For example do you have feelings of increased heart rate, faster breathing or “air hunger”, increased light and sound sensitivity, feeling “wired”?
This can be physiological anxiety instead of psychological anxiety.
People prone to physiological anxiety are usually the more naturally sensitive people (those with more creative, intuitive, perceptive traits), or those who have experienced trauma. Also people with neurodivergent brains (eg ASD, ADHD, dyslexia) have sensory processing differences which can lead to sensory dysregulation, physiological anxiety and pain.
Heightened sensitivity in your senses (sound, light, touch, smell etc) is called central sensitisation.
More threat, less safe, more pain!
After trauma your brain knows the world has dangers in it and therefore becomes more alert for potential dangers and threats to you and your body.
This is why your senses become heightened.
When the brain detects a potential threat it alerts you by sending out pain, dizziness, nausea or other peculiar sensations.
That’s why you get more pain when you feel stressed.
Dr Jacqui can help you with brain retraining using physical strategies.
