I'm not sure where I fit in, can anyone relate?

I am looking for some advice. I began searching the internet looking for some explanation for the issues I have had my entire life. I have found that my issues fall under two different categories. I am not sure if how to make sense of it. Maybe someone can relate. I read through the symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder and thought I fell into that category only slightly. It seemed like that was more severe than I feel I am. Then I stumbled upon this page about Sensory Processing Disorder. I think it is a closer description of what I have.

There are so many things that have always made me crazy. As I get older, I am noticing that most of it is Auditory. It makes me absolutely crazy to be around people that chew with their mouth open (food or gum), crack/smack their gum, chomp on ice or talk with their mouth full. (I don?t know if you have noticed how common that is on TV these days?.everyone ?talks through? there food. It drives me nuts!) Any noise that is constant or repetitive like someone tapping their finger on a desk, clicking their pen open and closed, a wobbly ceiling fan, and dogs barking makes me feel like I could jump out of my skin! There is nothing worse than whistling! If I hear someone whistling (not like if you call a dog, but whistling a song while they work) my blood begins to boil, my heart starts racing and I just want it to stop. When it does stop, I still hear the echoing of whistling in my head and it won?t go away. (I have always thought I was crazy because of that alone.)

Another thing about sounds that brought me to look into Auditory Processing Disorder is that I feel overwhelmed when there are too many things going on at once. I have 3 kids and if they are talking, playing, and watching TV?there are too many sounds and it gets me upset I have to make them stop or mute the TV during games. I cannot listen to sports on the radio (of course that is what my husband wants to hear in the car) because the constant sound of the same voice and same tone drives me crazy. Not to mention, for some reason, I just cannot process what they are saying when they speak so quickly. I can?t listen to the radio if I cannot even understand what they are saying. If my kids or husband are watching TV, they can?t have it too loud or it gets on my nerves, yet when I am watching TV I have to have it loud because if even one person talks during the show, I can?t make out what they are saying on the TV. It?s like my brain cannot handle separating the two sounds so I get confused. I always wondered why I needed to read lips when people talked in loud places. If you turn your head (even if I can hear their voice) I can?t make out what they are saying because I need to see their lips and facial expression.

Visually, I am bothered my repetitive movements in my line of view. Growing up, my mom would always move her foot or wiggle her leg while she watched TV. I would have to move to a seat that I couldn?t see it in the corner of my eye and far enough away that I couldn?t hear the slight movement. (This caused a lot of problems at home)

A few other sensory issues I have is touching soft materials (soft, flat materials. I don't mind a soft fluffy stuffed animal, but I hate satin). I also hate touching paper after I have washed my hands. I don?t know if the water makes my hands feel too soft (clean with no oils?) but I feel the same sensation as I would scratching my nails down a chalkboard! In grammar school, I would avoid going to the bathroom at all costs because I didn't want to wash my hands because I would have to go back to touching paper. I have never heard of anyone else (other than my son now) having this 'paper' problem.

I dont have any problems like others have listed like clothes tags, people touching me (in fact, I love people touching me), I am not sensitive to pain, and I do not have a keen sense of smell. But I saw on the check list questions regarding the ability to distinguish items by feeling them and not looking at them. I don?t have a problem with that, but I have always had a problem telling the difference between some flavors. An example: if you ask me what flavor a sucker or hard candy is I will say its red?. I cannot seem to distinguish the difference between cherry, strawberry, or watermelon. I know they are all red, and I dont think they taste the same, I just cannot tell you what the taste is.

Any opinions or words of wisdom?