INFJ and the Journey of High Sensitivity
A personal account of an INFJ's struggles with high sensitivity, social phobia, and anxiety, and their journey of resilience.
INFJ and High Sensitivity: A Journey of Resilience
INFJs are often considered part of the highly sensitive group. As someone who identifies as an INFJ, I can relate to this deeply.
Looking back at my life, on the surface, it might seem like a life others envy. But I've always been acutely aware of my high sensitivity, especially in interpersonal and emotional aspects. People might label this as 'premature maturity'.
In my early years, even as a child in kindergarten, I had severe separation anxiety. I would cry and be terrified when away from my family, only finding comfort when I saw them again. This seemed to be an early sign of the insecurity that would follow me throughout my life.
In third grade, I moved and transferred schools. There was no bullying or neglect, yet I developed a severe case of social phobia. At that time, I didn't even know what social phobia was. It wasn't until fifth grade when I read some articles that I realized what I was going through. Words became my communication channel with the world. Back then, social phobia wasn't as widespread as it is now.
I decided to 'enlighten' myself. I didn't want to be different from others. My approach might not have been entirely correct, but I started to socialize and make friends actively. And now, I have a social circle that others admire.
In high school, in an entirely new environment, a teacher misjudged my personality. All I could do was cry; I couldn't explain myself to her. I went to see a psychologist and was diagnosed with difficulty in adapting to the environment and anxiety disorder. I started taking medication for the first time.
About half a year later, that teacher was transferred. This became an opportunity for me to stop taking medication. Sometimes, getting out of a difficult situation isn't a long process but a moment of sudden realization. Once again, I pulled myself together from the incomprehensible pain that my high sensitivity brought me.
Highly sensitive people make up a quarter of the population. The number is not small, but they are easily overlooked. In this world, I sometimes feel different. But as long as I haven't given up on life, I will strive to live every day.
This is my story, a record of my emotions shared for the first time in a group.