Being Skinned

​Sometimes we are iron men/women and sometimes we are butterflies. That switch can be turned on in a second, grief can do that.

A week, month or year ago you might have felt like you could take on the world and yet today, the simplest word, gesture, image, smell or thought leaves you feeling helpless and in despair

Going through a traumatic, life shattering and extremely painful experiences can leave us feeling raw and sensitive. It can feel like being skinned which would heighten our experience of pain and lower our threshold for handling it, even the tiniest touch could hurt.

When we are at that stage, our reactions might seem irrational, we might seem overreactive and we might not be as fun being around.

At this time, it is important to surround ourselves with people that will support, accept and love us just as we are. This allowing is what "skinned" people need more than advice, ideas for change and even worse, judgement.

If you have a "skinned" person in your life, be there for them. They will always remember it. When we are in pain we are often isolated, neglected and abandoned because not everyone can be comfortable around the pain of someone that is "skinned".

"Skinned" people need the outer support but also need the time and space to process their feelings. Not burying feelings but completely experiencing then releasing them can help in building the strength to process life and the (hopefully thick) skin to roll off sensitive encounters skillfully. 

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