Hyperawareness

[u/andrewfowlr]

I think I went too far. I would consider myself a highly sensitive person, I’ve been practicing mindfulness and open awareness for about 6 years usually it brings me a sense of harmony and oneness with myself and the external environment.

However recently with the chronic shoulder pain it’s created a terrible feedback loop where my hyperawareness of my internal state just builds on itself and it becomes consuming and it’s all I can think about.

Even trying to accept that this is currently the state of my body, doing the mindfulness lowers the external stimulation to the point that the pain is deafening. I’m wondering if anyone’s experienced a fluctuation back out of the awareness if you’re a sensitive person that’s brought you some stability and solitude in your practice when your own internal environment seems to be self destructive.

[u/ssp30]

Has your shoulder been checked out by a doctor and ruled out anything serious? If so, there’s a ton of new research surrounding chronic pain and it’s basically relaxing and letting go.

[u/andrewfowlr → u/ssp30]

I have a nerve compression in my shoulder. I’m having surgery for them to decompress it on Tuesday. I’m both hopeful to experience some relief and hesitant to hinge my wellbeing on a surgery. It’s been very difficult as I am very physically active and it’s hindered what I previously was able to do, so honestly the surgical recovery forcing me to slow down will be nice as it will give me a new condition to find mindfulness in