Waking Up in Pain

Waking Up in Pain

Sensory Defensiveness is a clinical term for people who have a low tolerance for pain; a high sensitivity to touch, smells, light, and sounds; and seem to lose energy in crowds from overstimulation.

I am one of these people. It has taken me years to identify what I had. I used to date a guy who actually broke up with me because I wouldn’t go to antique stores with him for long periods of time. The truth was, I would get really exhausted from the dust and molds in the air and feel sick from being there. Of course, I would avoid them like the plague because of my gut feeling of sickness. But I didn’t realize that it was because of sensory defensiveness that I had that reaction. After I got diagnosed, I felt bad that we broke up simply for my lack of interest in something that was undeniably a problem I couldn’t help.

People with this sensory dysfunction have a low level of autism, actually. The neurons fire in the brain too quickly, leaving the body and the mind over stimulated. A great book to read about this is called: Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast Too Tight: What to do if You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World by Sharon Heller.

I learned so much from reading this book. I never understood why I was so sensitive to the taste of food, sound (singers and instruments off pitch drove me crazy down to the bone), and everything on my body would hurt like crazy when I had the smallest of aches. People and partners often made fun of me for this issue. I’m thankful to have a partner now who has the same sensitivity, so dealing with it is so much easier.

The good thing about being sensitive is that you are also heightened to sensuality, which can be amazing if you have the right, gentle touch. But the downside, I believe, is that most of us end up with issues like arthritis and neuropathic pain because we are so sensitive to all the neurons firing in our brains.

There are medications to help slow down these neurons. Effexor, Cymbalta, and Selexa are great antidepressants to help with the overstimulations. Lyrica is also used for people with the highest levels of neuropathic pain. If you find that you need a medication for pain relief, Tramadol is a good nonsteroidal pain reliever that is also non-narcotic. I also find that taking two liquid gel Aleve everyday (this is the kind of medication you must take everyday for full efficacy, and it IS an anti-inflamatory). In other words, you don’t want to take any of the above meds just when you have pain. They are prophylactic, as well.

The other problem with pain is how it affects your mental outlook. I’ve noticed that when I have a bad day because of the weather changing or a rainy day—Sensory Defensive People can tell when it is going to rain the day before—I wake up in a sour mood. I try my best to do everything I can to help. I small amount of caffeine, a hot shower, and gentle massage can help a great deal. There are also a two other techniques that you can use that have helped many of my clients: wearing ankle weights or wearing a weight vest and brushing your skin with a baby brush. Both of these therapies change the course of quick-firing neurons and help stop the pain by circumventing it.

I hope this blog gets to some people with this issue. Remember, if you need help with dealing with any kind of pain, please give a call and make a session. Hypnotherapy is one of the best helpers for dealing with pain.

* * *

Bo Sebastian is a Hypnotherapist and Life & Health Coach, available for private sessions to QUIT SMOKING, Lose Weight, New Lap-Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss, CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! at 615-400-2334 or www.bosebastian.com.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. Also, I write this Blog as a part of Finding Authentic You Ministries. If you would like to send an offering or a tithe, your donation would greatly be appreciated: 5001 Maywood Drive, Nashville, TN 37211.  And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.