Re: high sensory sensitivity

[Patte Rosebank]

Oh, yeah. The sweats. I think I first got them as a side effect to the Effexor XR I’ve been on for the past 12 years. Oddly, though, now that I’m weaning off it and I’m down to only about 10 mg a day (from a high of 300 mg), I sweat just as much. God help me when I hit menopause in a few years’ time.

I’m not terribly touchy-feely, but from a few of my closest friends, hugs are lovely. Hugs from my parents and relatives, on the other hand, are just something to be endured. But I’ll snuggle with a cat or a dog for hours. In fact, when I’m out at parties (which is very rarely), I’ll usually spend most of my time with the pets instead of the people. Jerome Howard (Curly, of the Three Stooges) was the same way. But in front of an audience, in the safety of a character or persona, we’re the wild, goofy, bouncing-off-the-walls ones. Go figure.

I also have to read. A lot. And I can read in any direction, including upside-down and backwards. When I’m eating, or waiting, or even using the loo, I must read something to keep from going out of my mind with boredom. There’s a stack of vintage magazines in my bathroom. And I have nearly every volume of the “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader” series—full of interesting, oddball stories & facts, which makes it ideal for the ADHD brain. I even contributed some bits to Volume 15 “The Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader”, so my name is listed in the front as a contributor. And no, I am not Porter the Wonder Dog.

A gem from that volume: “My life has no purpose, no direction, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” – Charles M. Schulz

I’d say, that the answer is, accepting that you’re special (and I don’t mean that in the “rides the short school bus” sense), and doing what makes you happy instead of catering to what you think others want you to do.

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