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In 2009, the ground felt like it was falling out beneath me. I was 35, a stay at home mom with two beautiful children, I had been married for 9 years, and we had just moved into our dream home. On the outside, I was the perfect picture of happiness, but on the inside, I was in terrible pain. One crisp fall morning, I had my first dizzy spell. Shortly after, the chronic digestive issues emerged, followed by neurological symptoms, brain fog and chronic fatigue. My depression and anxiety skyrocketed to an all time high, my mind out of control. I couldn’ t sleep at night because I was terrified by what was happening to my body. I became addicted to sugar and my weight crept up and up. I was barely able to be present for my kids because I felt so sick, my marriage was in trouble and my husband, the breadwinner, had just gotten laid off from his job. I had hit rock bottom both physically and emotionally, and I was frantically looking for a way out. Not pretty!
It was during this dark time that I heard a term that changed the course of my life. That term was The Highly Sensitive Person, a term coined by Dr. Elaine Aron to explain a trait she noticed in 20 % of the population.
I intuitively knew: That’ s me! The name alone seemed to describe exactly how I had felt my entire life. Growing up, I always felt like I was somehow different from many of the people around me. Being a kid was tough. I was labeled“ sensitive” at a young age. I found it difficult to fit in with the kids around me, and this continued until my 30’ s. I had heavy feelings at a very young age that I didn’ t understand. It wasn’ t all doom and gloom, however! Life was glorious at times, but very difficult at others.
Learning more about the Highly Sensitive trait, also called Sensory Processing Sensitivity, has allowed me to move from a place of low self-esteem, selfjudgment and struggle, to a place of deep self-love, selfcelebration and purpose.
Discovering my sensitivity put my whole life in perspective, especially my life and health crisis in my 30’ s. At the core of my meltdown were two factors:
1. I was a highly sensitive person going through life without honoring my sensitivity. Essentially, I was living my life
HEALTH & WELLNESS
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