworks display. There were a lot of people but my friends were beside me. Then this woman - a stranger! - sat behind me and wrapped her legs around me - ahhhhhhhhhhhh! It was horrible, I didn't enjoy the fireworks at all but I thought that it was impolite to say anything.

I've also found that people that I'm close to just sense that I don't like being touched so they generally don't
Grackle

[agsiul]

OMG....that sounds down right creepy! I thought of something funny when I read your message. I was in Poland a while back at an event where they were reinacting a Passion Play. The place was packed and I sort of got jamed in surrounded by people. I knew I was going to faint so I started scrambling over people.....old people, people on crutches, people in wheelchairs, etc. to get out and sit on the ground. The people around me were so concerned that they started asking me in Polish if I had a headache, etc. I had to mime fainting so that they would understand that they had to let me out. When I got out to an open space a decrepit old man insisted on giving me his stool! Everyone was telling me to put my head between my legs, rub my wrists, etc.! I eventually started to feel better but couldn't get up because I was mortified and thought to my self surely to God the priest will stop talking soon so that I can just skulk off....eventually I did get up and thank everyone around me who had been trying to help me and got away as quickly as I could! Even now thinking of it gives me a laugh

[Iame]

I vary a lot from one day to the next, and it really depends on the type of contact.

I really hate feeling something unexpectedly. I'm very sensitive to touch, textures etc. Most of the time (it's rare for me NOT to do this), if I brush up against something unexpectedly, the only way for me to make it right, to shake the feeling of unease, is to touch the same texture in the same place but on the opposite side of my body. God, that sounds weird, doesn't it!?

For example, if something cold touches my right arm, I have to touch that same thing with my left arm in the same place. I've always been like that - I have to balance things up all the time.

As for human contact, most of the time it puts me on edge. I can kiss new and old acquaintances on the cheek, hug friends and family, etc. and that's fine, probably because I'm expecting it. Even then, though, there are days when ANY contact really makes me nervous - I'll move away from someone on the couch so their leg doesn't touch mine.

I'm glad someone else is like me, lol. Sorry, it's not funny really but it makes a change for someone other than me to say how their behaviour sounds weird. It made me lol because I'm the one usually saying what I'm saying must sound strange. I go mental if someone touches me and they have made me jump, I really go wild at times. I can't help it but it's like someone touching me and making me jump is like a huge shock. Ok, obv it is a mini shock to most but it's like major to me and it makes me feel I'll sometimes and I go mad, esp if it's my gf because I expect her to know which is bad of me I know

Apart from the above I have the thing about touching things a certain number of times and in the same place both sides or with all my finger tips. I also love to put shiny, smooth card like leaflets to my lips, like to cover them with it, and I usually get away with it by pretending to smell it too, lmao. Now that must sound mental I know.

My Mam said recently that when I was younger I used to touch my sisters hair ever so gently, I also recal putting my teeth onto her head so I could feel her smooth hair on my lips. I even get my dogs ears and kiss them four times on each one, I love it when they are cold too because it's like they refresh me. My dog is a lab and her ears are so very soft so that's makes it harder for me to resist them. Poor girl, but she does like her fusses so it's not too bad for her lol.

Onto being touched by others again..... If someone has touched me it also leaves a patch on me that is burning through me in a odd way. I have to rub it or press on it hard to make it go away, I have to also press the opposite side to where it was so I can feel something there too. I think it takes my mind off the actual place I've been touched by someone if that makes sense.

I have a huge thing about labels on my clothes and they gave to be cut off if they are next to my skin. I hate, and I mean to the point of making me I'll, price labels on things. The ones that are usually stuck to cans or tins a ms bread etc from small shops. I hate them, and if o have to take them off things I will screw them up but they have to touch all my finger tips first, then I have to get rid asap. If they get stuck to me I'm likely to lose my temper. If someone sticks them to themselves IRS bad enough but if they stick them on me I'm not very happy. I don't know why, and can't explain it, it's like if people give me little appointment cards I hate taking them.

Now I'm pretty sure I've made myself like a loony so I will stop before I make myself sound like I need locking up.

[Vier]

I am not big on public affection. I never liked being hugged by anyone when growing up or kissed. Now I don't mind being hugged by certain people. I can deal with some public affection in very small doses. I have no problems in my relationship i.e. I can hug etc just different in public. Not overly keen on touchy feely people because I don't like to be touched often, particularly without my permission.