[tigerlily84]

Has anyone ever felt too emotionally raw or sensitive?

I have just barely been able to start talking about my suicide attempt from 5 years ago with my therapist. And while I'm glad that it's off my chest now and out in the open, I feel so sensitive, like when a scab comes off and your new skin is exposed. It hurts. Is there anything I can do to stop feeling like this?

[allimsaying]

Wishing you to not feel that way tigerlily. The truth is it probably wont go away until youve worked your way thru it a little more. At first, when you start to feel again, the feelings can feel uncomfortable and like you want them to go away. You're reliving things in a way but maybe you can tell yourself you're alright, right now, that what you're remembering is something that happened in the past and right now you're safe. You'll get used to being alive again in time and while that doesnt mean you wont ever feel sad or scared again, it means you'll learn to have the strength to carry through the difficult times even though it may seem like just barely sometimes.

[lostinbooks]

My suicide attempt was 17 years ago. I haven't told my current T and right now have no plans to. Good for you.

[tigerlily84]

Originally Posted by allimsaying

Wishing you to not feel that way tigerlily. The truth is it probably wont go away until youve worked your way thru it a little more. At first, when you start to feel again, the feelings can feel uncomfortable and like you want them to go away. You're reliving things in a way but maybe you can tell yourself you're alright, right now, that what you're remembering is something that happened in the past and right now you're safe. You'll get used to being alive again in time and while that doesnt mean you wont ever feel sad or scared again, it means you'll learn to have the strength to carry through the difficult times even though it may seem like just barely sometimes.

Yes I'm reliving it, and it's horrible. All I did was bury my emotions and now they're coming to the surface. Last week I considered hospitalization.. it was THAT bad. I'm doing my best to stay safe. (going to therapy, calling suicide hotlines/chats, and emailing the Samaritans) I'll try telling myself that I'm okay now. I don't feel okay though.. I feel damaged and broken.

Oh yes! That's really me! I am way too, too sensitive. I find that reading some articles about sensitivity on Psyche Central to be of tremendous help to me. There are few. If you have not seen them, then I would suggest you look at them. I have even contributed to the comments about it.

It does not take too much for me to react with grief when I hear of something that has happened to someone that's bad, especially a health problem. I would feel very bad even if a health problem happened to someone that I don't like very much.

I guess the reason why I feel especially bad about a health problem that happens to someone is because I think that it could have been me going through it. What's scary for me is that if something like that could happen, I wouldn't be able to handle it. I obsess about it a whole lot. Yet, people who are really in bad shape seem to be in control of it emotionally better than I am at just the thought of it.

I wish that I had a built in switch in my body so that I can just reach down and turn the "being sensitive" option off.

[optimize990h]

What you did was a very hard thing to do. The once or twice I mentioned it in a casual way to a therapist or other person. I think I numbed my feelings out. I spend less energy on them and I have my own opinions on how I process those memories.

[Pierro]

Hi Tigerlilly, your emotions are raw. That's why you are feeling the way you do. It will get better with time. If you feel sad just go with it. The more you try to keep feelings under wraps the longer it will take you to get better. Best Wishes to you

[allimsaying]

It sounds like you're doing all the right things and have your support network in place. I didnt mean to brush past how you feel right now. I know those feelings and my experience was I just had to endure it. I agree with the others that you're not being too sensitive. You're as sensitive as you are and theres good reason for that and sensitivity is one of the things I never could change. I dont think I want to change how sensitive I am, just learn to manage it better so I dont get drowned by all the things there are to be sensitive about.

It takes time but you can learn how to work with your sensitivity in a way that makes you feel like your sensitivity has a valuable purpose and by channeling it in a healthy way you can work on bettering the situations that make you feel awful. For example, you may be sensitive to child abuse because you experienced that or have empathy for a friend who experienced it. You can use your sensitivity to fight abuse against children and in that way you accept your sensitivity but also make positive use of it.

First things first. First become strong in yourself, then work outwards. I acknowledge that you feel awful right now and I hope you can work through it in a way that is peaceful towards yourself and also provides a benefit to your future and community. Sensitive people have great value in life but I know it can really hurt too.

Originally Posted by tigerlily84

Yes I'm reliving it, and it's horrible. All I did was bury my emotions and now they're coming to the surface. Last week I considered hospitalization.. it was THAT bad. I'm doing my best to stay safe. (going to therapy, calling suicide hotlines/chats, and emailing the Samaritans) I'll try telling myself that I'm okay now. I don't feel okay though.. I feel damaged and broken.

[adam_k]

I think bringing up tramautic experiences from the past puts me on edge and feeling vulnerable. I've talked to my T and pdoc about my attempts and it wasn't easy or relieving, but they needed to know about it to be able to better help me. It gets easier with time from my experience, and as you begin to trust them more it is easier to share or talk about sensitive issues. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself and I think feeling a little sensitive over issues like this is reasonable.

[bharani1008]

I think you are very courageous to have opened up like that. I'm not sure I could do it. It's too hard for me to trust anyone.
I can imagine how raw you feel. I feel that way all the time. I have to be very careful as to the things I expose myself to. It's too easy for me to experience the pain another person is going through even if it is a movie or a book--- pure fiction. The pain can haunt me for years after.
Be gentle and patient with yourself. Be proud that you had the courage to face your inner self. I respect you so much for doing it.
Do be careful about the things you expose yourself to. Watch only harmless programs with no violence or angst in them. Read books that have only gentle content. I suggest Jane Austin or Charles Dickens. Even though they may address a social difficulty they do it non- violently. Also I find that the British deal with murder mysteries much more cleanly. Teen-age fiction is good to.
I hope it gets easier soon.

[allimsaying]

In thinking about this more after I posted, it occurred to me. What good have insensitive people ever done anyone? Be sensitive tiger and all you other depressed people. Just learn how to work with it, we need you.

Has anyone ever considered that being "overly sensitive" might be part of having a conscience that may be too strong? I was told that about myself, and although it's difficult to accept, it does help to know that it may be a protective thing for us in the sense that it keeps us alert to ourselves and the world around us.

It's far better than having no feelings at all, which is a sad thing, in my view.

I try just to turn things over to God once I've gotten out the "slings and arrows" that
life can sometimes throw our way. It helps a good bit.

Remember that it is necessary to teach people (discipline) how to behave when they don't know that they are insensitive and can cut us deeply with their ideas and thoughts.

When you stop and remember, too, that 1 in every 25 people has no conscience, it
makes it much easier to simply turn and walk away from that type personality, though it it isn't easy to do when we're extremely sensitive.

So, what do we do? We just keep on working on ourselves and learn that we have been blessed in many ways in having such a strong conscience. It's far better than having no conscience with which to work.

With God's help, it will guide us well if we let it.

Take care.