With empathy, compassion, and practical tools, a developmental
psychologist and sufferer of Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD) sheds light
on a little known but common affliction in which sufferers react to
harmless stimuli as irritating, distracting, or dangerous
We all know what it feels like to be irritated by loud music, accosted
by lights that are too bright, or overwhelmed by a world that moves too
quickly. But millions of people suffer from Sensory Defensive Disorder
(SD), a common affliction in which people react to harmless stimuli not
just as a distracting hindrance, but a potentially dangerous threat.
Sharon Heller, Ph.D. is not only a trained psychologist, she is sensory
defensive herself. Bringing both personal and professional perspectives,
Dr. Heller is the ideal person to tell the world about this problem that
will only increase as technology and processed environments take over
our lives. In addition to heightening public awareness of this prevalent
issue, Dr. Heller provides tools and therapies for alleviating and, in
some cases, even eliminating defensiveness altogether.
Until now, the treatment for sensory defensiveness has been successfully
implemented in Learning Disabled children in whom defensiveness tends to
be extreme. However, the disorder has generally been unidentified in
adults who think they are either overstimulated, stressed, weird, or
crazy. These sensory defensive sufferers live out their lives stressed
and unhappy, never knowing why or what they can do about it. Now, with
Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight, they have a compassionate
spokesperson and a solution-oriented book of advice.
