Question:
My T calls it hypervigilance. I can’t even handle the sound of the computer running at night; and its two rooms away. I’m so glad I have a separate house… I couldn’t sleep any amount at all in my apartment. Before my dx I just figured I was a high energy light sleeper. My fave job had the hours of 6am – 2pm…I’d "sleep" from midnight to four. Now I’m so mentally fatigued I have to nap during the day. I find I’mphysically worn out too, must be from tension.
My wife wonders about the sleep change all the time. She would work 9-3 then 3:30 to 12 and sometimes an extra shift. Never a need for too much sleep. Now if there’s a day without a long nap, she’s quite surprised.
Response:
Hi, Jane I think of it as hypervigilence, too. Laura&8
Response:
To all those who are hypersensitive to touch, sound, vision, smell, taste, movement: fyi: It’s well known among neurophysiologists that people can be hypersensitive to sensory stimuli without having an obvious site of "damage." Children with learning disabilities, sensorimotor dysfunction, autism, attention deficit disorders, and a whole range of "soft" neurologic disorders have these hypersensitiviites. (I’ve been an occupational therapist for over 20 years, working with kids; got my master’s in OT specializing in neurophys.) What isn’t as widely researched and discussed, I don’t believe, are that so-called emotional/mental health disorders can cause the same sorts of reticular system reactions (that’s the system that lets you pay attention to the birds if you’re a city person sleeping in the country for the first time, or the cars on the road if you’re a farmer coming to the city). Although, I may be wrong, since they now attribute lots of what we all go through to chemical imbalances caused by the ab*s*. So what you are experiencing IS real; it’s just not something most M.D.s will acknowledge. Not even Ear/Nose/Throat docs. Some allergists will, though, cuz it happens with allergies, too. But, as I mentioned before, although there may be a neurophys. reason for it, hypervigilence is the phrasing that makes most sense to me. (Being hypervigilent caused a routine way of dispensing brain chemicals.) When my homeopathic remedy starts "wearing off," I start getting disturbed by all of these sensations. I can "feel" people walking up behind me long before they arrive, and the slightest touches drive me bonkers – I feel them for hours afterward. It’s called "tactile defensiveness" by many, but for me it’s hypervigilence. Take Care, Laura&8
Response:
My T calls it hypervigilance. I can’t even handle the sound of the computer running at night; and its two rooms away. I’m so glad I have a separate house… I couldn’t sleep any amount at all in my apartment. Before my dx I just figured I was a high energy light sleeper. My fave job had the hours of 6am – 2pm…I’d "sleep" from midnight to four. Now I’m so mentally fatigued I have to nap during the day. I find I’mphysically worn out too, must be from tension.
Response:
I’ve been complaining to doctor’s for years that noises hurt my ears and after doing tests and stuff they just told me I was making it up. It’s a relief to hear(!!!) someone else feels the same.
Response:
Hi, Jan, I wrote you an e-mail and it bounced back to me. I haven’t had time to investigate why it wasn’t delivered. The wedding is in T.O., so maybe I will see you there. My husband has decided that I am antisocial. Big surprise. This at bedtime last night. I didn’t know what to say, and really didn’t want to get into it when i have so much trouble sleeping as it is. i just nodded, and he wanted to know if I know why I am. I think he still really does not understand this whole thing. it is pretty weird. i sometimes don’t understand it either. I think I should tell him that it is just really difficult to be with people and noise and try to figure out how to behave and keep everything in control. Did noise bother you? It drives me batty! He watches television downstairs and it istoo loud for me up here in my office. My t calls it my extrasensitive hearing. i think it has to do with hypervigilance and the PTSD. i will try to be adult on Saturday! And to have fun. Thanks for the encouragement. Jane – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Jane, Congrats on the wedding. Hope it goes well for you on Saturday. Sounds like you’re getting ready and are looking forward to your grandson visiting. 
