Perimenopause in Highly Sensitive People (part 1)

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We dive into Karen's professional expertise and personal lived experience to talk about being a highly sensitive person in perimenopause. 

In this episode we talk about what a highly sensitive person actually is, from a neurological and medical perspective. We also talk about the lived experience of being a highly sensitive person. 

We get a bit geeky about the overlap of stress hormones and sex hormones (especially progesterone), the overlap between higher needs for certain nutrients and the meds that can deplete those same nutrients. 

Some important takeaways: 

• High sensitivity is present in many species beyond humans and has an evolutionary explanation. 
• Sensitivity isn't just about emotions or pain. It is about how a person is wired, how they process sensory information, and how their body works. 
• There are different nutrition and medical needs that a highly sensitive person has compared to less sensitive people. 
• You can be an extroverted high sensation seeking person and still be highly sensitive. 
• Progesterone plays a more critical role in the wellbeing of the HSP.
• Highly sensitive women can be more likely to have early perimenopause symptoms and more likely to experience fertility challenges. 
• The impact of trauma on the HSP. 
• You can be an HSP without realizing you are. 

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Midlife Challenges
02:33 Understanding ADHD and HSP
05:25 Defining Highly Sensitive People
07:50 The Impact of Sensitivity on Health
10:13 Nutrition and Sensitivity
11:51 Sensitivity and Emotional Perception
14:19 The Intersection of Sensitivity and ADHD
16:59 Hormonal Influences on Sensitivity
19:49 Physiological Differences in HSPs
21:41 Understanding Sensitivity and Health
22:49 Hormonal Changes in Highly Sensitive People
25:57 The Impact of Sensitivity on Midlife
26:59 Exploring Sensitivity Suppression
30:50 The Warrior Gene and Sensitivity
36:59 Looking Ahead: Sensitivity in Perimenopause

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