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I hope that you're having a good start to your day thus far. Today I want to share more about my healing journey on overcoming depression as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). If you're unfamiliar with Highly Sensitive People you can learn more HERE. But to sum it up approximately 15%-20% of the population could be labeled an HSP. The definition of a highly sensitive person is someone who experiences acute physical, mental, or emotional responses to stimuli. This can include external stimuli, like your surroundings and the people you’re with, or internal stimuli, like your own thoughts, emotions and realizations.

Depression is a medical condition that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. As a professional counselor, I worked with Individuals struggling with depression for years. When it happened to me I could not figure out why I was not able to heal the “same” was as them. I went through a tough divorce that literally rocked my entire world. I was convinced that I would never recover. I spent a lot of time isolating and telling myself that something was wrong with me and that I was unlovable. It was not until things got really dark that I knew I couldn’t live like that anymore and I needed to reach out for support.

Soon thereafter I started to go to counseling. This was tough for me because as a licensed counselor and certified life coach I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t be “normal”

This is when I learned that I am not made to blend in with everyone else. My job is to learn who I am and how I can learn to love myself for who I am.

Depression is a tough thing to live with but even more complex when you’re am HSP. As an HSP you love and feel deeply so when you’re facing depression you feel that deeply as well. When dealing with depression your feelings are all over the place and your life likely feels like that too.

It may feel like you will never heal, but you can! It took me a while to know that I was truly healing because the process wasn’t overnight but after time I was able to recognize the growth!

The good news is this isn’t something only for me you can heal too. Here is my journey to healing:
I knew I was healing when</sub>

• _{I stopped reacting and started responding. When I was in my depressed state I often acted on my emotions. I allowed my emotions to lead my life. When I started healing I decided to be intentional about paying attention to my depression and responding to my emotions appropriately. So I adding affirmations to my daily routine. I used affirmations to remind myself that I was okay, I would be okay and that there were things to look forward to. As mentioned before I also adding self-care as a daily practice to be sure to improve how I was feeling emotionally. I also identified goals. As an HSP we need to have meaning. Identifying things I was working towards and loving for continued to give me meaning and allowed me to respond in positive ways.}
• _{I became comfortable in my own skin. For me, I always compared myself and my journey to other people. When I was able to grow in my personal development journey I learned that I am and have always been a highly sensitive person. I then sought to understand more about HSP. during this time what always felt blurry became clear. That’s started to make sense finally. This opened a new door for me and I didn’t feel the need to justify or explain myself to anyone. I have always felt different, but this time I realized that there was not a negative connotation regarding me being different. I was allowed to be me unapologetically and I could find people who supported who I was and understood.}
• _{I set boundaries and knew that even though it was uncomfortable it was for me. It’s common to believe that boundaries are mean or exclusive. Boundaries are a healthy expressive way to protect your energy and needs. Many people assume that boundaries and grudges are the same things. Grudges are what we do when we are trying to punish someone. Boundaries are what we initiate when we are desiring to protect ourselves. Setting boundaries is a way to protect and secure yourself. Setting boundaries is a healthy act of self-love that everyone should implement}
• _{I started to practice self-love regularly. Think about it. How often have you had a “good” day but feel totally exhausted afterward? The need to take care of yourself as a highly sensitive person is extremely important. You have a lot of stimuli throughout the day and it’s easy to place yourself on the back burner. It is recommended that each day introverts spend downtime, each week have one day of downtime.}

_{While some strategies may work and others won’t your healing journey is unique. My suggestion for you above all else is to pay attention to your body, your energy and your needs. Take care of yourself and love yourself.
I share my journey so that you can see that you're not alone in your depression, but also to show that it is not impossible to conquer.}