Guest article by Gracie King

Recurring depression has been a huge part of my experience since my early teens and for the longest time, I believed I was broken, damaged, and would always be less than everyone else. I felt very tiny and the sadness and loneliness felt larger than life, totally engulfing me. I have always been very introverted and the depressive episodes continually reinforced my tendency to be a loner. At the time, I didn’t know I was a highly sensitive person and didn’t understand why I felt different from most other people I knew.

As I got older, got more depressive episodes behind me, and had more years of therapy under my belt, I gradually learned what helped and what didn't. So I tried to do and find more of the things that supported me and minimize the things that fed the depression. I became more mindful of the food I was eating, the medications I was taking--pretty much anything my body would take in from eating, drinking, breathing, or absorbing--and I forced myself to be more active physically and more proactive in reaching out for connection with others who were good for me, shedding relationships and situations that didn't support me. And I deeply examined my beliefs, patterns of thinking, the connections between my thoughts and emotional reactions, and how all of these shaped my identity.

In the last several years I've gotten to where I no longer fear possible future depression and I've built a network of strong integrative supports (from physical and medicinal to intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and relational) to make it much less likely that I'll fall into a full depressive episode and easier to maintain equanimity and bounce back more quickly from painful setbacks. I’ve also reframed much of my depression history using what I understand about the Sensory Processing Sensitivity trait. Oh my goodness, now it makes much more sense why I struggled so hard for so long! There are many holistic tools in my wellness toolbox now that I wish had been known to me 30+ years ago. Healing depression in myself and others has become my life's passion. Sharing all of these tools and lessons with others traveling through depression to help ease the way has become my mission. There’s no need for us to struggle alone.

When I first joined Julie Bjelland’s Sensitive Empowerment Community (SEC) a year ago, I had no idea how incredibly helpful it is to be in the company of other HSPs–kind-hearted, perceptive, and generous souls who understand because we’ve shared so many common experiences. There’s a welcoming, supportive vibe here unlike anything I’ve found on mainstream social media. As a moderator in the SEC I’m especially excited to share that we’re offering a new group within the community–Spiral Up–devoted exclusively to educating, supporting, validating, and elevating HSPs who know depression. If you’re looking for support beyond what you’ve gotten through medication or therapy, I warmly invite you to join our community and then join our Spiral Up group to find rich, deep connections with others to support you on your healing and growth journey. Depression is hard, but together we can lift each other and ease our travels. 💗

Gracie King will be hosting the Spiral Up group within the Sensitive Empowerment Community. She has an educational background in psychology and counseling and is now on a mission as a Positive Psychology Wellness Coach to serve and elevate HSPs who've struggled with recurring depression and exhaustion, accompanying them on their journey toward healing, belonging, and thriving. Learn more at Vibrant HSP.