I’m a highly sensitive person. I believe this trait may have contributed to my sensitivities, and made me more susceptible to Fibro and CFS. Highly Sensitive People, or HSPs, are people whose nervous systems are extremely sensitive to all stimuli, and we tend to react to environmental stimuli more easily than others (check out: www.highlysensitivepeople.com).
This has both positives and negatives associated with it. On the good side, HSPs tend toward intuition, sixth sense, and creativity. They can walk in a room and feel the energy. On the less fortunate side, HSPs can be more easily startled, frightened, stressed, and overwhelmed. Their adrenaline systems are more easily triggered, and in an over-stimulated society like ours, that can mean being over-stressed too often, thus over stimulating our central nervous systems and igniting our “fight-or-flight” response.
Do you think you’re an HSP? If so, do you think this contributed to your diagnosis?
Yeah, that's me alright. I checked out the link, that's interesting because I have found that most people who are afflicted with fibro are type A personalities and highly sensitive people, highly reactive to all kinds of stimuli. I call them thorobreds, or race horse personalities. Jumpy. High strung. It really makes you wonder, doesn't it?
WOW....I will check out the website, but yes, I am highly sensitive. I have known this for years. I used to think it was strange when I would sit in a room alone, a big room like a living room, ( watching TV or something ) and I could tell when someone walked in because I could feel a "stirring" in the air...That is sensitive. I am 100% aware of all of my surroundings at all times. I can be involved in a conversation, and also be acutely aware of what other people around me are doing.
I thought I "developed" this sensitivity from being abused....I don't know but I am very sensitive.
Whoa! That is so weird, you must have all read my thoughts lol. It is great being the way we are but no need for the fibro... as if we need this on top! The type A personality is true, and I also blame the sensitivity, intuition etc on being pisces. I love being me but not too keen on the fibro to say the least. But it definitely makes sense. I have a very nervous disposition, easily stressed, although a fighter, and had many traumatc experiences that didn't help either but they definitely all contribute to the risk factor of getting FMS.
I think I am highly sensitive in some ways. Even a whiff of smoke will set off a flare up for example. A quick glance at a light (even a 40 Watt lightbulb) gives me headaches and the like. I do not have the sixth sense in the traditional way. Humans do have several more senses than the traditional 5 (taste, touch, sight, smell, sound); for example we have a sense of time, a sense of balance, acceleration, pain, temperature and something called kinaesthetic sense (where we know where are body parts are in relation to each other without relying on any other sense). There are also several more internal senses. xx
That's an interesting site, as is the suggestion of a link between "sensitives" and fibro. I fit a lot of the profile. Can't stand watching and listening to tv - too much stimulation. Same for concerts and crowds. Way too much stimulation. Even talking to people in person gets that way for me. Too much. Don't know why.
That’s interesting because I feel the “stirring” as you described it. I can “play back” every aspect of a conversation at any time. It makes it hard for people to lie to me LOL.
I have a nervous disposition as well. I would also say I am definitely a fighter too.
Sunny
I have 3 friends who have fibromyalgia that are psychic. I have limited “psychic” abilities and find it fascinating to hear their stories. I am curious if anybody else who reads this has encountered psychics with fibro?
I used to be a pretty good Tarot reader and healer too but have lost "faith" in the last few years. I still collect crystals and wear them a lot to help pain and other symptoms. Always worth a try
Just wanted to say that I just discovered I am an HSP. I listened to a podcast for Highly Sensitive People and discovered that was exactly how I feel. I know I am observant but hated the word sensitive because people put such a negative connotation to it. This extra sensitivity and all the examples all of you have described fits me exactly. Thank you all so much. Another example for me, I am super sensitive to smell, cigarette smoke really stresses me out and so does the smell of wet dog. Thinking of certain foods also make me nauseous, like eggplant and McDonalds.
I believe that many people with HSP may be predisposed to fibromyalgia and similar illnesses. If I had known, perhaps I would have chosen a less stressful career. However, my empathy drove me to nursing. Has anyone else discovered this about themselves recently or found a tie betwen HSP and fibro?
I also wonder whether praps all fibromites are HSP.
The real question for me tho is whether they always were HSP, i.e. it may lead to getting fibro, or whether we it’s part of this condition when we get it to be sensitive to “everything”.
What do you think? Introverted personalities… might be connected, with the same question: fundamental or acquired? Here more than with HSP I’d think: acquired since FM, cos socializing is much tougher than it used to be?
However I thoroughly disagree with talk about fibromites having an a type personality. Having researched exactly that that was an idea thought up by cardiologists and has since been put into perspective, part of it being short-tempered. I think the term has become very much misunderstood. I didn’t know it before, so I’m not sure of this, but no-one’s tried to argue with me about it yet…
