Unapologetically Sensitive Patricia Young

Annie was terrified to ask to be a guest on 20 podcasts this year; even though she’s a podcaster! We talk about what her gremlins were telling her, and she breaks down her process step-by-step. She shares what she told herself when she was scared, and how she used mindfulness and reframing to reassure herself.  This is a process anyone can do when they are facing new and scary things. Annie talks about being Queer, and how being marginalized played into potential rejection.

Kelsey talks about trying to fit in and learning how to feel her feelings without judging them.  Kelsey started letting others know what she needed, and this has allowed others to also ask for what they want. Kelsey talks about being her own worst enemy, and how she has learned to use self-compassion and to be present for herself. Kelsey realized she was unhappy in her job, and she talks about what she has done to create a lifestyle that honors her and her Highly Sensitive needs.

Are your needs being met in your relationships? Are you the one who is always there for others? Is it reciprocal? Do you have a higher need for connection than your friends? Why do HSPs stay in relationships when they aren’t working? Do our high levels of empathy help or hurt us in relationships when we hit a rough patch? Is there more wounding in long-term relationships verses newer relationships?

Amy talks about how gaslighting can show up in any relationship, and how to spot it when it happens.  She talks about how to identify a narcissist, and we talk about codependency, love-bombing, hoovering, grey rock, extinction burst, and revisionist history.  Amy gives lots of specific examples of what a narcissist might say, and how the HSP can respond. She talks about why gaslighting is so effective, how it undermines self-confidence, and the self-blame that ensues.

We talk about boundaries, perfectionism and the negative labels we use to describe our sensitivity, and how Kelly changed how she views herself. Kelly talks briefly about how she felt seen and heard when I unintentionally voiced my monogamy bias after learning that Kelly is polyamorous. We laugh at our HS quirks and struggles and have a very open conversation about the courage and strength it takes to be vulnerable. Kelly is very reflective and articulate about her experiences and struggles as an HSP.

Jacquelyn Strickland co-created the HSP Gathering Retreats with Dr. Elaine Aron in 2000, and she has worked exclusively with HSPs since then. Jacquelyn talks about the 4 Core Characteristics of being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and the differences between Highly Sensitive and non-Highly Sensitive introverts and extroverts, as well as the ambivert. Jaquelyn also talks about sensitivity as we age, and what it means to be fully integrated with a strong sense of self-identity as an HSP.