Posted by Cindy W on June 16, 2000, at 10:14:43
In reply to Re: ADD --Karen, posted by Sara T on June 16, 2000, at 1:13:34
> > Kissing 200 people is worth avoiding Karen. Which brings me to a semi-new topic (well in the ADD range). Do you hate touching people or having people touch you? I grew in a large extended French family who always kissed and hugged and shook hands and grabbed cheeks and touched and poked each other even during a conversation. I'm wondering if this is an ADD thing--disliking being touched so much. I mean just the thought of kissing 200 people starts nauseaous feelings in my stomach.
>
> I'd like to weigh in on this topic with what may seem like something coming from left field. My son has Asperger's Syndrome which is a very high functioning form of autism. So I read up alot of that literature. And some of it suggests that there is a continuum of this disorder that fades at its most mild end into personality quirks and people who are ill at ease socially. The milder end of that autistic spectrum has only been recognized recently (Asperger's Syndrome was only included in the DSM IV in 1994) and in the past people with very mild presentations were dx'd with things like ADD, Avoidant Personality, or even Schizoid Personality and Atypical Schizophrenia.
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> In fact, some even suggest that ADD is a part of the autistic spectrum at that very milder end because many ADD symptoms overlap and people with ADD are notoriously socially inept (I am one example of that) because they don't pay attention to social cues. Personally, I don't agree with that because autistics simply don't recognise social cues at all. It is like a foriegn language to them. Whereas ADDers when they are focused, can read cues.
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> However, some of the things I've learned about autistics are very applicable to people with ADD. For instance, sensory hypersentivity to touch, texture (clothing for example), noise levels, and light levels are common in kids with both ADD and Autism. Resistance to change, and difficulty making transitions from one activity to another are common to both. SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING as well as SENSORY INTEGRATION therapy is also part of a multimodal therapy approach for both groups.
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> Now the sensory thing is something I think adults don't give enough attention to in their own environments. Why? Because we're supposed to be able to handle it. But it wasn't until I discovered my own ADD that I realised that much of the discomfort I felt in certain situations was due to too much sensory input (overstimulation) and I was at those times almost high and I must not have made much sense to anyone around me, kind of like a child that's overstimulated and can't stop being silly!
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> I used to drink at social functions to ease my discomfort too. Anxiety about social ineptness and overstimulation took over and I always felt I couldn't handle it unless I could drink to relax.
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> I'd agree that sensory sensitivity to touch is pretty common among ADDers. I would make sense that if your brain can't tune out the incoming stims that you could be hypersensitive to tactile input.
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> Just some thoughts. I hope I didn't intrude here, its 2 am and I'm avoiding sleep.
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> Sara T.
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> BTW, anybody ever read a book called SHADOW SYNDROMES?
Sara T., I read "Shadow Syndromes" and thought it was pretty good.
BTW, I'm socially anxious probably to the point of being an Avoidant Personality. My parents weren't "touchy" and I still shy away when friends try to hug me or touch my arm or whatever because I just didn't grow up that way. I have to remember to "reach out and touch" my significant other because he's not like that and likes hugs, holding hands, etc. Part of the problem for me has always been the self-statements ("they won't like me," "I look stupid," etc.). I'm overaware of people's cues I think to the point of reading in rejection where there may not even be any.
poster:Cindy W
thread:37075
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37516.html