Anxiety and low self-esteem
I am a highly sensitive person and reacts strongly to criticism which has resulted in anxiety. I can't seem to shake off this self blaming pattern.
People pointing out my flaws everyday has really torn down my self esteem. I just want to laugh it off but my mind will be focused only on that particular thing. No matter much I hate my sensitive side, it is something which will be a part of me till the rest of my life. I don't think I will ever get used to it though.
@sensitiveSailboat
Heya and thanks for sharing !
I can relate a lot to what youre feeling, its very tough to be sensitive and criticism can definitely lead to anxiety… Plus when being pointed out your flaws, its easy to get in this self-blaming pattern youre mentioning, where you seem to only be able to focus on these flaws.
Id like to point out something though, yes sensitivity can sometimes be hard to deal with, many times actually, and I get that you hate this side of you, but sensitivity is also an asset. As you said your sensitive side will very likely be part of you until the rest of your life, so its important to also see the good in it and there is a lot: you take things to heart, they matter to you, and if youre criticized you listen to it, which is something a lot of people never do. (and there's a lot more that you can gain thanks to your sensitive side!)
Another important thing Id like to share, is that yes, your sensitive side is a part of you, but the self-blaming pattern doesnt have to be though. Ive had a very close person point out my flaws on a daily basis for very long, which have torn down my self esteem like yours have been, and I got into this self-blaming pattern as well, and Im trying to work on it now. Criticisms dont always have to be bad, you can take it as a chance to improve. Whats important (only my opinion) is to try and see which criticism is good to take (Is it founded? Is it something you notice too? Is it something you can work on?) and instead of focusing on the criticism itself, try to focus on ways to work on things to avoid the criticism.
I know its all really hard to do, Im not there yet either, and its only a suggestion based on how I feel about this myself. Sorry that this is long, I just had to say something about it as it matters a lot to me.
I hope this can help you put things into perspective and be less hard on yourself, take care x
Waves ~
@LinearWaves I feel better after reading your message so I really appreciate it. I am working on my self esteem. I hope both of us will overcome our issues.
Take care
@sensitiveSailboat Thank you for your post, I relate to your situation very much. I wish I had advice but I'm still figuring this out myself. :)
