Physical Sensitivity | Eggshell Therapy and Coaching

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Misophonia, Hyperacusis and Other Sensitivities

— The Physical Aspect of Being a Highly Sensitive Person

(HSP)
Misophonia can be a physical manifestation of your sensitivity. Neuroscientists have long
been investigating the different ways in which our nervous system reacts to sounds, and
have found that certain people are more auditory sensitive than others. As a result of
having thin energetic boundaries, you are extremely sensitive to your surroundings.

What Is Neurodiversity?
People’s brains vary. Research has validated that some people are born with certain kind of
biochemical, or neurological makeup that can make them more emotionally or intellectually
intense, sensitive, and more open to external stimuli than the general population.

Neurodiversity is a biological reality; the term describes the infinite variation in our ways of
functioning as human.In fact, the idea that there is one “normal” or “healthy” way of
perceiving and being in the world is merely a cultural construct (Foucault).

Nowadays, understanding of mental health and health are often confined to boxing people
based on a disorder or diagnosis. Whilst there is certainly tremendous value in acquiring a
formal diagnosis (accessing the right treatment, feeling validated for the difficulties,
realising that one is not alone, research), such ‘one size fit all’ mentality has its limitations.

The neurodiversity paradigm suggests the diversity embedded amongst us, though
challenging to meander at times, make us stronger as a species, as communities, and as
people. Having a group of individuals who functions more intensely in the world is not only
a natural form of human diversity, but is also an essential factor in our evolution and the
progression of our collective consciousness. This perspective is the opposite of the medical
model, which contends that there is a ‘normal’ and desirable way of functioning, and the
rest are disorders.

Awareness and information about individual differences are invaluable in that they can help
you make sense of your life history. By reviewing events and difficulties that you have
experienced through a new perspective, you can realise where many of the old hurtful,

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uninvited commentary might have come from, and be liberated to embark on a journey of
true self-discovery.

Environmental Sensitivities AND energetic boundaries

In their seminal work ‘Healing Developmental Trauma’, Heller and LaPierre (2012) discuss
the idea of ‘energetic boundaries’ and how these boundaries can be compromised.

Our energetic boundaries constitute the three-dimensional space that is above us, below us,
and around us. It buffers us and regulates our interaction with other people and the
environment. We are all to some degree aware of the impact of a compromised physical
body— try imagining someone standing too close to you in public transport. However,
unlike physical boundaries, energetic boundaries are invisible. Thus, the experience of a
boundary rupture can be puzzling and distressing. For instance, you may not be able to
recognise clearly when and how your energetic boundaries are being violated.

People with intact energetic boundaries are able to have an internalised sense of safety, and
a capacity to set appropriate limits with other and the world around. However, where there
is a chronic early threat, you may struggle to fully develop these energetic boundaries.

You may become extremely sensitive to your surroundings. Sometimes, you can appear
psychic and be able to energetically attuned to others and the environment. On the flip side,
you can feel swamped or invaded by other people’s energies and emotions. Damaged
boundaries can also lead to the feeling of “spilling out” into the environment, not knowing
the difference between self and other, inner from outer experiences.

Environmental sensitivity is another telling sign of having compromised energetic

boundaries. Because intact energetic boundaries are needed to function to filter
environmental stimuli, without it, you may feel extremely raw, as if you are ‘walking around
with no skin’. You will feel constantly flooded by environmental stimuli, including ‘human
contact, sounds, light, touch, toxins, allergens, smells, and even electromagnetic
activity’(Heller and LaPierre, 2012, p. 157) .

The inability to filter external stimuli makes the world seem continuously threatening,
leading to a constant state of tension and hyper vigilance. As a result, you may feel the
need to isolate yourself. As you don’t have an adequate internal sense of safety and
energetic boundaries to count on, you may have defaulted to using minimising contact with
other human beings in order to feel safe.

Here are some of the questions drawn from a Checklist developed by Heller and LaPierre
(2012) on symptoms that may indicate difficulty with the connection (with self and others)
due to early trauma.

