October 17, 2019

"I Just Peed."

We were in the car one day. 
The radio was on.
The air conditioning was blowing at me.
All three men of mine were talking or singing.
The boys were playing some version of physical jackassery horseplay in the backseat. 
 
In total exasperation, I reached forward and turned off the radio and the air in one swift move.
Because you fix what you can fix. 
 
I whispered to Peter, "HSP."

Tyler said, "Oh, gosh.  Mom, do you need a napkin... or something?"

Turns out, from the backseat, my sons misheard and thought I said, "I just peed."
It has gone down in our periodicals of family history.
The day that they thought I peed myself, that I turned off the radio to announce it, and then Tyler offered me a napkin to remedy my situation.
 
I am a Highly Sensitive Person. 
I am easily overstimulated.
I need more rest than the average person.

I feel the emotions of other people, multiple people at one time, whether I want to or not.

I am reading Sensitive and Strong: A Guide for Highly Sensitive Persons and Those Who Love Them.  

 
You guys, this book has made me feel as known as any version of the Myers Briggs and Enneagram combined. I took the quiz in the opening pages, and I basically scored off the charts.  Peter read it and said, "Is there anything on here that isn't you??" 
 
Then he said, "What is the opposite of an HSP?" 
I said, "I think its name is Peter."
Do you need a day - or three - at home after going to a party?
Do you enjoy (or deeply need) time and space to think your thoughts?
Do you hate small talk?
Do you tend to notice things others miss?
Do you need downtime between transitions?
Do you startle easily at loud noises, and then need just a minute, you freaking weirdos, so back off, please?
Yes? Me, too.
 
I belong to a highly sensitive percentage of the population, and we are feeling.
We are overstimulated.
We are noticing.
We are empathic.
We are tired.
And we probably want you to turn down the TV.
~ ~ ~
"An enormous sense of relief washed over me.  In the space of a few short days, my life-long list of everything I needed to do to fix my defective self changed into a list of things I could stop doing. I could stop basing 'normal' on everyone else's experiences.  I could stop pretending to be someone I'm not.  I could finally stop wondering, What's wrong with me?"
~ Cheri Gregory, with Denise J. HughesSensitive & Strong
A guide for Highly Sensitive Persons and Those Who Love Them
Sensitive and Strong

24 comments on “"I Just Peed."”

  1. I love this post! I love entertaining the idea that some of my behaviors are not so wierd... that there are others out there like me:) I must read this book!

  2. Wowza... I got 32/40. I have always been able to acutely feel pain & emotions of others, but these other things I thought were just quirks of mine. I refer to myself as an extroverted introvert because I need recovery time after interactions. In fact, I am still exhausted after returning from a training session. I have been mulling over every single mistake that I feel I made during it, go figure.

    1. Melissa Cord Ross well this sounds like a MUST read! (Funny 'cause I just say "HSP" apt also when I'm explaining something that seems super weird, like I can't handle the wind coming in the car window right now....)

  3. I did not know there was a term for the way I am until I worked with a psychologist after the deaths of my husband and parents. It explained so much why I am the way I am and why I feel the way I do.

  4. I just read some of the things out loud...my daughter said “You”.

    I get so tired of people telling me I’m to sensitive, and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I also hate that I can’t do more that one or two things without needing 30 to minutes between them! As a kid I HAD to be to school early...before the crowd that waited to get in so the chaos came to me slowly, not me walking Into the chaos. Still that way. I need this book ❤️

  5. Oh wow! The one that stood out to me was that I always notice things that others don’t. And I have very high anxiety before going anywhere where there will be a lot of people. It’s exhausting. Now I know why. I think I’ll get this book.

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