Sensitivity

[wonderbink]

I really needed a Nick Drake icon. And now that I have, like, a zurbillion icons to play with, I went and created one just for the occasion.

So I returned my latest book to the library and checked out another one--The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron.

I read it while taking MARTA down to the High Museum to catch the Gates of Paradise (well, as it turned out, three selected panels from said Gates) and after taking in a bit of culture, I took the train back to my car, went home and spent the next several hours reading the rest of the book.

As I just posted elsewhere, I feel like I found the unified field theory of my personal universe.

I mean, yeah, anybody reading this who knows me at all is probably thinking "Highly sensitive? No duh!" But, seriously, this book gave me some amazing insights into how I act, how I react and even explains things like the clinical depression I spent over ten years of my life getting treatment for.

A lot of what I've dealt with I've ascribed to introversion. That may still be part of it, but viewing it through the lens of sensitivity has clarified things immensely.

I'm still sort of digesting it all, and will probably blather at length about it in future entries. But I feel like today is some kind of turning point in terms of figuring out where I am now and how to go forward from there.

Today I took pleasure in looking at some marvelous art at the High.

Today I learned a lot of things about highly sensitive people.

Comments

[julieduranie.livejournal.com]

I read that book a long time ago. I need to read it AGAIN.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

"Introverts...separate!"

I don't know if that's entirely the case, though. It's a common belief that introverts are happiest when they're alone. That may be true for some people, but I find that, while I'm happy by myself, I'm even happier in the company of somebody who actually gets me.

My true test for being in love is if I feel pretty much the same with the person as I do on my own.

[radiantbaby.livejournal.com]

As an HSP, I love that book. I still need to read the sequels, especially the one about love.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

I just bought it, along with the HSP Survival Guide. The HSP Survival Guide is okay, so far, though I'm actually a touch annoyed by the seeming implication that HSPs should spend all their time on fainting couches, sipping herbal tea.

I did buy the one about love, and once I'm finished, I'll see if maybe I can loan it to you, if you're interested.

[blusilva.livejournal.com]

LOL! I'd love to spend all my time on a fainting couch, sipping herbal tea!

I'll have to check these books out. Never heard of "highly sensitive people" before, you know, as a thing worthy of quotation marks. Although I've been called "ultra" or "too" or "overly" sensitive all my life, I just figured it was part of the whole depression/shyness thing. But the over-sensitivity to light, vivid dreams that are nearly indistinguishable (for me) from reality, the aversion to crowds....it never occurred to me that it could be tied in to the crying over the AT&T long distance commercials.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

Although I've been called "ultra" or "too" or "overly" sensitive all my life, I just figured it was part of the whole depression/shyness thing.

That was my thought, too, for a long time. Then I read the book and it seems that it's actually the reverse--the depression/shyness thing is a result of the sensitivity.

I was able to find a copy in the library--you should be able to, as well. At the very least, it's at Yer Local Big Box Bookstore in the self-help section.

There's a simple self-test here (http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm) that you might give a try as well.

[radiantbaby.livejournal.com]

Cool, I might have to take you up on that.