I keep thinking for some reason you’re in the Toronto area. If so…maybe I’ll crash the reception <laugh. Hold your hand through it. Anyway, I see you’re posting right now. Going to check in on IRC to #wermany. Maybe I’ll see you there. Love, Jan
Response:
I’ll be looking for you, Jan, but bring your own lampshade,as I don’t recall seeing any in the room we’ll be in! I wish you could really come so I could meet you. I will write next week when things get calmer around here and company is gone and the kid is back at school and husband to work. Round about Tues, i think! until then i have to concentrate on being "normal" whatever that is. Jane – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Jane, just wrote a response and got an error. Of course (duh) forgot to save it first so here goes again <laugh Hi, Jan, I wrote you an e-mail and it bounced back to me. I haven’t had time to investigate why it wasn’t delivered. The wedding is in T.O., so maybe I will see you there. My husband has decided that I am antisocial. Big surprise. This at bedtime last night. I didn’t know what to say, and really didn’t want to get into it when i have so much trouble sleeping as it is. i just nodded, and he wanted to know if I know why I am. I think he still really does not understand this whole thing. it is pretty weird. i sometimes don’t understand it either. I think I should tell him that it is just really difficult to be with people I was saying that it sounds like your hubby is taking an interest, trying to understand. It’s when they go "yeah, anyway…" you have to worry He prob just picked a quiet time to approach you on the subject, and picking up on that you’re not sleeping well. Share with him, he might be able to help. Ah, being anti-social comes with the territory. You’re posting, e-mailing – that’s a form of being social. It takes time. and noise and try to figure out how to behave and keep everything in control. Did noise bother you? It drives me batty! He watches television downstairs and it istoo loud for me up here in my office. My t calls it my extrasensitive hearing. i think it has to do with hypervigilance and the PTSD. i will try to be adult on Saturday! And to have fun. Thanks for the encouragement. Jane Yes, high pitched noises bothered me and multi-noises like at malls/stores. I put it down to the scar tissue in my ears from a bad case of chick pox as a kid, but I know it’s got to do this too. Hypervigilance as you said. They’ve done studies that show that noise pollution can literally drive a person nutz. I think with DID, etc., it’s about the amount of input you can handle – visual, auditory, thoughts, feelings, etc. Like with any inj*ry (phys/ment) ppl need quiet time to recuperate. Again, enjoy Saturday, relax after all the preparations. If I do show up <laugh I’ll be the one dancing on tables with a lampshade on my head 
Take it easy, Jan Hi Jane, Congrats on the wedding. Hope it goes well for you on Saturday. Sounds like you’re getting ready and are looking forward to your grandson visiting. I keep thinking for some reason you’re in the Toronto area. If so…maybe I’ll crash the reception <laugh. Hold your hand through it. Anyway, I see you’re posting right now. Going to check in on IRC to #wermany. Maybe I’ll see you there. Love, Jan
Response:
You mentioned a homeopathic remedy you use for the hyperviligilence would you share it with me?
Response:
I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for, but my two autistic children, who are both "hypersensitive" in their sensory systems (try to say THAT three times fast!). The only things that seemed to help them were Auditory Integration Training (you listen to certain frequencies of music filtered through a machine — Guy Berard’s book "hearing is behavior" explains it pretty well) and Sensory Integration therapy (done by an OT who specializes in it). neither of these are invasive. SI can be learned by the client or a SO and can be done forever if need be. AIT need only be done once, but once equals 2 times per day, 1/2 hour per session for 10 straight days. It really worked wonders for both my boys. Hope that helps. Miriam.
|You mentioned a homeopathic remedy you use for the hyperviligilence would you |share it with me? | Your Own
Response:
Laura&8, what a good description of all this stuff! I have worked with many children who are supersensitive to all these that you list, and I know that I have been from day 1, maybe earlier. My t thinks that my ab*se began pretty much when I did, so I have always had these troubles. See you next week after the wedding excitement is over. Jane – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – To all those who are hypersensitive to touch, sound, vision, smell, taste, movement: fyi: It’s well known among neurophysiologists that people can be hypersensitive to sensory stimuli without having an obvious site of "damage." Children with learning disabilities, sensorimotor dysfunction, autism, attention deficit disorders, and a whole range of "soft" neurologic disorders have these hypersensitiviites. (I’ve been an occupational therapist for over 20 years, working with kids; got my master’s in OT specializing in neurophys.) What isn’t as widely researched and discussed, I don’t believe, are that so-called emotional/mental health disorders can cause the same sorts of reticular system reactions (that’s the system that lets you pay attention to the birds if you’re a city person sleeping in the country for the first time, or the cars on the road if you’re a farmer coming to the city). Although, I may be wrong, since they now attribute lots of what we all go through to chemical imbalances caused by the ab*s*. So what you are experiencing IS real; it’s just not something most M.D.s will acknowledge. Not even Ear/Nose/Throat docs. Some allergists will, though, cuz it happens with allergies, too. But, as I mentioned before, although there may be a neurophys. reason for it, hypervigilence is the phrasing that makes most sense to me. (Being hypervigilent caused a routine way of dispensing brain chemicals.) When my homeopathic remedy starts "wearing off," I start getting disturbed by all of these sensations. I can "feel" people walking up behind me long before they arrive, and the slightest touches drive me bonkers – I feel them for hours afterward. It’s called "tactile defensiveness" by many, but for me it’s hypervigilence. Take Care, Laura&8
Response:
Jane, fyi: my ab*s* started when I was 2. But the hypersensitivity worsened when I had meningitis. Some of the things I can do to alter the sensitivity brought about by the meningitis (like deep pressure: doing wall push-ups; and brushing: using varying degrees of bristles and direction and pressure on the skin) don’t affect the sensitivity brought about by the ab*s*. ANd some techniques for the former (a special kind of brushing espoused by a physical/occupational therapist, widely used with some folks and found effective) actually worsen my hypervigilence, to the point of almost hallucinatiing (or becoming more fragmented????). Hope all goes well with the wedding. I don’t envy you having to be amidst all of those people, smiling away. I hate crowds and especially parties. :-( I hope your son is very happy. Laura plus 8
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