BadWolfC,

I have worked with and around countless children. Truth is some children are simply just more sensitive then others are.

Also, I recently read an article where some of the extra sensitivity can be due to how the mother was stressed during pregnancy.

As far as those abusive relationships are concerned, during the teen years some early relationships can be very challenging because there is still a lot of narcissism during those years. So those Bf's that put you down and you stayed because on some level you believed them? That was not your fault. Sixteen to 21 is still so young, so little life skills to understand how to protect "self".