Jade Bald is a history alum of Laurentian University and a cat mum. She has written for several health blogs over the years, including Aroga Yoga, Despite Pain, Counting My Spoons, Patients Rising & The Disabled Diva. I’m so pleased to welcome Jade as a guest blogger as she shines a light on fibromyalgia.
My Fibro Journey By Jade Bald
My journey began almost a decade ago in 2015.
I had all the symptoms fibro warriors know and love – ha kidding!. Poor sleep, all over pain, brain fog, and daytime fatigue, plus headaches, tinnitus, IBS-C, and painful periods.
I went to several health care providers, all of whom said tests were negative and therefore unhelpful.
I finally went online and searched the symptoms, glad to finally have a name for all these icky symptoms. Fibromyalgia. I was so glad, I wasn’t going crazy or imagining symptoms. I tried my best to do what I could do despite feeling how I did.
Then 2019 rolled around.
That’s when I learned about the trait of high sensitivity or sensory processing sensitivity, the scientific term.
- The trait is found equally amongst women and men, in 70 % introverts and 30% extroverts.
- A handful are sensation seeking HSPs who like high octane activities.
- It’s found in 100 different surveys of animals too.
- It’s NOT a mental health condition or autism (it’s an innate trait you are born with, like your eye colour, foot size, height, or metabolism).
- The scientific term is sensory processing sensitivity and it was coined by psychologist Elaine Aaron.
- It’s controversial, despite it coming into the main stream and scientific studies show brain differences between non-hsp and HSP people (some people think it’s caused by childhood trauma, some say it’s genetic and some say it’s a mix of both nature and nurture).
- This trait means the individual feels deeper, has deeper thinking processes, notice things that others do not and have lower stress thresholds.
- Sleep can be poor as the brain is more active and not necessarily out of anxiety.
- Stress is more felt and impactful (HSP’s have more cortisol flowing through their systems, which increases the risk of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like Fibromyalgia).
- Childhood trauma/abuse/neglect can impact an HSP more.
Positives of trait
- thoughtful, insightful and perceptive;
- High intelligence;
- Kind, generous, compassionate and warm;
- Understanding;
- Patient;
- Love animals/art/beauty/natural world;
- Enamoured with innovative ideas/ big thinkers (enjoy complex topics and sophisticated concepts);
- Creative/imaginative/artistic;
- Cooperative/team players;
- Very self reflective;
- Truth seekers/tellers;
- Very intuitive;
- Very empathetic.
Keep in mind not all HSPs have the same sensitivity levels.
The HS child needs a certain kind of emotionally bonded parenting style, but many parents do not have this ability and are unable to provide it. This can negatively impact the sensitive child’s psyche.
These parents themselves are traumatised by their past. For them, emotions are something to fear, so they detach and see emotional beings as ‘bad’ or things to fear.
The negatives of the trait:
- Perfectionism can be an issue with the HSP, making them more prone to unnecessary stress unless they learn mistakes are learning curves, not something to ruminate over.
- Compare and despair can cause depression and other mental health issues if they don’t learn to be aware of their thoughts.
- Preference for solitude to recharge can cause discord with family/friends/spouses who aren’t HSP.
- HSPs have different interests than the mainstream, and this might lead to loneliness.
- They prefer cooperation to competition, which can be a blessing a curse. They can make good leaders and managers or they miss out on opportunities as they aren’t wired to compete like non-HSPs.
- HSPs like deep friendships and intimacy but often, their friends and intimate partners may appreciate the depth of relationship but do not reciprocate the energy an HSP gives, causing resentment on the part of the HSP for being taken advantage of.
- It’s hard for HSPs to make boundaries and keep them, especially hard if this concept was not taught at home during childhood. This can lead to burn out, resentment, and being taken advantage off. This can make them prey to narcissists and emotional vampires.
- Having less solidified boundaries can also make them more gullible if they don’t learn to distinguish truth from lies
- People pleasing is another issue with being an HSP, which can also cause the above as well. Often, this was a mechanism learned in childhood to protect oneself from abusive/domineering parents.
- HSPs think differently from those around them, which could cause discord with others and misinterpretation of behaviours.
- They are the truth tellers/truth seekers, punching holes in the shallowness of western society. Non HSPs don’t like this!
- HSPs are more likely to hold grudges and are prone to revenge as their emotions are so deep. When someone wrongs them it’s hard for them to “move on” compared to a non-hsp.
- If the HSP did not receive consistent parenting or the parent was enmeshed with the child, using them as an emotional caretaker, the HSP can be more prone to codependency with parents (and in later relationships).
- They are more prone to over idealising mentors/bosses/celebrities.
- Can take things personally, and this can impact relationships with partners/friends.
- Hate having to do many things at once.
- Their need for independence combined with a need for being in relationships can bring turmoil to them and others.
- Being too self reflective can cause them to take responsibility for things that aren’t theirs to be responsible for.
- The requirement for long rests and breaks to recharge/ rest can make relationships with non hsps difficult
- HSPs have high levels of interoception, or the ability to be tuned into one’s body, however it can become overwhelming to feel the workings of the body (bowels going, urinary tract filling, heart pumping, etc) and be tuned into their thoughts,
2020 to 2023 was stressful for everyone and especially those with chronic health issues. It was also a time when I had personal stuff going on as well, and I still do. It’s still impacting my health.
I did a few sessions with a therapist via an online app last year, and it really didn’t help with pain and insomnia. However, the therapist agreed that my mother was toxic (needy and out of touch with emotions), and it was best for my physical and emotional well-being to get space from her.
It’s been hard trying to find a rental, as being unemployed, I can’t rent. I plan on working through this hurdle somehow (and have a fibro podcast to work on in the mean time).
Keep an eye out for Jade’s upcoming podcast..… “What the F…Fibro Podcast. a podcast founded to help empower women with fibromyalgia to live their best life. It’s looking at fibro and chronic health issues through a feminist lense, spirituality, and the connection between high sensitivity, early life stress, and fibro. I will let you know when Jade publishes her first episode.
Thanks Jade for sharing your insights on both Fibromyalgia and High Sensitivity people. It was so interesting.
Take care everyone,
Sam xx
Medical Musings with Sam
If you would like an audible version of my blog, please check out my Podcast, Medical Musings With Sam.
Medical Musings with Friends
If you’re looking for genuine support, care, understanding and friendship, you are so welcome to join my closed Facebook support forum, Medical Musings with Friends . It’s a safe place to connect with others living with chronic and complex diseases, who truly understand the daily challenges. A warm welcome awaits.
My Book
My book “My Medical Musings”, is published by Imaginewe Publishers and available now to purchase as a paperback or e-book.
Here are the links to online retailers if you would like to purchase the book:
I’m also a Contributor at “The Mighty”. You can check out my published articles at My Author Page
I also write @ Blogs by Christian Women
I’m a member of the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network the Grace Girls Facebook Group and the Showered In Grace Group
Please click here to read our Privacy Policy
My Medical Musings 
thanks for sharing, Sam. I see myself in several of her descriptions and look forward to following her blog as it become available!
LikeLiked by 1 person