Ep. 57: An interview with teen HSP Daisy Gumin

February 1, 2016 by 6 Comments

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hsp daisy blogI’m so excited today to share with you an interview with Daisy Gumin. Listen on iTunes here.

Daisy is an 18-year-old Highly Sensitive Person and introvert.

She and her mother went through a harrowing year and a half of trying to figure out what was “wrong” with Daisy. She had been displaying destructive, angry, depressive, and self-harming behavior. She went through lots of therapy, medications, hospitalizations, attended a therapeutic boarding school, and even a wilderness therapy program (she was taken there in the middle of the night without knowing where she was going!) Throughout this time, she was diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and more.

After all that, she and her mother discovered Dr. Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person, and suddenly everything made sense. After so many misdiagnoses, they had found the key to understanding Daisy. She was highly sensitive.

After that, the healing began.

This episode sheds lights on what it is like to be a highly sensitive teen-and not know it. Daisy’s story can help not just teens and youth, but parents and teachers, too.

This interview includes:

  • Daisy explaining what led to all her treatments
  • How it feels to be highly sensitive
  • What is wilderness therapy?
  • How she deals with the challenges of high sensitivity
  • Her tips for parents of highly sensitive kids

Get in touch with Daisy:

Check out Daisy’s recommended books & favorite memoirs:

 

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Podcast music attribution: Bust This Bust That (Professor Kliq) / CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

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Compassion Fatigue

October 12, 2014 by 5 Comments

yinI read about the recent suicide of well-known and respected animal behaviorist Sophia Yin with a heavy, heavy heart.

I became familiar with her as I threw myself into the world of dog ownership and training several months ago.

A thoughtful piece about her in HuffPo mentions how those in animal care professions can suffer from something called compassion fatigue. [Read more…]

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HSP Podcast 11: I Hate Being Highly Sensitive

September 29, 2014 by 10 Comments

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hate sensitivityWhy can’t I ever be happy with the way things are? Why do little things bother me? Why do I complain so much?

Why can’t I be normal?

These feelings make me angry at myself. Why can’t I just suck it up and deal with small annoyances? Why can’t I just relax and have fun? Why are things so hard for me and easy for everyone else?

This is the episode I warned you about last week-the really negative one where I say the word “hate” like 100 times.

In Episode 11 of the Highly Sensitive Person Podcast, I talk about the dark feelings I sometimes have about being highly sensitive and introverted. And of course, I talk about some positive stuff, too. If you are turned off by negativity, skip this one. But if you sometimes beat yourself up over the way you are, maybe this will give you some comfort to know you aren’t alone.

Related Posts on This Blog:

Do you like the show?

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If you enjoy my podcast and blog, if you find it helpful, uplifting, or entertaining, that’s awesome! Would you consider giving just $1 per episode? It would allow me to continue making these shows every week. Check out my Patreon page to see how it works. You can get special rewards, too!

Note: All podcast and blog content is free, as always, I’m just asking for support!

Podcast music attribution: Bust This Bust That (Professor Kliq) / CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

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Robin Williams, Suicide, and Depression

August 11, 2014 by 7 Comments

robin

I was shocked and saddened when I heard that Robin Williams ended his life, as I’m sure we all were.

I wasn’t an especially huge fan of his, but I liked the guy. He’s been around my entire life. I remember watching Mork and Mindy as a kid.

To hear that someone ended their life makes me hurt. Because I think-imagine how incredibly bad someone must be hurting to take such a drastic step. The raw, sharp, suffocating pain that must cloud their every moment, to where they feel like they can’t go on another second, that the only escape is to end their life. To end the pain. To be done with this. [Read more…]

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HSPs and Depression

February 23, 2014 by 8 Comments

file000432229288.jpgIs there a connection between depression and being highly sensitive?

According to Dr. Elaine Aron’s research: Yes and No; it depends.

To super-simplify: If an HSP grew up in a non-supportive environment, they are more likely to be depressed. If an HSP grew up in a supportive environment, it’s less likely they will be depressed.

To go further….

HSPs can be more prone to depression if:

  • The HSP grew up with chaos, trauma, and dysfunction in their family.
  • If the HSP is unaware of the trait and does not have a self-care plan. Without knowledge about the trait, an HSP can find themselves in a chronic state of overstimulation which would then lead to too much cortisol in the system, which can then lead to depression and/or anxiety.
  • The HSP is in an unhealthy environment. (source)

It is NOT more likely, if

  • The HSP grew up in a supportive and “secure” family.
  • The HSP has accepted the trait as a positive and has adequate self-care.

IT DEPENDS, if:

  • There is a history of depression in one’s family (genetically caused).

If an HSP doesn’t know that they are highly sensitive, they may be self-critical and wonder “why can’t I be like everyone else?”

If an HSP is aware of their sensitivity, they can plan their life in the best way to avoid overstimulation and scenarios that make them feel drained and unsettled. It is essential for HSPs to learn about the trait so they can find their own stasis of peace.

Depression is a dense topic that deserves more than a single blog post. This is just a basic, simplified overview of the accepted research on whether high sensitivity is related to depression.

Check out my post on 7 ways to deal with the struggles of being an HSP. There is also a fantastic list on the HSP Highlights & Insights Newsletter blog of the best ways to thrive as an HSP. It discusses how to create your own “HSP Owners Manual”. I found it helpful and hope you do, too.

I wrote more about empathy for people suffering from depression in my post about Robin Williams and this one about Sophia Yin and compassion fatigue.

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