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 Do you suffer from environmental sensitivities or multiple allergies?

Do you have migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, or

fibromyalgia?

Did you experience prenatal trauma such as intrauterine surgeries, prematurity with
incubation, or traumatic events during gestation?

Were there complications at your birth?

Have you had problems maintaining relationships?

Do you have difficulty knowing what you are feeling?

Are you particularly sensitive to cold?

Do you often have the feeling that life is overwhelming and you don’t have the energy
to deal with it?

Are you troubled by the persistent feeling that you don’t belong?

Are you always looking for the why of things?

Are you uncomfortable in groups or social situations?

Does the world seem like a dangerous place for you?

Sound sensitivity

MISOPHONIA AND HYPERACUSIS

Neuroscientists have long been investigating the different ways in which our nervous
system reacts to sounds, and have found that certain people are more auditory sensitive
than others; their auditory systems are described as being ‘over-responsive’ to stimuli.
(Auditory over-responsiveness)

HYPERACUSIS
Hyperacusis is a condition that comes from a difficulty in the way the brain’​s central
auditory processing centre perceives noises.

Individuals with hyperacusis have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to
others, such as the noise from the dishwasher, fan on the refrigerator, or shuffling papers.
Such sensitivity to the most ambient noise can have huge impact on the person’s day to day
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activities. Hyperacusis may be a result of injury or trauma, and can develop gradually over
time. Conditions associated with hyperacusis include ​Post-traumatic stress disorder,
Chronic fatigue syndrome, Epilepsy, Tinnitus, Migraine headaches and Depression.
Currently, there are no specific corrective surgical or medical treatments for hyperacusis.
However, sound therapy may retrain​ the auditory processing center of the brain to accept
everyday sounds. This works on the basis of neuroplasticity (Brout, 2018), and should not be
confused with psychological interventions such as CBT or exposure therapy.

MISOPHONIA
Misophonia is a neuro-otological diagnosis in which certain auditory stimuli are being
interpreted by the brain as threats. The condition was established in 2001 by American
otolaryngologists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff. They observed that some people reacted
to sounds such as chewing, keyboard typing, and coughing, with high levels of irritability,
elevated heart beat, muscle tension and sweating, along with other stress responses and
strong negative emotions.

Hyperacusis and misophonia are different conditions. Unlike people with hyperacusis,
individuals with misophonia respond particularly strongly to repetitive and pattern-based
sounds.In hyperacusis, the response to the sound was felt as physical pain in the ear canal.
In misophonia, the reactions were more emotional, involving fear, panic and irritability, and
go alongside other physical stress reactions such as racing heart and tight chest, but
dissipate when the noise goes away. In hyperacussis, the louder the noise, the greater the
pain, while in misophonia, it was not the loudness that constitute the reactions; Regardless
of the sound’s loudness and frequency, the emotional response and whole-body
contraction are instantaneous.

Existing research on the cause of misophonia is limited. So far, we know that auditory over-
responsivity is related to the part of the brain called the amagdala, which plays an
important role in the body’s fight/flight/freeze processes. Although physiological responses
are induced as a result of triggering noises, misophonia is neurological in nature, and is not
a psychiatric disorder. Therefore, psychological interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy or ‘Exposure Therapy’ actually makes the condition worse rather than better.

resources
According to the Misophonia Management Protocol (MMP), one way of managing is to add
background sound to your day to day life, combined with some form of cognitive therapy.
Here are some products that you may find helpful (I am not commissioned by any of these
products or companies, they are chosen based on my own experience and clients’
feedback).

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Lectro Fan

The sound of rushing air (white noise) is produced in 10

unique variations. It is one of the more powerful models
and is loud enough to cover day-to-day noises. Generally
widely recommended by reviewers. This is an
international model and would require an adapter.

DOHM Sound Conditioner

DOHM is slightly different to the Lectro Fan. The sound is not

electronically generated. I personally prefer Dohm as it feels
more ‘natural’- it is literally just ‘a fan in a box’. It is much
quieter, though. It comes with two speeds and adjustments
for volume and pitch.

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