Asmr

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i heard of ASMR a few months ago...it's really an exploding genre on YouTube. I was kind of gobsmacked when i first heard of it and looked it up because I had experienced it my whole life, yet never knew it was a thing or had a name... my whole life, I thought i was just an oddball for experiencing it. Now there are thousands of youtubers with *millions* of subscribers dedicated to ASMR videos.

i'm sure some of the moms with kids with anxiety or sensory issues have heard of ASMR, but i don't think it's as well known or mainstream. figured i'd mention it here, as something to check out, i'm sure it will probably help someone or some kid out there, especially in these insane times and so many suffering from anxiety, depression, etc. from what i know, only a percentage of people experience ASMR.... those who don't, will get nothing out of watching ASMR videos and may think they are rather nonsensical. my DH and DS are like this.

my DD (who has anxiety and often has difficulty falling asleep) experiences it, and ASMR videos have been life-changing for her ...they helping her calm down and fall asleep. i usually have DD watch an ASMR video and she conks out within 20 minutes. nothing else on this universe does that, and we've tried white noise machine, meditation apps, naturacalm, etc.

also, the ASMR world helped me discover so many things about my DD and why she likes the things she likes....eg since she was tiny she had always always loved face painting and woudl beg to get her face painted at a fair or at the zoo...and then often promptly want to wash it off as soon as we got home. Always seemed bizarre to me... now i realize it's more about the act of getting her face painted (personal attention).

anyway, we found triggers for my DD were whispering, getting face painted (or getting makeup done), playing with kinetic sand, certain clicking/squeaking noises from markers , crushing things with her feet. we have a kinetic sand table set up in our living room now and it is extremely helpful for her mood.

hope this info is helpful for someone, especially those with sensory-seeking kids or tweens or those who have anxiety or trouble relaxing/falling asleep. my kids are at the age who scoff and roll their eyes at all the typical relaxation/meditation apps for kids and say they are too babyish.

[pinkmomagain]

Yes! I personally get nothing from it (although I think I did as a child)...but I know that one of my daughters really loves that type of sensory input and ASMR helps her with falling asleep. It actually makes a lot of sense, as these soft sounds (and the idea of someone taking care of you, personal attention) can be very soothing to the nervous system....kicking it into feeling safe and sound.

As a therapist, I always seem to forget about this but it's a great strategy for some. Thanks for the reminder!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Yes! I personally get nothing from it (although I think I did as a child)...but I know that one of my daughters really loves that type of sensory input and ASMR helps her with falling asleep. It actually makes a lot of sense, as these soft sounds (and the idea of someone taking care of you, personal attention) can be very soothing to the nervous system....kicking it into feeling safe and sound.

As a therapist, I always seem to forget about this but it's a great strategy for some. Thanks for the reminder!

no prob! just reading youtube comments (and seeing the views stats) i was amazed at how many people with crippling anxiety, depression said they used these videos to help them, mentioned how they watch these videos all the time just to get through the day. i've seen several who said they had major childhood trauma and/or neglect, especially commenting on the videos of mother role plays (e.g. a mom pretending to apply make up to her daughter) saying they got so much out of it and they wished this kind of thing was around when they were kid, bc they never got any such nurturing/attention from a parent. it's touching and heartbreaking at the same time.

ASMR really is an exploding phenomenon that i think has really taken off with youtube and i'm sure Covid-19 accelerated it, with so much uncertainty and many people falling on hard times (plus with folks being home all the time, increased audience).

[TwinFoxes]

I first heard about ASMR on "This American Life" several years back. It doesn't do much for me, but I can understand how it would be helpful. I think it's pretty well known with kids. My kids mentioned ASMR a few weeks ago. I was surprised they'd heard of it.

[mmsmom]

Can anyone explain differences between ASMR and EMDR? A friend was recently talking about EMDR helping her overcome trauma. They seem to treat similar issues but are different methods?

[StantonHyde]

Can anyone explain differences between ASMR and EMDR? A friend was recently talking about EMDR helping her overcome trauma. They seem to treat similar issues but are different methods?

EMDR is an actual therapy practice backed up by lots of research. I am not sure what research backs up ASMR--and if it really involves watching videos or listening to sounds, then it doesn't necessarily need "research" in that it doesn't seem to have harm potential. EMDR is covered by insurance and is practiced by licensed, trained professionals. Whereas ASMR seems to be something that can be accessed by anyone.

Personally, the idea of watching an ASMR video is something that would drive be batso. I have anxiety--have taken meds for over 20 years and have done years of therapy to overcome the core issues, learn new behaviors etc. I use a sound machine because it allows my brain to lock onto one sound and not "spin" as I go to bed. But if an ASMR video works for someone, go for it. Why not?

[JustMe]

This is very interesting! I have never heard of ASMR and I am a therapist who does EMDR (although I do not think they are related as far as I can tell). I had just been finding some sound videos that help my aggressive/on edge cat to calm down yesterday, though. After reading this post today, I listened to one of the ASMA youtube videos just now in which I had to take a test to determine which group I am in. I have never had such a difficult time in feeling like the questions were difficult for me to say that one was more me than the other; not for every question, but for the majority. Anyway, I think my daughter could benefit from this a lot. Is there anyone in particular you think is good on youtube (or anywhere else free)?

[urquie]

I first heard about ASMR on "This American Life" several years back. It doesn't do much for me, but I can understand how it would be helpful. I think it's pretty well known with kids. My kids mentioned ASMR a few weeks ago. I was surprised they'd heard of it.

I had never heard of ASMR before this post... mentioned it to my middle schooler who has seen it on TikTok... more than a year ago.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I had never heard of ASMR before this post... mentioned it to my middle schooler who has seen it on TikTok... more than a year ago.

haha, that sounds about right!!

it's really popular on YouTube. there's also ASMR-based games and apps. my kids love one that is cutting shapes in sand. the annoying thing is that there are ads.

for YouTubers, there is one called "Sandtagious" that i think has over 3M subscribers. it's all cutting or crushing various shapes made out of kinetic sand. for me it is oddly satisfying to watch. other people are probably like ok what the heck is this.

the other ones me and my dd have watched are Gibi ASMR, Peace and Saraity ASMR - both of them often do roleplays

i got YouTube Premium few months back (which was worth every single cent, with this pandemic) so i get to not see a single ad. i don't know what it would be like to have to watch ASMR with being interrupted by ads.

[newnana]

DD loves ASMR. Uses it when she's having trouble sleeping, has for years. She found it on her own starting down the "oddly satisfying" path of youtube that eventually took her there. She's another that hates mindfulness activities and meditation and always loved getting her face or arm painted for the sensation.
Great recommendation!