Sensitivity to sudden normal sounds

My roomate is extremely sensitive to sudden normal sounds. The closing of a cabinet door or a room door can sound like it is being slamed. The sound of a sqeeky wheel in the store hurts her ears. She is Cambodian and, as a child, was in the war in Cambodia and was exposed to a lot of bombings. Also, as a child, she was thrown to the floor by her father and she was unconcious for several hours. She suffers from lithargy, loss of energy, and can go into a blank state. She seems to just leave her body and becomes unaware of her suroundings. Reminds me of petite mall seizures but seems to last longer. She responds when her name is called.

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine your room mate and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of her symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Some people have what is termed an exaggerated startle response, in which even light sounds can cause a startle response. This is not necessarily an abnormal finding. However as you allude to above, in some people, excessive startle can be a sign of an underlying problem. In people who have suffered psychological or physical trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur and one of the features of this is hypervigilance. The symptoms you describe of lethargy and loss of energy could be features of depression. Of course, they may also reflect poor sleep etc. and may not necessarily reflect an underlying problem. However, I recommend discussion of your concerns with your room mate, and encourage her to seek appropriate mental health services. Sharing the concerns with a counselor at the institution is important, while of course maintaining her privacy.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.