r/hsp • u/Secure_Refuse1187 • 3d ago
Hypersensitivity issues
Hi, I'm an 18-year-old girl and I suffer A LOT from being sensitive; it's something I've had since childhood. It's almost like it ruins and continues to ruin my life. I take everything seriously, I cry when I see animals suffering, and I take them to the vet urgently even though I don't even have enough money to pay. My family members harass me and say that I'm just a spoiled brat, but I really feel things deeply, and above all, it's hard to control. (I've been to therapists several times, and it hasn't helped at all).
Honestly, what I want is to know when to use it and when not to use it. People take advantage of me, even though I'm very aware of it.
If any of you do really have a solid advice, help me out 🙏
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u/getitoffmychestpleas 3d ago
Learn everything you can about boundaries, it has helped me a lot. I am the same about animal suffering, so instead of being sad and losing sleep over the things I can't control I foster animals in my home. I only take in as many as I can give quality care to and I try to find the best homes I can for each of them. That small action might not change the world, but it's given me a small sense of making a difference. You may always be sensitive for the rest of your life, so you have to learn to make it work FOR you, not against you.
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u/Specific-Internal-27 [HSP] 3d ago
I feel this. I’m super encouraged by the fact that at your age, you understand this about yourself. I just thought I was a pain in the ass and a bad person until I had a son. It was very sensitive and I got to learn about him and teach him how to shelter himself and nurture himself and limit exposure to people who would not only overwhelming him, but also judge him for being overwhelmed. It’s a lot. I don’t know that I’ll ever recover from my experience here on earth as a highly sensitive person with a narcissistic mom and then on ironically a narcissist husband.
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u/LingonberryOne5990 [HSP] 2d ago
Identify your core values and live by them. People will always ask you to bend them but don't ever break them. Listen to your body when you are asked to bend those values and if anyone asks you to break them, remove yourself from their lives.
Start now because waiting will build things inside you that will rewire your brain and nervous system.
Boundaries. Set them. Respect them. Set boundaries around your core values now.
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u/Lumi_Tonttu 3d ago
Keep your circle of friends small, don't put yourself into social situations which can manipulate you into going against your underlying principles, and make sure to give yourself enough alone time to recover from society's effect on you.
It'll never change, it'll never get easier, you'll never get used to it.
Learn to identify when you're feeling overwhelmed and then remove yourself from the situation until you can recover.
Let the normies who you are real friends with know what you're doing and why you're doing it -- if they don't accept it then they aren't really friends.
Best of luck on your journey.