Touch synesthesia

Empathetic people can feel others’ sensations reverberating, like echoes, in their own self. It has been told to us, more often than not, that empathy is the medicine the world needs.

But what if, an augmented sense of this feeling is the very thing that, renders these people in need of medicine?

In all its eloquence, this question reflects a conundrum; one that is extremely important to find the answer to. And find we shall.

Touch synesthesia, a condition as rare as it is unique, causes individuals to experience sensations, similar to the person they are watching. The mirror subtype of the same deals with the experience in opposite parts of the body; quite similar in position to that of a mirror.

We have all used the phrase,” I can feel your pain” as a wherewithal to express our condolences. But there are some people out there who say that, not as a means of consolation, but because it is actually true!

Ranging from a mere caress on the cheek to watching someone’s arm being annihilated; they can feel it all. Sounds intimidating, doesn’t it?

The rarity of this disorder doesn’t warrant it a place in the diagnostic and statistical manual; thereby making it harder to come up with specific diagnostic criteria. Most of the cases are self-reported.

Feeling another’s emotions and feeling the pain of their stab wound, there is a subtle nuance in meaning really. When you can differentiate the two, you have self-diagnosed the condition and should consult a doctor as soon as you can. Therapy and proper medication have helped many patients better cope with the same. Despite the lack of diagnostic criteria, doctors can treat the condition as a sensory processing disorder. Another way to cope with this variant of synesthesia is to imagine a protective barrier between yourself and the person being touched.

As the quote goes- it is both a curse and a blessing to feel everything ever so deeply. Similarly, touch synesthesia is a double-edged sword with varying implications. The enhanced sense of relating with others that, it gives the person can prove to be beneficial.

On the other hand feeling someone’s pain can, in no way, be considered as such.

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