The life of a person with sensory hypersensitivity can be challenging, especially if you have multiple conditions. Sensory hypersensitivity is an invisible disability that brings a lot of mental stress and can lead to substance abuse and meltdowns. It’s very difficult to be fully understood, due to the lack of comprehension and the invalidation by people who are unaware of this condition.
Sensory hypersensitivity: It can change, but it never disappears
In some cases, it can evolve: for example, when I was younger, I always hated denim, whereas now it only leaves me indifferent or slightly bothered. As a child, I loved anklets, bracelets, sunglasses, and watches for aesthetic reasons, but I always hated the constant physical touch of these accessories on my skin. Now, that exact sensation makes me feel pleasant and self-confident.
After a life full of misunderstandings—where no one, not even myself, was aware of my condition—I learned to embrace my complexity without labeling myself as crazy or a maniac.
Labels everywhere
Also labels can be challenging. In sensory topics, they are often sex-centered and revolve around fetishism or appearance. But it’s not always about fetishism, appearance, or sex: it is not a fetish if I prefer to wear only certain types of clothes, go barefoot, or get tattoos or piercings. I am neither a fetishist nor a fetish for someone else.
Trying to live without any labels simply doesn’t work: it only leads to misunderstandings and being involuntarily labeled with existing stereotypes like “maniac” or “fetishist”.
This is where OGVATS-C was born—out of pragmatism. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need labels; they would be useless. But in the real world, they can be useful tools for self-discovery and advocating for your own existence.
Be now your true self,
Al – founder