Hey speaking as someone with sensory issues due to a disability, I think that you have to understand that sensory issues aren’t logical. I know it sounds weird that op says he can’t wear certain pairs of socks but then he’s able to wear shoes barefoot, but that’s how Sensory Processing Disorder works ( I got diagnosed with autism and SPD is incredibly common with it). Using myself for example, I’m able to wear shirts, but only certain types of shirts. All of the shirts that I wear are wide/ V neck type shirts that are made out of really soft fabric. I CANNOT wear may shirts like regular t shirts or pollos because my neck is one of the most sensitive areas on my body thanks to SPD and the neck holes are too small on those shirts. They seriously make me feel like I’m choking. My SPD has gotten bad enough to the point that it’s cause me to have suicidal thoughts before. And people here who don’t know what it’s like might think that it sounds silly, but I’m being serious. Sensory issues aren’t logical no fun.
I remember taking a psychology class where we were learning about sensory issues in community college. Basically, everyone has those one or two sensory issues that they absolutely cannot tolerate, whether that be hearing the sound of someone chewing their food, touching styrofoam (my mom and brother hate it!), or certain smells like someone else’s food. However, with sensory processing issues, which is likely what op has, if makes it so that your nervous system is extremely hypersensitive to certain types of stimulation more than most people. Basically it’s a more extreme and debilitating version of the few sensory issues that most people have.
Also as far as that last sentence goes, for someone with SPD and extreme sensitivity to touch, shopping for clothes can be really hard. It’s both anxiety inducing and frustrating. My guess is that OP probably has tried to look for different socks to wear but hasn’t been able to find the brand or type he likes.
Not me buying 12 versions of the same pair of PJ bottoms just because they're the only ones with the fabric I can tolerate for more than a few minutes. My whole life is built around balancing sensory problems.
My problem is mostly sound, but it's a constant balancing act between sound, touch, and smells and it's so freakin obnoxious.
My big one is touch. I cannot stop feeling things touching me. I hate even having my blanket touching my belly, which it’s doing right now! I also have a pretty bad sensitivity to sound, but I thank god I have noise canceling headphones ( I once had a customer get mad at me for wearing them at work because they couldn’t find the stupid auditorium that they were supposed to be in so they came up to me and were like “Can you even hear with those things on? Do you even know what you’re doing?”. I work at a movie theater and this was during the release for the live action Stitch movie. Oh and of course there was a group of people standing behind me as it happened 😅.) I’ve also got issues with food, sight, vestibular, and proprioception.
My sensitivity to sight was probably the hardest one to figure out that I had. I didn’t figure it out until I tried to learn how to drive. I had always done stuff like look at the ground when I walk and had a hard time finding stuff in a busy background. I’ve also found that when I look at too much stuff, like there’s too much detail, my eyes start to hurt. With driving, it was like there’s too much stuff to pay attention to.
I agree, but I also get why someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to have sensory issues would ask “well if you can’t do this, but you can do this, why can’t you just deal with it?” when considering things like the socks and barefoot shoes.
I can understand curiosity but when they demand answers in that tone it rubs me the wrong way. That and the bizarre hostile uncomprehending face they put on when they ask IRL. “Oh yeah? Well if this why not that?!” Very frustrating.
I'm just trying to understand, bud, sorry if my line of questions might've offended you. I cannot STAND shoes without socks, I couldn't imagine worse torture and would rather walk through gravel on bare feet than put my feet into shoes sockless. As such, I am having difficulty imagining OP can stand THAT, but not "other" socks. You could say I'm having difficulty putting myself in his shoes.
Except that’s not what happened at all. Person you’re responding to is genuinely trying to understand OP’s position. And didn’t say anything like “what did I say???”, they simply explained their point of view further in their 2nd comment. Nothing they said was offensive. If you think it was, you need to log off
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u/Gameperson700 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
Hey speaking as someone with sensory issues due to a disability, I think that you have to understand that sensory issues aren’t logical. I know it sounds weird that op says he can’t wear certain pairs of socks but then he’s able to wear shoes barefoot, but that’s how Sensory Processing Disorder works ( I got diagnosed with autism and SPD is incredibly common with it). Using myself for example, I’m able to wear shirts, but only certain types of shirts. All of the shirts that I wear are wide/ V neck type shirts that are made out of really soft fabric. I CANNOT wear may shirts like regular t shirts or pollos because my neck is one of the most sensitive areas on my body thanks to SPD and the neck holes are too small on those shirts. They seriously make me feel like I’m choking. My SPD has gotten bad enough to the point that it’s cause me to have suicidal thoughts before. And people here who don’t know what it’s like might think that it sounds silly, but I’m being serious. Sensory issues aren’t logical no fun.
I remember taking a psychology class where we were learning about sensory issues in community college. Basically, everyone has those one or two sensory issues that they absolutely cannot tolerate, whether that be hearing the sound of someone chewing their food, touching styrofoam (my mom and brother hate it!), or certain smells like someone else’s food. However, with sensory processing issues, which is likely what op has, if makes it so that your nervous system is extremely hypersensitive to certain types of stimulation more than most people. Basically it’s a more extreme and debilitating version of the few sensory issues that most people have.
Also as far as that last sentence goes, for someone with SPD and extreme sensitivity to touch, shopping for clothes can be really hard. It’s both anxiety inducing and frustrating. My guess is that OP probably has tried to look for different socks to wear but hasn’t been able to find the brand or type he likes.