Do you know about the Highly Sensitive Person? Do you see the strengths in this trait? Are you a HSP? Did you feel shame for your needs?

[waltswaltz3]

My son died from treatment anxiety and depression after a 20 year battle. He was an HSP, a highly sensitive person. I really had not heard about this until near his death that he was told this. I had researched drugs and treatments. My son and I taught at the same school for over 10 years. My son was Mensa. He was my teacher in life and my best friend. We found he had a faulty fight or flight reflux, and we have anxiety conditions in my family 6 of us out of 9 siblings.

My son actually became a yoga instructor, he mediated, he kept a gratitude journal for 10 years, he has gone on 10 day fasts, he exercised . . . He could not sleep. He said, "All I want is a simple life with my wife, and I can't even have it."

As I said, he had a faulty fight or flight reflux. He felt so much shame. There are new advancements every day. There is hope for the hopeless. But he was isolated with his job, he was lonely . . .

Knowing about being an HSP and High Sensation Seeking would have helped him. We need to give ourselves grace and not try to shove ourselves into a box that was not for you. I started a nonprofit to help me breath and feel that possibly we can create change. Walt's Waltz is a compass and a megaphone for mental health support, education, and change.

After all of this, I want to ask you, have you been told you a a highly sensitive person? Twenty percent of humans and 100 other species are highly sensitive.

Some HSPs have high anxiety and are often gifted. Could you share your experience? Did you change your environment if you were struggling? Did this help? Did you see your need for more downtime in a different way after understanding the trait?

Any information will help me.

[Broken1971]

So sorry about your son, it sounds like he was a special kind of person. I see so much of myself in your post. Thank you for the info, I had not heard of this!

[waltswaltz3 in reply to Broken1971]

My friend is an expert and working on a documentary - Highly Sensitive Men with Will Harper. There is a documentary which is good and you can view it in Amazon Prime or IMBG (FREE) called Sensitive - the movie. This give you some valuable information. My son was filled with shame. Finding out he was a HSP so late and not given tools - I missed this research . . . Uggg, the meta-analysis crystalized the information in 1997. I found out about the sensation seeking personality later from Dr. Tracy Cooper. This was a picture of my son. He needed change but was stuck. This information should be out there. Our vision - Physical Health and Mental Health viewed through the same lens of compassion and fair-mindedness which contributes to the empowerment and care of all of humanity.

Please take care.

[Broken1971 in reply to waltswaltz3]

Thanks so much. I have Amazon prime so I'll watch that doc! Best to you.

[Hb2003]

I’m a HSP so sorry about what happened to your son he shouldn’t be ashamed of being a HSP lots of kindness and support- Hiba

[Beautifullybroken38]

So sorry to hear about your son. I’m an HSP as is my daughter, but I’ve never been told it’s a problemOr contributes to my severe anxiety. Or that that’s treatment. I am curious if you feel like sharing what your son struggled with the most as an HSP... I worry about my daughter. She struggles a lot. She also has SPD, so I think that overlaps with everything as well.

[Hidden]

I definitely am, and I constantly get told by my awful parents that I'm too sensitive. I'd rather be that than be mean like them.