I hear parents of young highly sensitive clients of mine sometimes say “Oh my child just needs to toughen up a bit!”. And that parent may even be highly sensitive themselves! Also, because of cultural influences, the child will more commonly be a young boy, but not always.
The fact of the matter is that you won’t ever change a child’s (or adult’s) high sensitivity by toughening them up. Parents’ nurturing and SUPPORT, and ability to help their child to understand and embrace their gift of high sensitivity is crucial.
Ilse Sand (2016) states that ‘when it comes to sensitivity, environment and upbringing are significant in determining whether [high sensitivity] becomes a vulnerability or a resource’ (pg. 134). With a positive upbringing sensitivity can be experienced as an asset.
On the other hand, according to Carl Jung, an upbringing, UNSUPPORTIVE of a person’s sensitivity can push people ‘so that they develop into a different type than the one to which they are born genetically disposed.”
When this happens, it does so at a high cost to the individual: the individual can develop significant mental health issues. Living in a manner that is NOT in accordance with one’s true nature will inevitably become detrimental to one’s mental wellbeing.
The only way to heal this situation is to make the change to living as your AUTHENTIC self. The too-often-insensitive world today makes it a challenge for the sensitive person to live an authentic life, but with some empathy and understanding they will thrive.
(Refer next to the qualities of Walnut flower essence.)