I complained to my counselor that someone close to me accused me of being ‘too sensitive.’  My counselor promptly replied, “You are.”  I felt betrayed and hurt.  He then went on to explain.  Think about a cut that is healing.  You touch the new scar tissue and the entire area is very tender and sensitive.  He continued that the more I heal the more sensitive I will become.  WTF (Yes I know it doesn’t stand for Wow That’s Fantastic.)  I used dissociation and numbing as a survival tactic.  The numbing kept emotions raw and unprocessed and sensitive.  My counselor continued to sooth me with words like compassionate, understanding, aware, and many other qualities I considered valuable….he explained that being sensitive to myself and others made it possible to have these beautiful qualities.  What?  Being sensitive was a ‘good’ thing?  I now understand that the epitaph of ‘too sensitive’ was to stop my emotional reaction and leave me open to more abuse.  Being sensitive is a good thing in healthy company.  However, sometimes I need to soften things around me to a more bearable level.  My daughter shared a wonderful web page that listed ways to help a child with sensory processing issues, being sensitive to the environment they are in.  I read through the 13 ways to help and found several that should work well for me.  I no longer cringe when someone accuses me to being ‘over sensitive’ because I now understand that artists are sensitive, musicians are sensitive…..yup.  I am sensitive and proud of it.  Sometimes I need to be in a cocoon to recover from all the sensitivity.

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/13-ways-to-help-grade-schoolers-with-sensory-processing-issues-handle-school-challenges?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=understoodorg