What is the greatest challenge you face as a Highly Sensitive Person?

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   Emanate Presenceposted 12 years ago

   What is the greatest challenge you face as a Highly Sensitive Person?
   
   HSP is an inherited trait in 15-20% of the population. Many who do not know that they are HSP would recognize the characteristics in themselves. Kati and I just published a new hub on the subject (How to Thrive Within the Inherited Trait of a Highly Sensitive Person) and are interested to know how HSP see their challenges.

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2. 83

   whittwritesposted 12 years ago

   If you are talking about being Highly Sensitive in the terms of the way you react to another person's criticisms, then the greatest challenge I have faced and still face is criticism or even the so called teasing of others.  I think this is the greatest challenge which has befallen my life outlook more than other.  In the past settings such as high school, I have curled up and given up.  Later after school, I learned to try and take the criticism with a grain of salt and move on.  I am still affected by HSP, but not to as great an extent.

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   1. 69

      Emanate Presenceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for writing so honestly. I meant Highly Sensitive Person as a term for people who have certain traits which include more detailed thought processes, vivid dreams, sensitivity to the environment and so on. There are hubs on the subject.

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   american13posted 12 years ago

   To be honest, I dont feel Im highly sensitive like I used to be, but in general one of the greatest challenges is when you expect things to go a certain way or you expect a person to do something for you and they fall short. It can be very hard. Im still sensitive but Ive learned to get it more under control.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It is to understand. Disappointment comes only when there is expectation. So if I manage my expectation, it minimizes disappointment. Still surprises happen, then I have to let go quickly of my fixed ideas. HSP is something else, though.

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   Laura Schneiderposted 12 years ago

   My greatest challenges are in learning to let arrows pass right through me without doing damage, and in not drowning in someone else's problems while still being sincerely compassionnate and understanding. Oh--also, I sometimes feel the prick of an arrow where none was intended, so I guess that could be called "separating the real arrows from the imagined ones."
   
   I used to have a thick wall that I barricaded myself inside: a very small space. But as I grew up somehow that barricade all but disappeared (even though it would be useful at times). Needless to say, I was quite lonely in my small space growing up, though I knew I needed that protection because I wasn't able to let the arrows pass through without leaving damage, only occasional knowledge.
   
   As you know, E. P., I never read others' answers first, so as to not taint my own. I'll have to see what everyone else wrote before I start getting Pink Flloyd's "The Wall" in my head. (Woops, too late.)

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   Queen of Cupsposted 12 years ago

   Being an Empath I can very much relate to an HSP but deal with far more for the most part.
   Though on a general basis, the greatest challenges I face are other people. The very reasoning for this is feeling their emotion, sometimes knowing their thoughts, sometimes predicting their actions, and knowing that there are many people filled with darkness and pain. This is a weight that tends to bear down and some could even refer to it as the "weight of the world" but overall it is the influences of others that are the most prominent.
   Sometimes it is hard for to decipher whose emotions are whose, sometimes it is hard for me to control my anger per say or my sadness but it all comes with the territory of feeling everything around me.
   Even land or buildings sometimes have momentous affects and being in large crowds is a killer because I can only practice techniques to control the flow for I could never stop it.

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6. 82

   Sarah Christinaposted 12 years ago

   Lately, my greatest challenge is not allowing my sensitivity and empathy to completely depress me. I don't feel like I can control it, and it's hard to filter other people's emotions from my own at times. So I just isolate myself, because it's much easier that way. Nobody understands me. I feel the people I am around have no understanding about what it's like to be a sensitive and an empath. I know I inherited it from my mother, who was much stronger than me in both departments, she was even psychic at times. She became like a hermit, unable to work and buried herself (she was a hoarder). Her and I were very close and spiritually connected...she passed away almost 2 years ago. Since then it's like a part of myself has died, and she was the only one who understood about being a sensitive. Although, she didn't seem to think I was one at times, but that was because I'd become so devastated I'd block everything out and hide behind emotional walls, so it would seem like I didn't care but I actually did very much. I can't seem to find an even balance - either I care too much and get overwhelmed or I block it all out in order to not have to care at all, which then makes me depressed as well. I don't want to become a hermit like my mother was, but I see myself heading down that very route.

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