hsp hatersA friend posted a link to my new podcast on her Facebook wall and someone had some not-so-nice things to say. Here’s some of it:

I think someone ‘realizing’ they are highly sensitive is about the worst thing that could happen to them.  It’s the emotional equivalent of “What is your body type? Are you pear shaped?”

I guess I am worried by the amount of self-diagnosis going on in our generation and how damaging that can be to individuals: I’ve seen the psychosomatic affect on people and it’s kinda scary.

[The podcast] would certainly help those with HSP! But it may damage those who read it who don’t have HSP.

What do I have to say to this?

It’s misconception, misunderstanding, and ignorance.

It reminds me of many years ago, like in the 1990s, when ADD and ADHD were becoming more and more talked about. There was a backlash: “Whatever happened to kids being kids? Why does there have to be a diagnosis? It’s not ADD, the kids are just misbehaving.” or stuff like that.

I feel like that’s akin to what this guy is saying here. “Why do people think they are ‘more’ sensitive than other people?” And he doesn’t say it, but I feel like he wants to say, “You aren’t a special snowflake. Why do people think every personal difficulty they face is an illness and simply not their fault? Stop whining and suck it up.”

By using the phrase “self-diagnosis”, we see that The Hater has no idea what high sensitivity is (and didn’t even listen to the first episode of the podcast before commenting on something he knows nothing about.) I’ve said it a million times: high sensitivity isn’t a sickness or an affliction. Saying you are diagnosed as an HSP is like saying you were diagnosed with left-handedness. Being highly sensitive is a trait; it’s just the way you are.

Does this guy honestly think that someone who is not an HSP is going to hear the podcast and try to start acting more sensitive because they think it’s cool or something? Like it’s the hip new thing to be HSP? That’s so nonsensical that I can’t even respond.

I don’t like being an HSP. Or an introvert. Yup, I said it. Life would be easier if I didn’t have to expend so much energy processing every damn thing. I wish I didn’t have to feel so much. But here I am, and I might as well try not to hate myself for being different.

Hate on, haters, and I will continue to educate you. Maybe someday you will expand your mind outside of your personal bubble of experience and understand that not everyone has the same life experience as you. We welcome you to the sensitive side!

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