Sometimes I don’t know where my ADD starts and where it ends. I don’t know if my supersonic sensitivities are from ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder or both. Or whether they’re simply personal quirks of mine. But man, there are a lot of things that drive me absolutely crazy! Such as:
1. Songs that have too many repetitive verses, such as the end of Hey Jude, by the Beatles: Na Na Na NANA NA NA……(repeat 100 times). And mind you, I LOVE The Beatles.
2. People who talk to me from a different room. Sweetheart, if I can’t see your mouth or eyes or both, I cannot connect with you- my brain does an immediate shut down.
3. Touching a doorknob, cabinet pull, fridge door, etc., that is sticky or gooey. I did not handle this well when my children were young. And I still don’t. Thank God for Clorox wipes.
4. Related to #3, stepping on something sticky. As in…spilled juice. Then stepping on all the little juice trails.
5. Slow drivers, especially when I’m in the passenger seat of one (and you know who you are). I start chewing on my sleeve to try and stay calm.
6. Talking on the phone when the other person is on speakerphone. I cannot understand ¾ of what you are saying.
7. Talking on the phone (you saw that coming, didn’t you?).
8. The smell of bacon cooking early in the morning. I want to gag. Hey, not everyone loves bacon! Certainly not at 6am.
9. Restaurants that have TVs going plus songs piped in. If I want to watch TV or listen to music, I’ll eat at home or turn the radio on in my car. Massive noise and salads do not mix.
10. Talking politics. Next?
11. What my sink looks like when I come down for breakfast. Honestly? I don’t think any one of you would believe it. Shall I take a photo?
12. The smell of kasha. Check Google if you don’t know what that is. My grandma Sookie, bless her soul, cooked that all the time and sadly, my 2nd strongest memory of her is that odor in her house. The 1st is getting a baby doll from her for my birthday. I can still remember the smell of that rubber. Wow, I really do have olfactory sensitivities.
13. Being interrupted when I’m doing something important, like checking out Facebook Birthday notifications.
14. Going to formal events: a. I hate getting dressed up. b. I hate wearing makeup. c. I hate small talk. c. I’m uncomfortable in large groups of people when I don’t know 99% of them.
15. People (again, you know who you are) who turn on the TV in every room– and leave it on after they’ve left. Ok, let me just get it out of my system- I hate TV unless it’s 2am and I’m trying to fall asleep, in which case, I LOVE the Cooking and HGTV channels.
16. Waiting 8+ months for summer to come, only to be blown out of my skin by the sound of lawnmowers, construction machinery and other outdoor noises when I’m trying to enjoy the few weeks (seemingly) of beautiful weather.
17. Getting caught in the rain.
18. Not being able to make up my mind. And yes, I know it makes those around me crazy.
19. Sitting at a table with one leg a tad shorter than the rest. Wobble wobble
20. People who repeat certain words, like……”like”. Ok, I know you can’t help it and I’m sure I have my own verbal habits. But heck, I can’t help it. My ears get stuck on them and my brain locks up.
21. Tick tock clocks.
22. Socks that are too tight at the top or have a hole in the toe.
23. Lamps with blue light. I need natural light- please!
24. Dark rooms during the day. Please please keep your drapes open when I come over.
25. Getting my sleeves wet. I detest the feeling of wet clothes, but that is the worst.
Ok, I lied. There’s more:
26. Finding dry fruit in my food (especially in my beloved chocolate. Don’t MESS with chocolate! I HATE dry fruit- especially raisins- yick).
27. People who talk with gum in their mouths.
………and these are just off the top of my head. I think I’ll make a running list of things as they happen for a future newsletter, because there are so many of them. Or maybe I should make a list of things that I love! But would that be as interesting? I dunno…..
What drives you nuts? Please share them in the Comment section below- I would love to hear about your quirky irritations!
Yesss! Especially #s 2, 5, 6, 9, 15, 19, 20, and 27! How about people who think it’s funny to rattle off a list of things for you to do, and then when you start DOING the first thing, ask a question related to a DIFFERENT thing. NOT FUNNY AT ALL…
Pretty much all of the above!! Songs that never end or that repeat verses over and over, etc..,loud restaurants, lamps with blue lights, and slow drivers are just a few of the things that really irritate me! One extra thing is when water runs down my arm when I’m washing my face!
YES! When water dribbles down my arm at the sink! GOOD ONE!
Oh wow, I agree on almost all of these! I thought it was just my house where EVERY surface seems to be sticky and no one seems to notice but me. Also, I’ve been known to ride, shot-gut, with my EYES CLOSED for long stretches when people are slow or the traffic is crazy. It’s either that or tell my husband how to drive – and you can guess how much he loves that! I can’t stand to watch. Finally, the wet sleeves thing…..Even wet bare arms makes me INSANE. The worst part of any routine day for me is those few moments when you get out of the shower, and you’re between wet and dry. I CANNOT. Helping my younger daughter in the shower (though I LOVE that I still get to do that for just a while longer) is irritating for the same reason.
