Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) in a world that rewards toughness, speed, and emotional detachment can feel isolating—especially when anxiety and depression are part of the picture too.
From the outside, I might seem quiet, distant, or “too much.” On the inside, my nervous system is constantly processing more than most people ever see.
This isn’t a list meant to ask for pity.
It’s a window into what life feels like when you experience the world deeply.
Here are ten things I wish people understood about me as an HSP living with anxiety and depression.
- I feel everything deeply—even when I don’t want to
Emotions don’t pass through me lightly. They settle, echo, and sometimes overwhelm. Tone changes, body language, energy shifts in a room—I notice all of it instantly.
I’m not choosing to feel this deeply. It’s how my nervous system is wired. - Overthinking isn’t something I can just turn off
When anxiety is present, my mind is always searching—for meaning, mistakes, danger, or reassurance.
Telling me to “stop thinking so much” is like telling the ocean to stop moving.
I’m already trying. - Even good things can overwhelm me
Excitement, happy news, plans, or too many social interactions—even when positive—can overload my system. Joy still takes energy.
Needing space afterward doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. - When I pull away, it’s usually about regulation, not rejection
Distance doesn’t mean I’m upset or losing interest.
It usually means I’m trying to calm my nervous system before I shut down completely.
Silence is often self-preservation. - I can be strong and struggling at the same time
I’ve learned how to function through anxiety and depression. I can show up, smile, create, and still be quietly falling apart inside.
Strength doesn’t cancel out pain. - Small comments can stay with me longer than you realize
Words matter deeply to me. A passing comment, a shift in tone, or a joke can replay in my head for days.
I don’t hold onto things out of spite—I hold onto them because my mind won’t let go. - I need reassurance more than I wish I did
Anxiety has a way of whispering that I’m a burden, that I’m too sensitive, that I’m doing everything wrong.
Gentle reassurance helps ground me more than logic ever could. - Depression doesn’t always look like sadness
Sometimes it looks like numbness.
Sometimes it’s exhaustion.
Sometimes it’s losing creativity, motivation, or the desire to speak.
Not crying doesn’t mean I’m okay. - Rest is not laziness—it’s survival
My nervous system gets overstimulated faster than most. Rest is how I reset, heal, and keep going.
Pushing through only leads to burnout. - I don’t want to be fixed—I want to be understood
I don’t need constant advice or solutions. I need empathy, patience, and to be met where I am.
Being understood is often more healing than being helped.
Final Thoughts
Being highly sensitive with anxiety and depression isn’t a flaw—it’s a different way of experiencing the world. One that requires more gentleness, more rest, and more compassion.
If you see yourself in these words, you’re not alone.
And if you’re trying to understand someone like this—thank you for listening.