has anxiety made you sensitive?

[thgbawb529]

little things that shouldn't bother me have bothered pretty bad now. i can't stand harsh critiquing very well or mean jokes without really beating myself up for it. today i asked my teacher a question and she thought it was dumb and kinda snapped at me and it basically ruined my day which is stupid because i know i could've just brushed it off. another example is when i asked my friend the time and she replied with "time to kill yourself" and that really hit me hard. being sensitive makes me feel pathetic, i wish i had a tough shell so i could be resilient to people's crap. it seems like anxiety has made it worse because i feel like i have to be perfect. can you relate?

[Happy sailing]

Hey there!
You don't have to be "perfect".  That is not the answer to other people's comments.  Yes, I find the anxiety, for me, means my emotions are more vulnerable.  I find that I am even more sensitive to sound.  Like sound can feel more like nails on a chalk board type of effect easier.  So yes... Things that might seem/come across as negative...I think, your emotions could be more sensitive to.
Others might have additional input...

Be at peace with yourself and just remind yourself your extra sensitivity is just a side effect, and keep doing your relaxation, meditation, and pampering yourself soothing tools.
 

[lcfrogs]

  I find that I am even more sensitive to sound.  Like sound can feel more like nails on a chalk board type of effect easier. 

OMG yes!! Noises, especially loud noises, can increase my anxiety and really annoy me when I'm particularly anxious. For example, the refrigerator in my garage is old and makes this really loud humming noise sometimes. I was smoking in the garage the other day and it started making that noise. Normally when my anxiety is pretty low I'm pretty oblivious to the noise, but that day it was making my skin crawl and I kept shuddering...it was definitely like nails on a chalkboard!

[kconnors]

Hi thgbawb529,

First of all, I don't think the comment from your teacher or your friend were appropriate . . . there is no such thing as a dumb question . . . all questions have value if only to the person asking the question . . . as a former professor, I never discouraged students from asking questions even if the question had been asked and answered many times . . . your teacher is at fault here so do not assume the responsibility for this person's inappropriate comment . . . you should not be discouraged from asking questions . . . teachers have a special position in a student's life . . .a teacher is the guide, the supporter, the person to provides the student with a safe and secure environment in which to explore and build knowledge . . .a teacher is not one who snaps at a student and even suggests that a question is dumb . . .we can be generous and assume that she is having a bad day or that you may have issues with your self-esteem, but even then she is the one at fault and not you . . . .the same goes for your friend .  . even if the friend thought his/her snappy retort was funny, it was totally inappropriate . . . having said this, you need to think about your own concept of self-esteem . . . yes, it is natural to seek acceptance among your circle of friends, peers, teachers, etc. but it is not the only place to seek acceptance . . . do an inventory of yourself and value yourself for who you are and, please, perfection is a load of crap . . . it does not exist, but it drives people into anxiety and depression . . . .you want a tough shell, well that tough shell comes with knowing how important you are especially to yourself . . .anxiety indeed can make it worse because anxiety tends to intensify our feelings . . . perhaps you need to discover your strengths and get out into an environment where people will appreciate you . . . .but, please, do not allow these events to interfere with your process in managing your anxiety and creating the best you for you . . . .let us know how you are doing and remember . . .no such thing as perfection . . . take care, KC

[Daisy131]

i'm so sorry to hear this. it's so hard to struggle with anxiety and/or depression, and the pressure we put on ourselves to be "perfect" just exacerbates the symptoms.

i read somewhere that people who have anxiety are in a hypersensitive or hypervigilant state all the time. we are super sensitive not only to our surroundings (noise, light, stimulation, etc.) but easily bothered by little passing comments.

i noticed that as soon as i was diagnosed with GAD i started noticing little comments people would say that really made me mad. like they would just something in passing like "i wanted to 0473", and as something who has been depressed, i felt so sensitive to that statement. i thought, how can they just say that with no meaning or thought or sensitivity attached to it?

i don't know. people say some stupid stuff sometimes, and it doesn't help much when you are suffering. i am sorry you are going through this.