I folded my laundry this week. This is a great accomplishment for me. I'm very proud of myself.
I'm autistic, which means that many social conformity instincts are impaired. Communication involving conformity, status and implicit signalling is especially difficult for me. Appearance is a high-stakes game. Punishments for mistakes are harsh and confusing. The whole domain of clothing is so traumatic to me that I've tried not to think about it at all.
They're also uncomfortable.
I think that the root cause of autism is that the brain's inputs being too high. Lights are too bright. Sounds are too loud. Chaotic social gatherings are overwhelming.
I wore sandals in all seasons and weather conditions for most of my life. Another aspie with sensory issues recommended I try out seamless socks. I bought seamless bamboo socks. For the first time, I actually enjoyed wearing closed-toed shoes. Closed-toed shoes are essential for current fashions; replace them with crocs, and it doesn't matter what else you're wearing.
Since then, I've bought grey chinos and red t-shirts from Target. I bought white waffle-knit sweaters from Uniqlo. (The t-shirts stained the sweaters in the wash. Oops.) I've been watching Real Men Real Style. I even threw away my 16-year-old Spamalot shirt with holes in its sleeves.
One night, I was dressing nice for a date. Everything was fine except my pants. My grey chinos all looked horrible except for one pair. The pair that looked good was the one I hadn't worn. It was still in the condition the original Target employee placed it on the shelf. That's when I figured out that the reason I'm supposed to fold my pants for storage is because they look better when I wear them. Moreover, the more meticulously I folded them, the better they looked after I unfold them. This is true even if you don't iron them.
Within minutes, the pieces started falling into place. I watched a Martha Stewart video about how to fold my t-shirts, and I folded them too. From time to time, I took breaks to dissipate my anxiety. (I was akin to exposure therapy.)
I have folded my clothes before, but I always did a suboptimal job because I didn't understand the objective. This time, I folded my clothes better than I ever have before. I even enjoyed it. By the time I finished, I was looking for more laundry just so I could fold it.