Black-and-white illustration of a distressed girl telling her mother and sister something hurts. They press buttons producing labels including dramatic, selfish, ungrateful, and too sensitive, leaving comfort and support untouched.

When Distress Is Dismissed as Negativity or Drama

I came into the family as the youngest, with a tightly wound nervous system and a way of taking in the world that was unusually sensitive—to sensory and emotional input, even chemical sensitivity to basic food ingredients. What I recognize

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