Highly Sensitive People HSP Community Group
The highly sensitive person (or HSP) is someone who cares deeply about everything ... feels emotions with great intensity ... is highly conscientious ... has a rich and complex inner life ... is very intuitive ... is often creative in a variety of ways... is easily overwhelmed and/or overstimulated. A HSP needs lots of quiet time,space, and freedom. If this sounds...
Hi, I'm new to this forum and just figuring out how it works :)
I've just discovered that there is an actual trait called highly sensitive, I always knew I was but didn't know there was this kind of recognition for it, which made me laugh with relief when I found it :)
I've been disabled for mental health reasons and never got the success in things I needed to see success in, of course I've gotten a lot better from the first time I started, but there was always a sense of shame for being sensitive, and always a sense of hopelessness because I knew there was something missing but didn't know what. Now I feel like I have a new hope, like finally I may not need to be so constantly ashamed of myself, I can explain better to people who don't understand, it's just amazing in so many ways :)
I thought once if I might be autistic, not for a long time though but long enough, then not too long ago I wondered if I was bipolar, but not really. I also thought I might have PTSD, that lasted for like a month because I soon went to a psychologist who told me I was socially phobic. So I went to a social phobia CBT group therapy.
Then this month I started grieving a chance lost for a lot of positive energy, it was so intense. I realized I was more in need of positive energy than I realized.
I had also seen a show on Oprah about a boy that was out of control, but mostly because he was so sensitive to negative energy. I can find the link to that video if you would like me to :)
I know an occupational therapist that has been telling me I'm just sensitive to negative energy and maybe that cant be changed. But that was never really enough for me, I need more answers :P
After feeling the ignoring and the faces of people looking at me, later when I was at home, and felt bad about that, then I finally googled "extra sensitive to negative energy" and found out about HSP.
I have a feeling that this is going to change my life dramatically, I've already started to use this sensitivity to my advantage, like using positive energy to encourage me to do things that I've been anxious about :)
I've just discovered that there is an actual trait called highly sensitive, I always knew I was but didn't know there was this kind of recognition for it, which made me laugh with relief when I found it :)
I've been disabled for mental health reasons and never got the success in things I needed to see success in, of course I've gotten a lot better from the first time I started, but there was always a sense of shame for being sensitive, and always a sense of hopelessness because I knew there was something missing but didn't know what. Now I feel like I have a new hope, like finally I may not need to be so constantly ashamed of myself, I can explain better to people who don't understand, it's just amazing in so many ways :)
I thought once if I might be autistic, not for a long time though but long enough, then not too long ago I wondered if I was bipolar, but not really. I also thought I might have PTSD, that lasted for like a month because I soon went to a psychologist who told me I was socially phobic. So I went to a social phobia CBT group therapy.
Then this month I started grieving a chance lost for a lot of positive energy, it was so intense. I realized I was more in need of positive energy than I realized.
I had also seen a show on Oprah about a boy that was out of control, but mostly because he was so sensitive to negative energy. I can find the link to that video if you would like me to :)
I know an occupational therapist that has been telling me I'm just sensitive to negative energy and maybe that cant be changed. But that was never really enough for me, I need more answers :P
After feeling the ignoring and the faces of people looking at me, later when I was at home, and felt bad about that, then I finally googled "extra sensitive to negative energy" and found out about HSP.
I have a feeling that this is going to change my life dramatically, I've already started to use this sensitivity to my advantage, like using positive energy to encourage me to do things that I've been anxious about :)
This site will be of great support to you!
Hey I just ordered that book this week, along with the workbook and DVD :D Now I'm more excited hehe.
I'm working on this www.self-compassion.org my psychologist gave this site to me along with some reading material, there are free guided meditations there that you can download onto mp3.
I think I will exercise more, I need some help with my diet because if I eat anything at all that's a plus. A hamburger is better for me than starving, which I am getting down to now. Not anorexia, not bulimia, just procrastinating, overthinking, etc. But procrastinating is something that has taken over my life and I'm actually on a course for people who want to deal with this problem.
