A while back, I wrote about HSPs and shidduchim and this topic came up again for me recently. I found myself having a PTSD-like reaction to something and my brilliant friend helped me figure out that the underlying trauma was my experience in the shidduch system. Feeling constantly objectified and disrespected and having men’s comfort and desires prioritized over mine. My body clearly has had enough.
This build-up could happen to anyone but it certainly doesn’t help that I already tend towards sensitivity and have always absorbed and felt things deeply. I think we all get really impacted by the cumulative effects of these difficult experiences and I’m curious to hear how people with a high sensitivity profile take care of themselves under these circumstances.
I asked my friend for a prescription; after all, treatment for PTSD is supposed to take place after the traumatic incident, but this situation is ongoing. She suggested “self-care and boundaries. Extra self-nurturing – treating yourself like you are going through something active. And being extra careful about where you put your energy.”
Both are so important. And both are an ongoing necessity – it’s not enough (for me) to remember them once in a while. I need daily reminders!
I would love to hear how you take care of yourself. ❤️
(Photo credit: Carissa Bongalosa/Pexels)
