Synesthesia is the rare mixing of the various senses (sight, hearing, taste) and stimulation of one sense triggers predictable and reproducible effects in the other senses. For example, synesthesia owners can hear colors, feel sounds, or taste shapes. Sometimes these feelings are just subjective. Most people with synesthesia have this condition at birth, so they don't know the difference. However, when explaining their experiences to others, they are often said to be hallucinating or going crazy. Please note, some doctors do not believe in the existence of this condition so that it can hinder your diagnosis.
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Part 1 of 2: Recognizing the Signs of Synesthesia
Step 1. Realize that synesthesia is quite rare, and most go undiagnosed
Synesthesia is thought to be a neurological condition that affects the senses, but its owners are often not diagnosed or assume everyone has it. The total number of synesthesia owners in this world is still unknown.
Step 2. Know that not everyone who has synesthesia experiences it physically
If you see color in the air, smell, hear, or feel things, you have projected synesthesia. This form of synesthesia is rarer than associated synesthesia and is the first thought of synesthesia.
- Some people with synesthesia (called synesthetes) hear, smell, taste or feel pain in color. Others can taste shapes or see letters and words written in different colors. For example, they can see "F" in red and "P" in yellow while reading.
- Some synesthetes can see abstract concepts, such as shapes, units of time, or abstract mathematical equations floating around their bodies. This is termed “conceptual synesthesia.”
Step 3. Identify risk factors for synesthesia owners
According to research in the US, there are several factors that are strongly associated with synesthesia. For example, in the US, there are 3 times more women with synesthesia than men. People with synesthesia also tend to be left-handed and their relatives are 40% more likely to have the condition.
Step 4. Distinguish synesthesia from hallucinations
Often when people talk about his synesthesia, others think he is hallucinating or on drugs. The difference between genuine synesthesia experiences and hallucinations is that synesthesia is repeatable and predictable, not magical and random. For example, if you taste a strawberry when you hear a certain song, that person must always be able to trigger other sensations in a predictable way to be considered synthetic. The relationship doesn't always have to be two-way.
Synesthetes are often teased and ridiculed (usually from childhood) for describing experiences that no one else has
Step 5. Know that two synesthesia owners don't have the same experience
Synesthesia is a kind of crossing of nerve and brain synapses related to the five senses. No two people have exactly the same crossover scheme. For example, the most common form of synesthesia is grapheme-color, when numbers and letters have their own color. The color of each letter is different for everyone, but most A's are red. Another form of synesthesia is chromesthesia, or colored hearing. Sounds, music, or sounds that are heard and also trigger the eye to see colors. However, one person may see red when they hear the word “dog”, while another may see orange. Everyone's synthetic perception is specific.
Part 2 of 2: Obtaining a Professional Diagnosis
Step 1. Visit your primary doctor
Since the sensation of synesthesia can mimic certain medical conditions and head injuries, it's best to see a doctor to rule out serious conditions. The doctor will check brain function, reflexes, and senses for any physical problems or deficiencies. If the doctor believes something is serious, you will be referred to a neurologist. Keep in mind, people who have synesthesia are usually able to pass standard neurological tests and are considered normal. If you have a nerve deficiency that causes visual sensations, you most likely do not have synesthesia
- Head trauma, post-concussion syndrome, brain tumors, brain infections, migraine headaches, seizures with aura, epilepsy, brain stroke, toxic reactions, LSD “flashbacks”, and experimentation with hallucinogens (Peyote, mushrooms), can all elicit this phenomenon. senses similar to synesthesia.
- Synesthesia is usually present at birth, so development of synesthesia in adulthood is extremely rare. If synesthesia develops suddenly in adulthood, visit a doctor immediately for a check because it is usually associated with disorders of the brain / nervous system.
Step 2. Visit an ophthalmologist
Some of the visual sensations of synesthesia can also mimic certain eye diseases and ailments. Therefore, you should visit an ophthalmologist for an examination. Eye trauma, glaucoma (pressure within the eye), retinal cataract or vitreous detachment, corneal edema, macular degeneration, and optic nerve dysfunction are all eye conditions that produce visual phenomena and distortions.
- Most owners of synesthesia do not suffer from physical ailments in the eye.
- An ophthalmologist (eye disease specialist) is a better choice than an optometrist (optimologist), who primarily focuses on vision and prescribing eyeglasses/contact lenses.
Step 3. Understand that some doctors don't believe in synesthesia
You may meet a doctor who does not believe this condition exists. Furthermore, some insurance companies do not cover the treatment of this condition. You should still see your doctor to rule out the possible underlying condition causing your symptoms. However, be aware that doctors may diagnose it as something else entirely.
- You may want to get a second opinion, if you believe your doctor is not taking your condition seriously.
- If your doctor says you don't have synesthesia, but a completely different condition, take your doctor's advice and follow the treatment instructions.
Tips
- Ask your relatives about their sense perception. Perhaps they have a similar experience and are able to provide support.
- Accept that synesthesia is not uncommon, but it is not a disease or disability. Don't feel and think that you are weird.
- Join a group of fellow synesthesia owners on the internet to understand them better.
