Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to do if you are
sensory defensive in an overstimulating world
(HarperCollins, 2002)
By Sharon Heller, Ph.D.
Anxious, depressed, perhaps even mildly autistic. These are the
standard diagnoses for someone who shrinks from bright lights and sudden
noises. But the problem may be what Sharon Heller, Ph.D., calls "sensory
defensive disorder." An occupational therapist and "artful dodger of
sensation," Heller claims to be among some 15 percent of adults who are
hypersensitive to external stimuli. First recognized in the 1960s among
hyperactive children, sensory defensiveness has never been an officially
recognized disorder. And it's easy to see why: Heller's checklist of
symptoms includes tendencies as universal as dreading the dentist.
Whatever the etiology, many people do alter their lives to avoid what
they consider to be disturbing sensory input. For them, Heller offers
tips on insulating oneself from a fast, furious world.
Rekindling Desire: A step-by-step program to help low-sex and
no-sex marriages
Brunner-Routledge, March 2003
By Barry McCarthy, Ph.D.,
and Emily McCarthy
Low sexual desire is distressing, and a startling 40 million
Americans are in low-sex and no-sex marriages. To tackle this epidemic,
sex therapist Barry McCarthy, Ph.D., and his wife, writer Emily McCarthy,
offer a step-by-step approach. Their program aims to help couples
confront their inhibitions and feelings of anger, anxiety or shame
through developing the behaviors and emotions needed for healthy
reconnection. At times, the guide reads like a car manual in its tedious
detail, but it does highlight poignant stories of lost intimacy. Read it
for a map of how to reunite with tender loving care.
Remembering Trauma
Harvard University Press, April 2003
By Richard J. McNally, Ph.D.
We may refuse to disclose, but we never forget. Or so posits
Harvard professor Richard J. McNally, Ph.D., whose studies of combat
veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, survivors of childhood
sexual abuse and people who claim to have suffered at the hands of
satanic cults or space aliens (see "Cracking the Harvard X-Files" on page
66) consistently confirm that we do not repress memories of trauma.
McNally argues against a decade's worth of high-profile research that he
deems "psychiatric folklore." This includes dissociating memories of
trauma, hypnotic regression to recover "repressed" memories and the idea
that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol can shrink the
hippocampus, a brain region associated with memory.
The House on Beartown Road: A memoir of learning and
forgetting
Elizabeth Cohen (Random House, April 2003)
Reviewed by Donna Wagner, Ph.D., Towson University director of
gerontology
Elizabeth Cohen's memoir about Alzheimer's disease joins a rapidly
expanding field of books written by family caregivers, an important
source of support and comfort for those struggling with the emotional
turmoil associated with tending to a sick loved one. An estimated 22
million American households provide care to an adult with long-term
needs. Helping someone with Alzheimer's is arguably the most difficult of
these scenarios. Watching a loved one lose cognitive capacity, memories
and even his or her self as the disease progresses is painful, creating
an overwhelming physical and emotional challenge. Memoirs like Cohen's
can provide comfort. In addition, professional organizations, such as the
ones listed below, and their network of peer support groups can provide
strategies necessary for keeping a family member at home for as long as
possible.
Tags:
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external stimuli,
harvard university press,
hyperactive children,
low sexual desire,
occupational therapist,
reconnection,
relationship,
remembering trauma,
review,
richard j mcnally,
sensory defensive disorder,
sensory defensiveness,
sensory input,
sex marriages,
sex therapist,
step approach,
sudden noises,
tedious detail,
tender loving care
