Anxiety disorder--related to sensory-tactile defensiveness?

Posted By SylvanB on August 31, 1997 at 21:32:37:









     My husband, age 45, has a severe anxiety disorder with agoraphobia. It's been
     suggested by an OT person (a friend) that this may involve tactile defensiveness--he
     is super-sensitive to touch, but also craves physical contact (we hug a lot!), and
     he startles very easily and severely. The sensory integration connection is a new
     idea which we would like to explore, but everything I've found so far relates to
     retarded, autistic, or adhd children or adults. He is emphatically not retarded;
     there are some features of adhd and perhaps autism but far from diagnostic. Please
     save us more wheel-spinning by directing us to resources relating to non-retarded
     adults. E-mail is warmly welcome. Thank you!