Therapist Rant · Vol. 02

Stop Letting People Tell You That You Are “Too Sensitive”

It isn’t an attitude problem. It is a biological filter failure.

I am going to say this once, and I want you to really hear it.

You are not dramatic. You are in pain.

For your entire life, you have probably been told to “toughen up.” You have been told that the lights aren’t that bright. That the tag on your shirt isn’t that itchy. That the way your boss looked at you wasn’t aggressive.

So you learned to mask. You learned to shove those sensations down, smile, and pretend you were fine.

This is the single biggest cause of burnout in the high-functioning adults I see. You aren’t tired because you worked too hard. You are tired because your brain has been processing raw data at maximum volume for twelve hours straight.

The Neuro-Translation Guide

The Science of the “Spam Filter”

Here is what is actually happening in your brain.

A neurotypical brain has a built-in spam filter. It automatically tunes out the hum of the refrigerator, the feeling of socks on feet, and the background chatter in a coffee shop. It deletes that data so the person can focus.

Your brain does not have this filter. You process all of it. All the time. At the same intensity as a conversation.

By 3:00 PM, you aren’t just tired. You are experiencing “Input Fatigue.” Your battery hasn’t just drained normally; it has short-circuited.