Let's talk about heightened sensitivity tonight, shall we?
I want to bring each and every one of you back in time a little bit until you find yourself sitting in your high school math class. Doesn't matter which one. You've been sitting in class for 15 minute already and have either been hearing your teacher explain something you've never heard of before, or have been listening to her "wah wah wah wah" like all the teachers do on Peanuts. Regardless, you've been hearing nothing but her chat about something you are convinced you will never use again in your life time. This is how "normal" people go through out life. They listen to what is around them, take in outside noise, and disregard or simply don't even notice much of anything else.
Now let's go back to math class. One of your classmates every so lovingly brings to your attention the fluorescent lights making that buzzing sound it always does. Awesome, now that's all you hear! Will it ever shut up? This is how anxiety sufferers go through life especially with their own bodies. Because we have such a heightened awareness and sensitivity to all things around us, those light and constant "buzzes" most people don't ever notice will consume us. We feel, hear, taste, and smell what most people don't, won't, can't, or could care less about.
Because our nerves are stimulated all.the.time due to our brains being on overdrive, it only makes sense that we would be more in tuned with our bodies. This isn't necessarily a good thing. Granted, it's nice to know who we are and what works for us on a daily basis. However, with our compulsiveness (especially when it comes to health issues) it just causes more anxiety and stress. A minor ache or pain will happen and our minds will instantly go to that part of our bodies and try to figure out why it happened and what it could be. Most people might get that same reaction, but the process may last all of a few seconds. When no answer is found, they simply move on with life. Not us. We're over achievers! We will dwell on it for hours, days, months, even years and it's a guarantee if the pain, ailment, issue was bad enough...we'll always remember. It's all a part of that hypochondriac part of anxiety coupled with fear about what it is that does us in.
In the program I did, it was said that if there is a major problem, chances are your body will know. Meaning, if you are humming and hawning over a minor ache and pain for days or weeks on end, chances are it's not a big deal and you need to stop dwelling on it. I'm not saying the pain isn't real, because I'm sure it is, I'm saying that you probably shouldn't be consuming you're entire life around this one thing. It won't help you to focus and waste so much energy on it anyway so just acknowledge that you have it but then tell it you aren't giving it any energy today and focus on something else. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes you just have to talk to yourself like that. I, at least, find it helpful.
Here are a couple of things I've learned with myself that may help you out in this area. If I've told you this already, I apologize. Tax season leaves me with a short stack of functioning brain cells. Anyway, if you have an ache/pain or an other ailment that's been nagging you for a while, take notice to when it is actually bothering you. If you are wrapped up in a book, TV show, movie, the internet, or anything else and you aren't feeling the pain at all then chances are it's anxiety/tension/stress related. You may not notice it at first but eventually you'll think to yourself "hey that headache went away" and it's usually followed by "oh crap it's back" because you are thinking about it again. Here's another example... If pain A is suddenly gone because you now have pain B, chances are it is also anxiety/stress/tension related. I spent many years going from one ailment to another simply because I was giving one ailment power until another one came along and I forgot about the first one. When I was at my all time low, I don't think there was one day where something didn't hurt me.
I'm not saying that every ache, pain, and issue you have is anxiety related and I'm not saying that you shouldn't visit your Dr. (a much more qualified person than I am) if you feel it it warranted. I am just telling you what *I* personally have experienced in my life and hopefully can put some of your fears at ease knowing someone else has had the same or a similar issue.
Much Love and Light~
Tammy
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