You know for the most part I’m a pretty laid back person. I only care about two things:
the well being and the opinions of every single person on this earth, literally everyone, even strangers.
If you ever found yourself in battle with literally yourself on a daily basis, then this conversation is just for you. It will shed light on the possible culprit which is the trait better known as Highly Sensitive Person or HSP for short.
For thirty years of my life I have struggled with being, quote on quote, too sensitive and the crushing psychological weight of feeling everything on a much deeper level than anyone else.
The ability to pick up on the most subtle changes, even a change of tone via text that will leave me wondering all week long if I did something wrong.
Or my most impressive talent yet which is the ability to knock out anywhere at anytime because my nervous system is constantly on overdrive from experiencing emotional burnout as an HSP.
For the longest I had wondered to myself, why did God create me to have too much feelings. I lack the ability to detach myself from everything and avoid becoming emotionally invested in anyone.
This was all before I read Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person and now everything that I was experiencing started to make sense to me.
In today’s episode, I had the honor to sit down with Dr. Ketam Hamdan, an Arab American licensed therapist and educator who is also the managing director of Annisa’s mental health department, a non profit organization that works with Muslims in crisis.
As an HSP herself, Dr. Ketam gives us an insight of what it means to navigate life when we may have high levels of sensory processing sensitivity and a strong reactivity to our surroundings. We also delve into the positive and admirable aspects of being an HSP which includes being creative, the ability to cultivate deep connections with others and our thirst for knowledge.
This episode is recommended for anyone who may know an HSP or may be an HSP themselves. There is so much to cover in regards to growing up as an HSP, overcoming the struggles of setting boundaries and how our spiritual journeys may differ from others.
Enjoy and follow the pod on Instagram:
@unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Dr. Ketam Hamdan on Instagram:
@brainhealthdoc
Check out Dr. Ketam's site and educational videos here:
www.brainhealthgrowth.com