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syrella
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24 May 2011, 9:23 am

I dunno if this is related to anxiety or what, but I'm always jumpy! I get started so easily, even at the simplest things. Even something as simple as someone touching me on the shoulder can surprise me. Pretty much anything unexpected or loud can be a trigger. Oh, and it doesn't seems to related to being relaxed or not. I can be lying down peacefully and calmly and then be sent into a mini-shock because my boyfriend's cat decided she wanted to jump on me. She is definitely not good for my nerves, but she's otherwise quite cute. :lol:

I read somewhere being startled all the time could be related to post-traumatic stress disorder, but I can say that I have been through anything like that and this has happened to me pretty much my entire life. The only thing I can think of is just that I have a high level of stress hormone or something.

Does anyone else experience this?


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tomboy4good
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24 May 2011, 10:18 am

I am also easily startled. It can be caused by a sharp sudden sound of any type....a sneeze, a loud bang, someone yelling, or even just a tap on the shoulder if I'm not expecting it. I jump so hard, it can feel like I am going to jump out of my skin.

I probably most likely do have PTSD. I have been through a fair amount of trauma in my life.


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flyingdutchman
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24 May 2011, 10:39 am

Easily being started can be part of sensory processing disorder. As far as I have read about 75% of autistic people have it. If you look it up, you may recognize a lot of things.



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24 May 2011, 10:41 am

I'm not easily startled. No offense, I always thought of it as a weakness, and I've carefully weeded it out of my behavior patterns every time I noticed it in myself. I still feel surprised when someone touches me unexpectedly, hear a loud noise, or something similar happens to me, but right in the moment I notice it I send to myself a calm down signal without delay, so it takes a great amount a stimuli to apparently have effect on me. Close train-horns (the double-horn ones), dogs suddenly starting barking a couple of feet away from me make me startled.


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Last edited by OJani on 24 May 2011, 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

Radiofixr
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24 May 2011, 10:41 am

I am startled very easily and even one time when I was a little kid I got startled by my own shadow.


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b9
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24 May 2011, 10:51 am

Quote:
Are you jumpy or easily startled?

are they not the same thing ?



ScientistOfSound
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24 May 2011, 10:52 am

I startle VERY easily. Anything can make me jump! D: Even a door opening suddenly!



lelia
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24 May 2011, 10:55 am

No trauma here; I simply never outgrew my baby startle reflex. My husband laughs when I scream and flail. Other people I end up scaring.



syrella
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24 May 2011, 11:07 am

b9 wrote:
Quote:
Are you jumpy or easily startled?

are they not the same thing ?

Yes, they are. Think of the 'or' as inclusive, not as exclusive.


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syrella
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24 May 2011, 11:08 am

OJani wrote:
I'm not easily startled. No offense, I always thought of it as a weakness, and I've carefully weeded it out of my behavior patterns every time I noticed it in myself. I still feel surprised when someone touches me unexpectedly, hear a loud noise, or something similar happens to me, but right in the moment I notice it I send to myself a calm down signal without delay, so it takes a great amount a stimuli to apparently have effect on me. Close train-horns (the double-horn ones), dogs suddenly starting barking a couple of feet away from me make me startled.

No offense taken! I wish I could tone down my startle reflex, so I envy you for your ability. It'd be nice not to feel like the world is crashing down on me when a cell-phone alarm goes off. :lol:


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syrella
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24 May 2011, 11:09 am

flyingdutchman wrote:
Easily being started can be part of sensory processing disorder. As far as I have read about 75% of autistic people have it. If you look it up, you may recognize a lot of things.

Thanks! I'll do that.


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SyphonFilter
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24 May 2011, 11:12 am

I'm also startled by the smallest things.



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24 May 2011, 11:25 am

Definitely I get startled by any sudden sound, flash of light, or unexpected movement. Needless to say, this affects me greatly when it comes to watching horror films. I found a way to get around that by watching them with the volume low (or even muted) with the captions/subtitles on. That way, the sudden sounds are neutralized and I even have a slight heads up before someone makes a sudden movement (which often results in a brief scream or line of dialogue, hense the other use of the captions). As far as sudden movements go, I either fast-frame through the suspenseful parts or have some form of mild distraction (like my laptop) nearby to take the edge off what happens on-screen.

I know that completely kills a major element and point of horror movies (scaring the crap out of the viewer), but I still need to view them in order to understand the pop culture references regarding them. Some of them are actually good films believe it or not.



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24 May 2011, 11:40 am

Yes, I don't walk on main roads because every a$$-hoal think's it's funny to honk at people on the sidewalk. I jump 3' every time it happens, get anxious and angry, so I just avoid walking on sidewalks entirely now.



b9
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24 May 2011, 12:11 pm

syrella wrote:
b9 wrote:
Quote:
Are you jumpy or easily startled?

are they not the same thing ?

Yes, they are. Think of the 'or' as inclusive, not as exclusive.


"or" is always "exclusive" as far as i am concerned. i can not imagine it as "inclusive" because it is conceptually wrong to do so. 'or' means "else" and "else" means "not this" (in a crude way of seeing it)
the original poster should have used the word "and" instead of "or", and then i could have formulated a considered answer.


i have two alarms beeping at me so i must go and check some things.



lelia
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24 May 2011, 12:13 pm

Abbysquick: So what do you do? Leap over buildings?