How to Tell If You Have Synesthesia: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

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How to Tell If You Have Synesthesia: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
How to Tell If You Have Synesthesia: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Tell If You Have Synesthesia: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Tell If You Have Synesthesia: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
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Synesthesia is the name given to a neurological disorder in which sensory connections (sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch) are mixed, causing stimuli to one sense to trigger another. For example, a synesthete can hear colors, taste shapes, smell numbers, and so on. Although these sensations can be caused by the use of certain substances, there are people who are born with this characteristic and live with it all their lives. For synesthetes, it's hard to explain to others that they're not crazy and that they don't need drugs to get high. On the other hand, being diagnosed is a great relief for those who do not understand this peculiarity.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Identifying the symptoms

Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 1
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 1

Step 1. Identify the signs

Most people born with synesthesia go undiagnosed, so it is a rarely detected disorder; most synesthetes do not seek medical attention because they think that other people see the world that way too. In fact, it is estimated that one in every 100,000 people is a carrier. With that in mind, if you have symptoms, be aware that it is not difficult to be diagnosed.

Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 2
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 2

Step 2. Not every synesthete feels the stimuli physically

There is projected synesthesia, a rarer form, in which the synesthete sees colors in the air, smells, hears and feels sounds, etc., and synesthesia by association, in which this reaction is imagined by the individual. For example, if you think the letter J is more green, you have synesthesia associated with it, whereas a projector synesthetist always sees the letter J green (or any other color). Both are cases of synesthesia, but most people think that only projected synesthesia is real.

  • Colors can cause smells, tastes, sounds and even pain for some synesthetes. Others taste the shapes, or see letters and words in their own colors. An F can be red while a P is yellow, and whenever the synesthete reads these letters, they will have those colors.
  • Other synesthetes see abstract shapes, mathematical equations or time units floating in the air. This is conceptual synesthesia.
  • There is a research-based test for detecting signs of synesthesia; There is no test published in Portuguese yet, but if you understand English, you can do it here.
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 3
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 3

Step 3. Identify your predisposition to synesthesia

Researchers claim that there are several factors associated with it. For example, women are three times more likely to be synesthetes than men. Also, synesthetes tend to be left-handed, and their relatives are 40% more likely to develop the disorder. In other words, one of these factors is hereditary and manifests itself on the X chromosome, passed from mother to child.

  • In the UK, it has been found that there are eight times more women than men with synesthesia. The cause of this incidence is still unknown.
  • It is noteworthy that synesthesia is usually a characteristic related to normal or large intelligence.
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 4
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 4

Step 4. Don't confuse synesthesia with hallucination

When a synesthete reports his own experiences, it is common for people to think he hallucinates, is crazy, or uses drugs, but this is far from true. The difference is in repetition; synesthetes always feel the stimuli the same way and are able to anticipate them – there is nothing random or extraordinary. For example, a person who tastes strawberry when listening to a specific song must experience it whenever he listens to it to be diagnosed as a synesthete. However, eating strawberries doesn't necessarily have to remind you of the song.

  • Synesthetes often suffer from teasing (especially during childhood) when they tell how they feel to someone who doesn't have the same sensory experiences.
  • Some notorious personalities are or were synesthetic, such as painter Wassily Kandinsky or musician Eddie van Halen.
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 5
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 5

Step 5. Sensations are different from one synesthete to another

Synesthesia is the crossing of sensory nerves and synapses within the brain, and they are not the same for everyone. Therefore, the way a synesthete's brain is wired is different from that of others; for example, color and grapheme synesthesia, which makes the individual see letters and numbers with specific colors, assigns different colors to different letters between one another – however, red is a color often related to the letter A. Another common type is chromesthesia, or color hearing; music, sounds, noises and voices trigger the visualization of colors when they are heard. However, one synesthete may see the color red when he hears the word “dog,” while another may see the color blue. That is, each synesthete experiences things in different ways.

  • According to studies, synesthesia can be caused by different neural connections or by a number of connections greater than the average human.
  • Some researchers believe that all babies are synesthetes at some point, and that these connections break down during brain development. People whose connections do not separate during this period become synesthetic adults and live with it forever.

Part 2 of 2: Getting a Medical Diagnosis

Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 6
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 6

Step 1. Find a neurologist

The sensations caused by synesthesia can easily be confused with symptoms of some brain damage and other health problems, so it is important to see a specialist and rule out any illnesses. He will test your brain functions, such as your reflexes and senses, to find out if you have any problems associated with these symptoms. Patients with this disorder pass these tests because their brains don't have any problems. If there are any neurological problems causing sensory disturbances, they are probably not associated with synesthesia.

  • Some problems that can cause the same sensations as synesthesia are head trauma, post-concussion syndrome, tumors, infections or stroke, migraine, seizures with aura, intoxication and flashbacks caused by the consumption of peyote, LSD or mushroom tea.
  • Synesthesia usually starts at birth and it is very rare that it develops after adulthood; if you develop symptoms overnight, see your doctor right away, as this could be a sign of other problems with your brain or nervous system.
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 7
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 7

Step 2. Go to the ophthalmologist

Some eye diseases and problems can also cause synesthesia-like experiences, so visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist for an examination. Problems such as eye trauma, glaucoma, cataracts, vitreous or retinal detachment, corneal edema, macular degeneration, and optic nerve dysfunction can lead to visual hallucinations and color distortion.

  • Most synesthetes do not have specific eye diseases.
  • It is better to go to an ophthalmologist than an optometrist; the first takes care of all diseases pertaining to the eyes, while the second specializes in measuring visual capacity and prescribing glasses and contact lenses.
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 8
Tell if You Have Synesthesia Step 8

Step 3. Find a synesthesia specialist

After ruling out possible illnesses associated with these sensory phenomena and confirming your health status, look for a specialized professional, be it a neurologist, general practitioner, psychiatrist, psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist or chiropractor. The important thing is for him to have in-depth experience and knowledge of synesthesia so that he can find out if this is his case, inform and advise him on the matter.

  • A specialist can perform a variety of tests in addition to visual and auditory tests that can help determine your condition. These tests are non-invasive, painless, and results can be read within hours.
  • Hypnosis can help reduce the effects of synesthesia, although most synesthetists prefer to continue in the same way – the idea is to know more about the subject and not heal.
  • Other problems that must be ruled out are psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and perceptual pathologies, especially if the symptoms appear in adulthood.

Tips

  • Ask your relatives about their perception. Maybe they have feelings similar to yours and can talk more about it.
  • Understand that although synesthesia is a disorder, it is not considered a disease or defect. Don't think you're a freak.
  • Look for groups that discuss this issue on the internet. You may find yourself finding more people with this trait, and they can help you understand it better.

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