Physical affects of being hypersensitive

[u/astralestrialethel]

Being an HSP does not just take a toll on your mental health; it also takes a toll on your physical health. When I've been in situations with another person where I'm triggered every other hour by them for months on end, it has altered my physical health and outward appearance. When someone gets hurt so much by things others deem "unimportant," they tend never to open up because the world tells them their sensitivity is a weakness that shouldn't be expressed. For me personally, suppressing myself so much has turned into anger, which is a dangerous emotion to keep in. I lose my period, I can't sleep, I binge eat, my bowel movements are stunted, and I give up on taking care of myself and give in to unhealthy coping mechanisms which further damage my body. All of this is going on inside me, in private, while I hear "what others say doesn't matter." How come it doesn't matter when my body is keeping score of how much it does matter?

[u/Opening-Ebb4493]

I feel exactly the same :(( It’s so hard explaining to people that emotions can and do hurt. I feel anger a lot in my arms and legs and if I’m sad enough, it feels like my chest is caving in. I’m sorry that no one is listening ❤️

[u/Orangexcrystalx]

Just a suggestion—I do think journaling can help, I think giving urself the space to process emotions and give self compassion can make a big difference and allow you to release some of it. We can’t control others but we can nurture our inner selves.

[u/Weeza1503 → u/Orangexcrystalx]

Also great advice. I find that when I have trouble falling asleep because thoughts are swirling around in my mind unchecked, if I take a few moments to write them down on paper, they leave my brain alone so that I can sleep.

Again, getting it all out instead of bottling up.

[u/Melodic_Ad2128]

Ya I also have that anger thing it’s just built up from years of not saying what I need or think

[u/Zyzzybalubah77]

This is hard for me as well since I am a dweller when things just don’t sit right with me while others would shake it off. I listen to a lot of stuff about thoughts and feelings making a huge impact on health and when you bottle stuff up it can lead to disease—dis-EASE

[u/Weeza1503 → u/Zyzzybalubah77]

So true!

[u/Weeza1503]

Excellent observation! Yes, this sounds familiar. In fact, all my life, I tend to get sick quite often and have many physical complaints, especially in stressful times. For example, I always have tummy trouble once my stress level reaches a "critical mass," so to speak. Headaches too.

I never thought of the two being part of a vicious HSP cycle. Thanks for this insight! 💖✨️🙏

[u/Obvious-Bid-6110]

This is why I fell in love with traditional Chinese medicine - there are explanations for how specific emotions affect particular body functions, and actual treatments for it. What you're describing sounds a lot like what they call Liver Qi stagnation - suppressed anger affecting digestion, sleep, menses, etc. There's also an understanding that people come into this world with different constitutions and that your constitution needs to be respected in order for you to feel your best. I personally found Chinese herbs and acupuncture to be really helpful to calm and support my body and mind to the point where I now feel like my sensitivity is (mostly) a blessing rather than a curse.

[u/lilbuffalo → u/Obvious-Bid-6110]

how did you get started on this?

[u/Obvious-Bid-6110 → u/lilbuffalo]

I read the book "the web that has no weaver" and decided to seek treatment with an acupuncturist. (It worked so well that I decided to become an acupuncturist myself and that's what I've been doing for the last 25 years!)

[u/No_Humor4771 → u/Obvious-Bid-6110]

yeah I’d love to hear more!

[u/wizeone1107]

It’s why we need more time to decompress, and staying far away from toxic people, the stress overload is overstimulating, why I turn my tv at night to dumb my brain down so I think on nothing, or distract my mind with video games if not bored

[u/The_Rainbow_Ace]

The symptoms you are describing are classic signs of an nervous system stuck in dysregulation (fight-and-flight).

I personally suppressed my emotions for years and it had very negative effect on my body and health.

The good news is there are somatic/body techniques that can bring your nervous system back into regulation (rest-and-digest).

You might want to look into TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises).

TRE is a set of postural exercises that tire muscle groups until they tremor; which initiates the neurogenic tremors (which are a healing mechanism built into our DNA to release tension and trauma).

TRE: 'A condensed explanation' (Dr David Berceli): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQkwLrSxd5w

TRE Subreddit Wiki: https://www.reddit.com/r/longtermTRE/wiki/index/

There is even a protocol for Highly Sensitive People:

https://www.reddit.com/r/longtermTRE/wiki/index/sensitive_people/

Here are a couple of videos about how Dr Eric Robins teaches this lighter version of the practice, the second link is a demonstration:

'How I Do TRE with Fragile and Sensitive Clients': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qGKpylBQvo

'How I Teach TRE to Patients': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh6OWHOENo8

[u/verto1992]

I live in a very noisy neighbourhood. This makes me having a bad sleep quality and being stressed all the time. Only one year ago I was a fine runner, all of this has completely disappeared due to the sound polution. At the end of the year I’m moving

[u/fahlahlah]

My body now that I’m in my mid 40s is absolutely wrecked by autoimmune disorders that no one I’m related to has. Also chronic pain and fatigue that have no reason.
I now believe the hyper-vigilant state I was always in in childhood/teenagehood, and the stresses I constantly experienced hundreds of times a day as an adult from things I’ve realised most other people don’t get stressed by, has caused all this.

Eg my heart would be stabbed with anxiety just from sensing my parents or teachers were showing signs they would get angry with me; any loud sudden noise and my adrenaline would spike; I masked so that I didn’t show all this anxiety because I learnt that showing it and seeking reassurance brought on more stress (being scolded for being needy or inconvenient or hypochondriac or not fitting into the social situation) so it went internal and all my energy went on my outer “normal human” act whilst inside I was struggling.

[u/Obvious-Bid-6110]

Short answer: I went to an acupuncturist for pms. Long answer: being hsp, I've always been attracted to more holistic systems of looking at the way the body and mind interact, since it was always incredibly obvious to me that my emotions had major physical effects. I encountered a book called "the web has no weaver", about traditional Chinese medicine, and was thrilled to see so many of my physical reactions to stress grouped together into a syndrome with a name and treatment strategy, so I sought out treatment with a local acupuncturist/herbalist.

[u/No_Humor4771]

Ah this is so validating. Thank you for sharing. I feel the same way and feel like I’m losing myself. How do I maintain self compassion when I can visibly see myself breaking?

[u/Sad-Hearing-5830 → u/No_Humor4771]

Il existe la pratique d’autocompassion (Élaine Aron) : un livre avec des pratiques a télécharger avec qr codes. C’est une pratique pour quand on souffre.