THANK YOU everyone!!! I was like many here a year ago... I did not want to be touched at all. When I looked at the massage literature and saw that reduced anxiety was one of the primary benefits...I was like, "you've got to be kidding!" I've since found an INCREDIBLE bodyworker and I've been able to work through many aspects of my aversion to touch. For those who are new to the forum I have ADHD and well it is easy to overload my somatic system and I experienced some CSA which compounded my problems with touch.

I started with the goal of just being able to tolerate the touch and now I've actually gotten to the point that I can say that I enjoy safe, controlled professional touch. It was a long process though. I know what my issues were and what helped me overcome them. I was just curious as to what others perceived.

One think I've learned in my exploration is that A LOT of people have touch discomforts and hang ups. I always thought it was just me. I had MANY fears one of which was...If I showed that I was having trouble tolerating the touch the the MT would KNOW that something was wong with me or that I had suffered CSA etc. I know this fear sounds stupid but...its where my brain went. Now as I've been working through my touch issues I realize...there are A LOT of "normal" people who are uncomfortable with touch.