Babe, I've got you under my skin.

 I am very particular about the way I like to be touched, and sometimes this makes me feel broken.

I like hugs and high fives and taps to get my attention. Touching in the context of sex, or in active flirting is also acceptable. I guess these could be considered as touches that serve a specific purpose. They convey a specific, discrete message. I can handle this.

The prolonged touches, or touches that don't result in action on my part are what really freak me out. I don't like having hands rested on me for an extended period of time, or repeated touching that doesn't generate a new message. Trish is a touchy-feely person, and likes to put her hand on my knee or elbow, or stroke my arm, or whatever when we're near each other. In these instances, her hand on my body makes my brain scream in a really bad way. I get really fixated on the sensation of touch and can't concentrate on anything else, and it builds to feeling like I have to get away now now now nownownownow until it stops. This sensation is really magnified in public places.

This is hard. Logically, I know that Trish is touching me because she likes me and wants to express her affection for me. Physically it feels like I'm going to start shrieking uncontrollably until it stops. This has been an issue in previous relationships as well. I haven't come up with a way to explain it to my partner without feeling like I'm rejecting the entirety of their love. In fact, one of my very favorite things about being single and living on my own was that nobody touched me unless I specifically sought them out to do so.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