Sunday 29 May 2011

Touch: A brief note

A lot of people with autism/Asperger’s can’t stand being touched. In some ways I’m like this: whenever my Mum or her friends attempt to do massage on me (Mum’s a holistic therapist), I get an uncomfortable feeling that’s as intense as pain, but which doesn’t hurt. Earlier I had a poke war with a friend: I was fine when she poked my shoulder, when she poked my tummy I had the ‘intense discomfort’ feeling and had to suddenly ask her to stop.

That’s not to say that I don’t like being touched at all. I really love hugs: I joined the ‘Free Hugs’ society at my university as soon as I knew it existed, and spent one afternoon with the society hugging random strangers. I love to hug my friends when I see them - something about the pressure of a hug, and the happiness of being with a friend, make hugs wonderful.

No comments:

Post a Comment