Good article!

I liked your article on the predicaments of highly sensitive people. I think I belong to this type, and my over sensitivity to casual remarks and minor incidents has caused me much suffering and professional damage in life. However, I realize that its the way I am and I cannot change myself. I am desperately trying to identify a type of work that will 'work' for me. However, with a legacy of skills, education and social approval to contend with, I do not have many options. I am currently very sad because of all this.

My best survival strategy has been to leada highly disciplined life - almost monastic in character. This means doing everything - eating, sleeping, working, etc. - almost as the doctor ordered. It works very well on most counts, except one. That one thing is relationships. The saddest thing that has happened to me is that I do not have any strong relationships with friends etc. I dearly wish for friends who can accomodate me with my peculiarities of behaviour.

I thought this place had been forgotten, lol

I'm a HSP so very much understand where you are coming from, what I also realise is that we cause a lot of our own problems. It's our job to find a way to fit in the world rather than expecting it to change, and I also found that the more of my own old wounds I healed the better I was at dealing with life, and in fact diving in fully. We get so overloaded with stress from inside and out, so obviously the less stress you have inside the easier the rest is to deal with. I still have my discipline - mainly meditating and a morning routine that then sets me for the day, but also am able to sooth myself and protect myself during the day. It takes time to get there but I am so much happier. I realise that I held myself back so that I didn't get overwhelmed, when actually it wasn't that bad if I stopped the worry inside my head!

As I said it takes time, and healing, to rid yourself of stored stress and wounds, plus changing the way you look at things. This is not changing you, but actually becoming you fully, and sharing that. The pain of sensitivity is more about fearing it or thinking it's bad to be that way. Even others judgements don't affect you when you are confident as you, and you know how to fill yourself with positive energy so others energy can't be absorbed.

I really hope you find a way to peace in the world, rather than locking yourself away. There's nothing wrong with time alone - I love holidays alone, but it sounds like you aren't happy with it.

As for work, interestingly I recently did a few weeks at an old job and no longer found it in any way stressful, so eventually you will be able to do that too. Meanwhile there are plenty of jobs and ways to earn money that are solitary.

And it's better to have one good friend than many who don't get you. Again I found that the happier I was as me the less other people minded by differences.

I hope that has helped, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or i can help in any other way.
take care

You know what, there are stirrings of hope at my front in the last few days. I believe in the book "Making work work for HSPs" it says that the best work for HSPs is self employment in a creative endeavour. I seem to have hit such a kind of work (which also resonates with my skills and resources). I am unbelievably happy these days.LOL.

The thing I love about HSP's is that they bounce back so quickly! Just as it doesn't take much to sway us negatively, it also doesn't take much to life us!

Congrats AC, long may it continue, lol

What work is it?