Word: hellers
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That's the theory behind the new book Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight (HarperCollins) by developmental psychologist Sharon Heller. It's a theory worth heeding, Heller says, because the disorder, left untreated, can lead to hypertension, intestinal problems, even heart disease...
Minting a new emotional condition is tricky, but Heller may be on to something. Forty years ago, occupational therapists recognized a similar condition in hyperactive children called tactile defensiveness. Heller expands on that in the context of today's hyperstimulating world. She believes that up to 15% of adults may suffer from some form of sensory defensiveness. One person avoids driving at night because he can't tolerate headlights reflecting in his rearview mirror. Another can't relax until she washes a musty-smelling dishrag in the next room. Says Heller: "Sensory defensiveness is when your reaction to stimuli starts...
...knows what causes the condition, but Heller believes genes play a role. The disorder may also be triggered by drugs, sexual abuse or anything that shocks the nervous system. She says her own case--and she does claim to be a sufferer--was exacerbated by a fall down the stairs...
...Heller disagrees, believing her disorder belongs in the canon alongside such conditions as panic attacks and agoraphobia. It does resemble those and other ills--perhaps too much. Her description of an SD sufferer who performs a range of ritualistic chores before bed sounds a lot like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Another, who shrinks from people at parties because she's sensitive to heat and crowds, sounds like a social phobic. Heller argues that such confusion will clear up when psychologists become more familiar with...
...fountain of malternative liquid that sent nearby contestants fleeing. “I only carbonated it last night,” he says to Sullivan. “Well, that’s your problem,” he responds. “Try another one,” Heller says. “That was probably just a bad bottle...