Working in retail response + my thoughts on PATM.

[dd42416]

Hi preciosga, I work as a grocery store cashier and currently am dealing with PATM. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but I would say 90% of customers don't react to me, although I almost always get reactions when I am under stress. Regarding coping with the reactions, just have to put it out of your mind and not take it too personally. Sometimes - admittedly - it is hard; I had a customer who I thought would pass out a few weeks ago, its like he completely lost control of his sinuses and started violently coughing - it was bizarre.

I decided I finally needed to join the forum after a few months of "lurking" because I know one of my co-workers has anemia and reacts the most strongly to me of anyone that I've seen. Maybe it's because she has I weakened immune system - I don't know, but I feel for her. I think some of you guys might find that interesting.  

Anyways, I'm still in high school and don't intend to work in retail beyond college, but these "disease" makes absolutely no sense. I'm trying to improve my physical health as much as possible, although I've never really been unhealthy at all. At this point, I've decided PATM is the result of four possible things.

A. The most likely that I can think is that we have some sort of Thyroid disorder makes our bodies overproduce certain hormones like estrogen - another poster mentioned this in a recent post. While the science of pheromones is still developing, I believe that they are triggering negative responses in others in their olfactory glands, belived to be the area of the human body that interact with pheromones. This is the most likely physical explanation in my opinion but I'm not a doctor and I don't think this science is even proven.  

http://www.macalester.edu/academics/psychology/whathap/ubnrp/pheromone10/human%20pheromones.html

B. I've read online that people have "cured" PATM through meditation and "releasing their inner child" ect. I know that the concept of mind over body is scientifically proven through the placebo effect, I wonder if we've turned on some primitive gene that is causing this disease. I've always had some level of social anxiety and perhaps, this is has triggered some gene  to "switch on" - I don't know.

C. Originally, the theory that compelled me the most was the idea that we have some problem with digestion/parasite in the intestine. However, I am less convinced; I am not an unhealthy person by any means and I don't have severe stomach pains any time I eat something - moreover, pro-bio tics don't seem to help at all. There are people who consume the most chemical laden foods, do hard drugs, and don't have this problem.

D. Maybe, as time goes on i'm becoming more paranoid, but the idea of a spiritual cause cannot be ruled out either. While, for years, I've been looking through a scientific and lens regarding PATM, there has been some events that deeply trouble me. For example, I can be on Skype with someone half way around the world and they will still react to me. Further, I can make eye contact with someone in a car across an intersection and they will still react or someone 50 ft away. The idea that there is seemingly no distance too great to make someone reacts is why PATM is particularly haunting for me, it happens instantaneously as well.

I'm going to conclude because I have work to do, but I know that PATM is a real disorder and not made up. Numerous times in class or in public, I've heard people cough, sniffle, and be acknowledged by others in the room asking, "are you ok, or what is happening ect." I'm looking forward to post on this forum and hearing other accounts of this disease. cheers