A Highly Sensitive Person's Confessions

  A Highly Sensitive Person’s Confessions:  Sounds and Social Anxiety Preface:  This is the sixth post, so if you missed the first ones… Short Version:  I’m “sensitive to life”.  The first post was on light sensitivity and I now wear rose-tinted glasses (FL-41 tint), the second, third, and fourth were on skin issues, the fifth was on cleaning.  Sounds Loud noises, noisy rooms, squealing children, constant noise, and so on can quickly and easily become irritating and overwhelming.  Solution?  Besides removing myself from the situation, ear plugs or ear funnels Ear plugs can block most of the noise but they also muffle voices, so I looked into another option and found ear funnels.  I invested in Flare Audio’s Calmer Night and they have proved helpful.  As my sensitivities are on high right now, I wear them 24/7.  I have not tried their day version, Calmer, but I am considering also investing in a pair. I still have to remove myself at...

Preface:  This is the fifth post, so if you missed the first ones… Short Version:  I’m “sensitive to life”.  The first post was on light sensitivity and I now wear rose-tinted glasses (FL-41 tint), the second was on skin issues related to sulfates and fragrances, the third was on soothing outbreaks and moisturizing, and the fourth on textures and protecting irritated skin.  Cleaning Added Fragrances, Sulfates, Man-made chemicals… all irritate my skin and the smells lead to headaches/migraines and breathing issues.  Solution?  Using all-natural, fragrance-free cleaners, when financially possible Soap - Hand, Dish, Floors Dr. Bonner’s Castile Soap is my one-stop solution for all things soap.  For hands and dishes, I cut it by half and use it with a foaming pump.  For floors, I put a wee squirt into the mop bucket.  When I first switched to sulfate-free, I used the fragrance-free one, but now, I usually use the one with orange oil.  Windows...

Preface:  This is the fourth post, so if you missed the first ones… Short Version:  I’m “sensitive to life”.  The first post was on light sensitivity and I now wear rose-tinted glasses (FL-41 tint), the second was on skin issues related to sulfates and fragrances, and the third was on soothing outbreaks and moisturizing.  Textures Lace, Pilled Fabric, Rough Fabric, Velvet-like fabric, Seams, Elastic… all irritate my skin.  Solution?  Avoiding textured fabric, recycling pilled fabric, and buying flat seams for clothing used as base layers Workout clothing with flat seams, made primarily of cotton, serve the best as base layers for myself.  Snug-fitting, but not tight, workout bottoms work the best as they also wick away the moisture that can cause moisture buildup and further irritation. Protecting Already Irritated Skin Besides wearing moisture-wicking clothing in areas prone to collecting moisture, when skin is already irritated and inflamed, the best...

Preface:  This is the third post, so if you missed the first two… Short Version:  I’m “sensitive to life”.  The first post was on light sensitivity and I now wear rose-tinted glasses (FL-41 tint) and the second was on skin issues related to sulfates and fragrances.  Calming Outbreaks Dry Skin?  Rashes?  Scaly Skin?  Broken skin?  If you answered yes to any of the above, I may have an easy, drug-free solution for you:  using a  Jewelweed salve and a good moisturizing balm. Jewelweed has properties that are great at calming irritated skin due to allergic reactions or eczema. I found a local shop that makes it into a salve and I’ve also bought through Etsy.  A good balm following the salve will help the salve soak in and help your skin as well as hold in the moisture. My favorite is called “The Healer” and is sold through Perfectly Posh. I’ve also used raw butters like mango or Shea as a balm.  The key though is to avoid added fra...

Preface:  This is the second post, so if you missed the first… Short Version:  I’m “sensitive to life”.  The first post was on light sensitivity and I now wear rose-tinted glasses (FL-41 tint). Skin Allergies & Eczema Dry Skin?  Rashes?  Scaly Skin?  Broken Skin? If you answered yes to any of the above, I may have an easy, drug-free solution for you:  removing sulfates and fragrances from your life.   Sulfates are one of primary causes of eczema and are very drying to one’s skin and hair.  They are an excellent cleaning additive and can be derived naturally.  Therefore, 98% (my guesstimate) of the soaps, shampoos, and cleaners are made with sulfates, including the natural ones.  Sulfates are also bad for curly hair, so going sulfate-free will improve your curls as well.  All sulfates will have sulfate as part of their chemical name and sulfate-free products typically state that they are on the label. Fragrances further...

Preface:  I’ve always been more sensitive to my environment, feelings, and other’s emotions than others around me.  I’ve learned to accept my sensitivities, adapt, modify, and do what I can to make myself and others more comfortable.  I’ve also learned to laugh with my family as we joke about the fact that I’m “sensitive to life”.  I’ve recently learned that I fit into a group of people with psychological traits defined as “Highly Sensitive Persons” or “Highly Sensitive Syndrome”. This trait is believed to be in as many as 20% of the population, and is not defined as a disorder, but rather an unchangeable trait to which one must learn to adapt and cope. Unfortunately, I also deal with autoimmune issues, one of which causes my sensitivities to become even greater when my thyroid hormones are off, so everything becomes more stressful, more irritating, more overwhelming. Photophobia (Light Sensitivity) Does bright light (fluorescent, LED, sunlight) cause you eye strai...