How can 20 minutes fly by when you’re catching up with a friend, but feel incredibly slow if you’re waiting in line? It all comes down to perception. The seconds measured by a clock and the time felt in someone’s body are often completely different. In the rare condition known as tachysensia, a person experiences a temporary distortion of time and sound, during which they get the “fast feeling” that everything is moving more rapidly than it actually is.
How Tachysensia Erodes Self-Worth
Tachysensia frequently attacks the foundation of how we see ourselves. The relationship between tachysensia and self-worth is often deeply entangled.
Common ways tachysensia damages self-worth:
- Negative core beliefs: "Tachysensia means I'm broken/weak/unlovable"
- Comparison thinking: measuring yourself against others who don't struggle
- Internalized shame: believing tachysensia is your fault
- Achievement avoidance: not trying to avoid confirming negative beliefs
- People-pleasing: seeking external validation to compensate
Separating Identity from Tachysensia
One of the most powerful shifts in recovering self-worth while managing tachysensia is learning to separate who you are from what you experience:
- Tachysensia is something you have, not something you are
- Your worth is not determined by your symptoms or struggles
- Many people with tachysensia lead deeply meaningful, connected lives
- Struggles often build unique strengths: empathy, resilience, insight
Evidence-Based Approaches
Self-Compassion Practice (Kristin Neff):
- Acknowledge your suffering without judgment
- Remember suffering is a shared human experience
- Offer yourself the same kindness you'd give a friend
Values-Based Identity:
- Identify your core values independent of tachysensia
- Act in alignment with values even when tachysensia is present
- Let values-driven actions build evidence of your worth
Recovery Path
- Therapy (especially schema therapy or ACT) targets core beliefs
- Journaling: document evidence against negative self-beliefs
- Celebrate small wins that challenge "I can't" narratives
- Surround yourself with people who see your full worth