Most of the places I go to have people with mental health problems although we arent discussing that all the time. And these people are of course just as normal as everyone else. The places are activity day centers where people working on their issues and just want some social interaction go to. We do meetings on how to raise awareness, there is lots of activity going on, I went to zumba today there ;). I am sensitive there but I would be more scared around people who didnt understand depression and anxiety and were just showing joy/humor all the time. It's because of my past, I learned early to be scared in that situation.
I drink a lot of Pepsi Max, I could consider taking that down :) Need to find someone who helps with my diet.
There is one thing in the characteristics of HSP I dont relate to, but still do. Conscientious. All these tasks yell at me, I feel my conscience (strong), and then anxiety for acting, for doing, working or whatever it is. I'm so used to being completely overwhelmed by all of the tasks, small or big, that the idea of me doing them all "normally" like everyone sounds surreal. I've more gotten overwhelmed and sometimes down to relaxing or numbing myself "too much" instead of doing what I need to do. So sometimes I need to force myself out of the numbness. But finally I've started to do one of the things that have been yelling at me since elementary, using positive energy.
I kind of look forward going to my psychologist tomorrow and talking about this discovery :P
Yes, I think it might be and it sort of feels like "finally-at-home" hehe.. finally there are others that I can relate to with this particular trait.
(I don't want to ignore your long message but I'm using my iPhone as I'm out tonight)
I can relate so much with your paragraph on being conscientious. I try so hard to get my daily list completed but usually end up just feeling overwhelmed & never actually accomplish what I intend. My intentions are always good but I have a hard time following through. Very frustrating!
Thanks for mentioning the site on self-compassion ... I need that.
I hope your appointment goes well today. Let us know.
I read your introduction with interest especially the sensitivity issue towards outer negativity. I am saying outer since the negativity is not incorporated by you or put out by you. Would you please have the kindness, at your convenience of course, to post the link regarding the boy on the Oprah Winfrey show. It would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for telling me about the conscientious part, it made me question
myself very much to see that in the characteristics and its nice to see
I'm not the only highly sensitive person who experiences this.
I'm so glad you can benefit from that link too :D
I have to mention though that if you experience more sadness, that could be
normal too. I stopped listening to the meditations every day because I got
more sad, even though its about me saying kind words to myself. Actually
it's because of that.
I'm very visual so I like to explain visually very often.
It's like happiness,joy, self compassion and all that is on one side of
a coin. Sadness, unhappiness, self criticizm and that sort of stuff is on
the other side. It's part of the same coin, not so far apart. And the second
part has been highly active in me for years. So when I start activating
genuine love for myself, I can feel the sadness and all the other bad feelings
come up, and I cant really begin to feel that love, so I begin to get sad that
I cant give that to me. Eventually this makes me very aware of how I feel
about myself and what I give myself or not. It got too much in the end.
But I'm reading a book my therapist is translating,
I think this is the book
http://www.newharbinger.com/bookstore/client/client_images/NHpdfs/CompassionateMind.pdf
(the compassionate mind by paul gilbert phd)
And the more I read I think I will get more ready to do that meditation.
It can be very scary for a person who is used to treat herself really badly
to begin to be nice to herself all of a sudden. Even though nice comes
naturally for others :P
Oh yes of course, heheh
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/An-Explosive-Child-Learns-How-to-Cope-Video
I have to tell anyone who might want to see this that this is a calm little boy talking about some shocking things that he has done in his rage, just in case you think you might be too sensitive to that. Lets just say that his parents locked their bedroom at night and he couldnt go to preschool because he was too violent. But he knows a good way to handle this now.
Here is an interview with his mother
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Exposing-Family-Secrets-of-Mental-Illness-Video
And here is a success story of an older boy who experienced something similar
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Brits-Triumph-Over-Childhood-Mental-Illness-Video