I spoke before about the benefits of being a HSP. Now I should share the downsides.
The biggest downside is the emotional impact of things. No one deals with stress well, but HSP deals with it the worst of all. We try to avoid stress and unpleasant situations more than most people. We don’t want to get into it, but if we have no choice then we will. When I had to confront someone in the past, it was way overdue.
Uncertainty is just a killer. We can feel the stress pile up like a concrete shoe trying to pull our emotional state downward. We know what the emotions are in any situation we are involved with. We try to shield ourselves as best we can from others’ ugly attitudes and feelings. Even with our best attitude and self-care, the horror of others seeps into our lives.
Yes, we can appreciate beauty, art, and other things easily, but the flip side is that disharmony, cruelty, and violence bother us. For example, I hate horror/gore and can’t watch it. It physically makes me sick. My dreams are affected when I see violence/gore and I don’t want any part of that in my life. I dislike any suggestion of violence that is based on reality. I don’t care about phantasy violence like video games/cartoons for example. That isn’t real, and while I don’t like it it doesn’t bother me in the same way. If I play Marvel Strike Force which is a beat-up game, then obviously I am ok with that.
Foods with very strong flavors like bitter, and spicy are impossible to enjoy. Certain foods like cilantro taste like soap. You can’t avoid this. It means that you need to be careful with what you eat and try to eat as simply as possible.
I am not complaining about sharing this. I only want others to see that for a select minority, every bite has to be questioned. For example, I can’t stand the taste of fast food and the last time I ate it I felt sick. You learn that certain things just aren’t worth it.
Life gives you opportunities to learn what works for you. I have learned those lessons and know what I can eat and feel good after eating. I am so lucky to be born now in a time where I can survive.