Some Curses of Being Highly Sensitive

People who are highly sensitive, often struggle with the following:

1. They are easily overwhelmed, and often feel stressed through being overstimulated: That is, they often feel exhausted, stressed, worn out and worn down by processing so much detail – or through vicariously experiencing too much pain.

2. They are more personally affected by others’ emotions: Thus, they find it hard to detach themselves, or throw off the feelings and sufferings of others. That is, they tend to absorb anger, pain and distress when they are around others them are experiencing these.

3. They need more time and space for themselves: In order to restore their boundaries, to refresh their minds and renew their energy, they need to retreat, and to spend more time alone. Unfortunately, others may think they are unsociable as they don’t understand their need to withdraw.

4. They may feel driven by unhealthy perfectionism: They often have unrealistic expectations, and are harsh, unforgiving and demanding of themselves. This is because they overanalyse, and worry about what other people think, want and feel. (Related to this, many also suffer from low self-esteem.)

5. They may feel out of sync with the people around them: The western world values extroverted people who are confident, lively and highly sociable. This can add extra pressure to more sensitive people who are cautious, and careful of the judgments of others. They can also feel they’re viewed as being too sensitive, or as too emotional, or not tough enough.

For more information see: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/28/5-gifts-of-being-highly-sensitive/