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...
Hello. I have only recently joined, and have always suffered with depression anxiety and stress. I have intense feelings and write poety to help express myself. I did not realise that I was Highly sensitive until I bought the book with the same name, and found it fascinating. Has anyone else read this book. I am sensitive to noise, stress, changes, need be alone a lot, do not like shallow conversations, and have a deep spiritual need. I always felt that I was different and felt that I was affected emotionally by events in a way that other people were not.
Also I get a lot of headaches and was amazed to learn that in book about sensitive people, sensitive people produce more adrenlin and so need to be calm to deal with it, while the non-sensitives do not have enough and seek out more of it. I wonder if this is why I struggle so much with stress and headaches. I go through life, have had some very painful experiences lately, and my poor old sensitive body is still trying to deal with the trauma, already pumped up on extra adrenlin. Not sure that I have spelt that word right!
It is nice to join and meet more sensitives. I always worry that I will not be able to sleep as it takes me ages, hours even to drift off. Also, I have found that the non sensitives talk a lot. I miss the world of thinkers, and people who listen and are thoughful and genuinely interested. I feel that most of the people around me live in a little bubble in their heads which does not seem to consist of much, is not deeply interested or thoughtful in anything more meaningful. But this is the way the world is I feel. Society and the media run by non sensitives, or in the book they are called the warrior kings, and the sensitives are the rarer priests who are meant to advise the warrior kings and help them run their kingdoms wisely.
Sorry for the long ramble. My question is this, does anyone else struggle a lot with stress and headaches and how do you cope with them, and what has been your experiences of being a sensitive in a warrior king world.
Thanks.
Ellowyne
ze
Also I get a lot of headaches and was amazed to learn that in book about sensitive people, sensitive people produce more adrenlin and so need to be calm to deal with it, while the non-sensitives do not have enough and seek out more of it. I wonder if this is why I struggle so much with stress and headaches. I go through life, have had some very painful experiences lately, and my poor old sensitive body is still trying to deal with the trauma, already pumped up on extra adrenlin. Not sure that I have spelt that word right!
It is nice to join and meet more sensitives. I always worry that I will not be able to sleep as it takes me ages, hours even to drift off. Also, I have found that the non sensitives talk a lot. I miss the world of thinkers, and people who listen and are thoughful and genuinely interested. I feel that most of the people around me live in a little bubble in their heads which does not seem to consist of much, is not deeply interested or thoughtful in anything more meaningful. But this is the way the world is I feel. Society and the media run by non sensitives, or in the book they are called the warrior kings, and the sensitives are the rarer priests who are meant to advise the warrior kings and help them run their kingdoms wisely.
Sorry for the long ramble. My question is this, does anyone else struggle a lot with stress and headaches and how do you cope with them, and what has been your experiences of being a sensitive in a warrior king world.
Thanks.
Ellowyne
ze
"The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron ... when I read this book it changed the way I see myself. I wish I knew about this information a long time ago.
Regarding your question ... no, I don't get headaches but I do suffer from stress. My experience of being a sensitive in a warrior king world has been soooo difficult.
I would like to comment more but I must leave in a few minutes. I'll get back to you though.
Janvier
I would suggest for the sleep problem vigorous exercise. Running etc. Anything that makes you sweat. Since I started running my sleep is much better and my anxiety/stress is down immeasurably. The body often has the best medicine inside it-endorphins. I think in evolutionary terms we were thinkers but also the more cautious ones. Our bodies probably generate too much stress hormone and that needs to be worked out.
You say you like Poetry-ever look up a Poem by Philip Larkin-Wants Here it is. I think most Hsps would like it
Wants
Beyond all this, the wish to be alone
However the sky grows dark with invitation cards
However we follow the printed directions of sex
However the family is photographed under the flagstaff
Beyond all this, the wish to be alone.
Beneath it all, desire of oblivion runs:
Despite the artful tensions of the calendar,
The life insurance, the tabled fertility rites
The costly aversion of the eyes from death---
Beneath it all, desire of oblivion runs.
Janvier, I suffer with stress too and sympathise. Warrior king world is very stressful. Looking forward to any more comments you might have but no pressure! :-)
Zakki, Thank you for being so helpul and thorough. I wil have to look into meditation more and Wayne Dyer.
I have started to play some hypnotherapy cd's to help me cope with stress, etc.. but it takes some time to work and I am still stressed, but I am still recovering from a recent bad experience.
I think that you are right about our bodies producing too many stress hormones, and that playing havoc with the way we live now.
I have been working in adult education with people who have strokes helping them with their reading and writing but have had to take some time off because I am recovering from a recent bad experience, which is why sometimes I am not around because I am still battling the depression and anxiety which goes with it.
May I ask what you do for a living too?
I struggle with stress most always, and as a sensitive in this warrior world, I try to find like minded people such as on here, or elsewhere, or retreat into books or music.
The headaches- I get those sometimes, and a hot and cold approach that a nurse told me helps. Heat then alternate with cold such as hot shower or steam with pan on stovetop then ice packs on head.
I try to de compress on the stress every day by resting and napping and day dreaming or using imagination.
ellowyne, I try to cope by retreating into my own world of books & music & my pets. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed & have to take a break from everything. I also dream a lot. (like bookworm)
I like reading and music too, but because I have been suffering from a lot of stress headaches I have had to limit these because I do not want to make them worse. Also I am struggling with depression and so it is hard to motivate myself. I miss reading and music though and hope to be able to go back to them soon. I love the way the world is more layered in books, which you do not get with many films. I am sorry that you too suffer with headaches. I know how rotten they can be. Thanks for the advice. I liked your way of dealing with stress by resting and napping and day dreaming.
welcome from me as well. I do have occasional migraines as well which render me bedridden at times. Manyhere have alreayd given your such wonderful input and advice that there is not much I can or need to add. I have found meditation, yoga and tai chi helpful though with my busy schedule there is often not much time for it. I also have heard from a friend that a natural way would be to use lavendar oils and scents as in aroma therapy. Lavendar is soothing. You might also want to try acupuncture or message therapy for relaxation. I believe a lot in the healing power of nature and certain teas are suuposed to we miraculous at times i.e. Oolong tea or Jasmine tea. I hope you are feeling better soon.
Welcome to HSP. There are so many lovely people here who are so wise. It's nice to have one more on board :)
Thank you for your post :)
Bennu, I feel for you with your migraines. I know how awful they are. Thank you so much for all your good advice and helpful tips, and wishing me well again.
I have been trying to get back into meditation, and yoga. I have a bad back though, so am a bit worried about stretching. Tai chi has always interested me, but I have not found a class which teaches it locally, and I am worried about getting the exercises wrong if I use a book. I have recently bought lavender oil which I use in the bath. I saw a programme about acupuncture and it showed it as having positive results, but I am a bit worried about how much it might cost. I will try out the teas you mentioned.
I walk round and round it, enjoying the bird song, and the beautiful sky and sunset. But I also at the moment feel shut out of life, nature, my own soul at the moment, because of the emotional pain and depression I am feeling as I am trying to recover from a recent bad experience. I keep telling myself that time heals but at the moment it drags and I long to be weeks away from where I am emotionally. I did not mean to say all of this, it just poured out as I was thinking about your comments on nature and my own experience. I think because you reminded me of how much I used to love it, and long to return to the place where I can deeply enjoy it.