Message of Hope to all of you worried about SPD

by Narayan
(London, England)

It looks impossible, doesn't it... a child that twists and turns to clothes, smells, sights, food, and is strangely averse to light pats, to crowds and groups. What will your child grow up to be like?

Well, i just want to reassure you that life IS manageable with these kind of life symptoms, even if they never go away.

I'm 55 years old, a successful editor, traveled the world many times now, have three beautiful grown up daughters, a loving partner, and even managed to donate a kidney to a brother recently.

Yet my life from the off was filled with oversensitivity of every kind, in marked contrast to the rest of my family. And to this day, i am acutely sensitive to noise, lights,too many people, certain tastes and smells. This hasn't turned me into a sad desperate loner, far from it.

My main weapon has been to laugh at this, because in some senses (xcuse the pun) it really IS ridiculous to be so sensitive. And thankfully, laughter in turn brings joy and self acceptance though it may take many years to get there.

Give your child space... it was even more difficult for me because I was a twin AND went to boarding school! But that space, that precious space where a child can calm down sensory overload makes the difference between growth or fear.

Let the child find a talent or skill. They will find one, somewhere, somehow.

Nature, the delicate realities of a beautiful landscape, does wonders to SPD. Harsh human environments are the opposite. So if you have tyhe money, expose to nature. NOT crowded beaches, crowded theme parks, loud electronic environments. An SPD person PLUS quiet sunset = peace. Even better with a quiet sunrise!

That old adage about "different strokes for different folks" really does contain a lot of wisdom. Because there IS a gift from oversensitivity: a wonderful ability to harmonize with very subtle changes in colour, tone, noise, surroundings and an ability to feel the hidden realms of life. It's far more a blessing than a curse, this condition.

Stick with it, breathe deep, be gentle and encouraging. All will come right in the end, believe me.