Do you ever ask others the question, “Do you smell that?” I do ALL of the time, or at least I used to; now I feel like an undercover agent with details I don’t need to share.

I am hypersensitive to tons of things due to my health and genetics. As always, I am looking for the positive in this challenging journey and my attitude is to find ways to make my acute senses work for me, not against me. Maybe this will help you, as well.

My sense of smell is like that of a blood hound! I can smell what people have eaten or drank, their location earlier in the day, even metals and musty odors. Smells are one thing that I feel actually help me protect myself from greater harm. I have begun to identify smells that have led to my decline in wellness. If I am able to remove myself from the smell and location (or from smelly people), I believe I help myself not relapse as often in my recovery.

Please know, I do not walk around like a narcotics-sniffing dog. Tracking smells has not consumed my daily life. It is when smells hit the attention button in my brain that I become aware of a potential issue. (Not all smells affect me; for example, I love the smell of pizza). But, there is something to be said for VOC (volatile organic chemicals).

Yes, I am looking into beginning dynamic neural retraining, but I am hesitant because my super smell powers are one thing that seems to protect me from greater pain. It concerns me right now that if I lose them, I will be unaware of what triggers my declines and I will relapse on my journey to wellness. What do you think?