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Matt's avatar

That’s a useful distinction between overstimulation and anxiety, yes they do seem familiar but now I can see the differences more clearly.

It is a really interesting journey of self discovery you have been on and one which will give you the edge over other mental heath practitioners because you haven’t learned this stuff in a lecture hall you have lived it.

As a Community Support Worker I once visited a man suffering from anxiety his illness had reduced him into a shadow of himself, he looked tough with a chiselled jaw and hands like shovels I couldn’t understand why this 6ft plus ex-heavyweight Eastern European boxer was finding life so difficult, he was tough yet timid, sensitive and kind.

I didn’t know what anxiety was until it hit me whilst driving back from a festival one morning, I couldn’t go to work for weeks I had a whole range of bizarre symptoms (inc: visual day time hallucinations, panic/anxiety attacks, paranoia, delusions, convulsions, sleep paralysis, OBE', insomnia etc...) I never told anyone I was ill and struggling I felt so much unbarable shame, when colleagues asked if I was all right I just replied “yes I’m fine”.

I remember digging my fingernails into my forearm the discomfort gave me mild relief; it was then I realised why people cut themselves, anything to relive the soul-destroying anxiety. I remember the morning the symptoms lifted, I played Metallica’s ‘Justice For All’ at full volume, it was immense relief to feel normal again!

I think young people and HSPs need to be extra cautious something so beautiful can turn ugly - everything that glitters is not gold.

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