Highly Sensitive People And Trauma

[detroitguy]

I have realized for a number of years that I have a highly sensitive personality type (HSP). I find it interesting that recent research is finding that people that are sensitive and have also had some trauma are more susceptible to mental illness (including BPD) because they process information and emotions more intensely. Due to my innate sensitivity as well as emotional neglect experienced in childhood, I have had issues that have followed me my entire life. Recently though I have begun to accept myself more especially after realizing that the HSP person is just as good as anyone else but part of the problem is that society has been favoring extroverted types. I included a few links if people on the forum may be interested in this topic.

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/2May04.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-power-introverts-world-talking/dp/0141029196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394967603&sr=8-1&keywords=Quiet%3A+The+Power+of+Introverts+in+a+World+That+Can%27t+Stop+Talking

[Pickle59]

Thank you (((detroitguy))) for posting these links....................Very very interesting.I have read through the link on HSP and I was gripped by every word.......................I must get the book too..............Thank you again and hope you are OK...............Tiny bit shaky myself at mo...............so it's good to see your post for more learnings and self understanding.............Pickles.xxx

[Kitsune]

I've always wondered if an HSP, through trauma and neglect or inconsistent support/ mixed messages can not only start to display traits of BPD but also NPD if other elements are added into the mix or if they are taught their emotions are not ok so they shut them off?

I know I'm sensitive but it seems to be in a negative way and some parts haven't developed fully, I struggle with empathy etc as most of the time I'm too busy hiding my own emotions for safety and also pain which I can't seem to reach as it's shoved so far down. But I'm hypersensitive to criticism, rejection, abandonment etc.

It's a rum old deal!

[Kara.]

Detroitguy thanks for the links and the post.

I din't know that there was a personality type called hypersensitive.

I thought that i was, as a child, autistic but this didn't seem to fit the whole of my experience. I do talk a lot in therapy about being hypersensitive as a little child, but because i also suffered trauma for many years after, i guess that the focus is on the obvious traumatic experiences and my bpd rather than early experiences as an hyper sensitive child. However, there is a lot of me that stems from that time where i was locked inside me, so lonely and so misunderstood. It was such a horrible time. I hated every minute of it. I felt so lonely and so wrong, so different.

Thank you so much.

xxx