Is it just me?
It isn’t just you. How about that lovely feeling of accidentally brushing against the cold wet tile in the shower?? One reason why I can’t tolerate baths is the feeling of the cold tub against my skin. No way!
I just came across this blog and had to sign up and comment because I agree with 13 things on your list. Im so glad to know im not the only one that detests a lot of these things. My biggest sensitivities relate to hearing. So yes things like ticking clocks, repetitive or loud songs, lawnmowers, and loud car exhausts just irk me. This list of yours has inspired me to make my own list, and maybe even share it with family members. Thanks
Thanks for your note. I’d be interested in reading your list, if you feel comfortable sharing it. If not, I understand! 🙂
I have always had a problem with “soft ” sounds. Here’s my top five that send me through the roof.
1. Gum Chewing – double whammy the smell of it and the sound
2. Clocks I have to move the mantle clock if I want to be in that room
3. Someone chewing – crunchy stuff is the worst, but bananas are intolerable, too.
3. cellophane bags and wrappers – it’s worse if someone is trying to open a bag quietly, because it takes more time
4. breathing sounds when person is sleeping
5. slurping
CLOCK TICKING!! That one is torture for me!!!
Thanks for sharing your list. I feel for you! But I also understand.
Yes to many of these! And here’s a few more: someone else’s mouth noises when eating drive me up the wall; being spoken to when I’m trying to cook (I lose my concentration, forget how many cups of something I’ve measured, etc.) or any activity involving concentration (I can only focus on one thing at a time, so it feels like an interruption;) labels or lace on shirts that irritate the back of my neck. I have lots of sensitivities when it comes to clothes; can’t tolerate jeans or any stiff material. Thanks for your post!
Fussymom- yes- the cooking thing has always been a huge problem for me and you describe it so well! Thank you! Oh, and the uncomfortable clothes. Yep yep yep.
At least half the items on your list are triggers for me too. Also, because talking on the phone is irritating, talking on the phone with someone who is multitasking in the background, especially in the kitchen, drives me nuts. I just want to get off the phone! The sound of another chewing (sitting next to a person eating popcorn in a theater…arrrgh!). Thanks for this conversation, Terry!
Diana- oh my….the PHONE thing!! That is waaay up high on my list. I can hear every little thing and I almost feel like I’m going to go in a rage. I also cannot hear people usually when they talk on their cell phone. It sounds muffled to me- I don’t know why. So I use an old fashioned landline whenever I can get away with it. I hate cell phones! Except for playing Candy Crush. LOL.
Thanks for your comment!
Oh….There are so many. Sniffing. Grab a tissue and blow your nose. I find the tick-tock of a clock soothing, I can not stand clicking, like a pen or the sound from someone biting their nails. (my husband does both)
Kelly- thanks for sharing. Repetitive sounds like the pen clicking drive me nuts but…I can’t stand hearing a clock tick-tocking! Weird.
It is so reassuring to hear others share these! My sweet husband now automatically says “sorry” when he sneezes loudly and startles the wazoo out of me. Trying to be conscious of how idiotic it is, I always follow with “it’s o.k. Honey, it’s not your fault.” It can scare and startle me right out of the roof, but when I consider his standpoint, it seems so unfair. Also like another person who commented, if I hear someone eating sloppily, well, you all know… Thank you Terry ! ! !
Crystal, thank YOU for sharing. I have a startle response like that as well! I must have touched the ceiling more than 100 times. Sounds like you have a sweet and understanding husband- yay!
Yep, #1 and #25 for me. Repetitive phrases in a song … can’t you sing something else?!? And, when washing dishes and I happen to get my sleeves wet! I have to change my shirt. Can’t stand it!
Pat, well…you KNOW I get it. 🙂
I also HATE when the back of my blouse by the neck gets wet when I get shampooed at the salon. Awful!!!
These are so funny!!
I absolutely loathe putting my hands into cold dish water to retrieve a discarded cup – especially if the water is a bit yucky 🤢! I also cannot stand listening to people file their nails – it goes right through me. And my daughters crack their knuckles – nightmare!!
Yes! That reminds me- I hate wading in lake water- the plants sliming against my ankle makes me want to scream and run out.
I love you my sistah!!!!
I just told my husband tonight how much I have always HATED getting my shirt sleeve even a tiny bit wet! The other thing is both of my shoes must be tied with the same degree of tightness or I have to re-tie one of them.
Linda- same here! I HATE shirt sleeves getting wet. Or actually, anything I’m wearing. And I HATE when I accidentally touch a cold tile in the shower. EEEEK.