Yahoo Introduces New "Groups" Format

Recently, Yahoo Groups completed a major overhaul of the way their system looks and works.

This is relevant to members of the Boston & New England HSP Group since our online discussion group is hosted on Yahoo Groups.

The main impact this has for group members is the need to "learn a new system." After using the new group interface (as the group admin) for a couple of weeks, I'm not that impressed. Part of what is bothersome is that the new setup looks absolutely nothing like the old one. Aside from the fact that we got to keep our archive of messages, everything has changed. And whereas the new YahooGroups "looks more modern" it's really not very intuitive, and it's difficult to figure out where things are.

Perhaps the change will not affect new members (who will never have seen the "old" system) as much as existing members who now need to learn their way around a completely new web site.

We have considered taking the group completely OFF Yahoo and perhaps moving to Facebook instead. Lots of people already have Facebook accounts, and even though Facebook's group functionality is not that great, it's pretty easy to use. The downside is that a lot of people-- and especially HSPs-- really do not like social media sites, and especially Facebook. There are also "privacy issues," as facebook (even though the service is free) uses people's personal information for marketing.

For the moment, we're going to take a "wait and see" approach with Yahoo... see how group activity and membership is affected by the change. The HSP Boston group has never been particularly active or lively (we rarely have more than 25 messages in a month), so any effects may be minimal.

As HSPs, we generally don't like change. And even when we "like" change, we can still find it disturbing and overstimulating. So, for now, we'll just wait and see how this "change" impacts the group.

HSP Boston & New England Group Celebrates 10th Anniversary!

The Boston and New England HSP Group was initially created on September 18th, 2003... which means that today marks the group's 10th Anniversary.

In most contexts, ten years is not all that much, but in the context of a web group it is actually an extremely long time.

The group was somewhat inspired by the nation's first "regional" online group for HSPs, which was started six months earlier in the San Francisco Bay area (more of less the "birthplace" of the whole idea of highly sensitive persons), by someone who'd felt inspired after attending one of the periodic "HSP Gatherings" in that part of the country. Ten years later, the HSP Boston group remains the second oldest active "regional" HSP group in the US.

That said, we are still a pretty small group (just over 100 members), and our forum enjoys only a limited number of discussions. 100 people might sound like a lot when you're an HSP, but when compared to some of the HSP groups on sites like Facebook (with 5000+ members) it's still pretty small. But hopefully we will be able to change that, in the years ahead-- at least the "activity level" part.

The group admins have recently received announcements that YahooGroups (where we host our online discussions) is about to undergo a major "format change" and we're hopeful that it will be for the better. The only big concern is over whether Yahoo is going to start charging people to have groups, in which case we may have to either move the group to a different venue, or shut it down completely... as it is unlikely a group like ours would survive as a "paid membership" group.

Milestone: Group membership passes 100!

It may not seem like a "big deal" but today the Boston HSP Group passed the 100 member mark! Thank you to everyone who has joined the group and remained with us over the years.

In recent months, there have been a number of inquiries and requests for meetings "in person," and as our member base (hopefully!) continues to grow, this possibility should become more feasible. Part of the challenge is that group members actually live all around the New England states... and most people would like events and meetings to take place "in their neighborhood."

As HSPs, we often are put off by having to "travel" to events-- even if they are not far away-- but hopefully enough common (geographically speaking) ground can be established to where the reward for meeting others of "our own kind" outweighs the hassles and stress of "having to get there."

Excellent "baseline reference" article describing different aspects of being an HSP

In many ways, the best way to "make peace" with this thing called "being a Highly Sensitive Person" is to learn as much as we can about the trait... and how it affects us.

Although it can be tempting to lean in that direction, it is scientifically proven that being an HSP is not an illness; not some kind of disorder there is some kind cure for. Thus, the best approach to a successful and happy life for the HSP comes through knowledge. The more we know, the better off we are.

On the "big picture" level, we can read books and do research and even consult a therapist. On a smaller and more immediate level, doing some research on the web can help us get a lost of good basic information. Of course, many would say that it's "overwhelming" to sort through so much information online-- there are literally hundreds of thousands of web pages that mention the topic and the number keeps getting bigger, every day.

The best "core" web page (as of this writing) about many different aspects of being an HSP is called "The Highly Sensitive Person or HSP: What Exactly IS that?"

It's quite long, but pretty much has the basics about the trait... from a description to interacting with work, to various other things. It's fairly easily readable, however, because it's broken up with photos, interactive quizzes, useful links and book recommendations.

Because it is written with a "general" audience in mind, it's also useful as a place to send other people (potential HSPs as well as your non-HSP friends who might want to learn more about what sorts of things make you tick) to, to learn more.

Knowledge is power.

New HSP Related Books: Elaine Aron, Ted Zeff

There are a couple of new books out, that are important to HSPs.

The first is Elaine Aron's new book "The Undervalued Self." This is not a book about being an HSP, but it is still very useful for HSPs. This book has been ten years in the making; I first heard Dr. Aron present some of the material covered, at an HSP Gathering in California, in 2003.

The core of the book is about helping us understand how we tend to "rank ourselves too low" in the world, typically as a result of negative experiences that happen, as a result of living normal life. This could be anything from having been bullied as a kid, to the effect of a series of failed relationships. What makes it particularly relevant for HSPs is that we tend to internalize and deeply process what happens to us, and then draw unrealistically negative conclusions about what happened.

In addition to illustrating how we undervalue ourselves, and how we use "self-protections" to keep ourselves in a place of low rank, "The Undervalued Self" also is an interactive workbook to help people find healing for the wounds that have kept them trapped. Although very readable, the book can be "heavy going" if you have a lot of wounds in your past and make the commitment to doing the suggested exercises and journaling.

Click on the image below to have a closer look at "The Undervalued Self":



Meanwhile, HSP author Ted Zeff writes about a part of the HSP experience that has long needed further examination: the male HSP.

Although written primarily about male children, "The Strong Sensitive Boy," is also highly recommended reading for adult highly sensitive men, if for no other reason than to find a retrospective sense of recognition and validation of their feelings as children. It is definitely a "must read" for parents of highly sensitive boys.

The book is both explanatory-- outlining the nature of, and issues facing, sensitive boys-- as well as full of useful guidance for parents to help them help their sensitive sons successfully negotiate the conventional "boys club" structure traditionally associated with becoming men. Different chapters cover such things as school, friends, sports, self-esteem, being a teenager, and more.

Click on the following link to have a closer look at "The Strong Sensitive Boy:"



Remember: When you're an HSP, educating yourself about your trait is essential. This is not a "pathology," it is an inborn neurological trait. Because there is nothing to be "cured," it becomes doubly important to understand yourself, so you can make the most of your life, as you are.

Tribe Magazine and Community for HSPs

The HSP Community now has its own magazine!

If you aren't already familiar with it, "Tribe" is a new magazine (in print, and online) created by HSPs, for and about HSPs covering a wide range of HSP-related topics. It's a beautiful and relevant magazine for HSPs; the second issue is currently in production.

The fact that there is now an "all HSP" magazine is testament to how far awareness of high sensitivity has grown, since Elaine Aron published her first book in 1996.

In addition to being a magazine, Tribe also an online community for HSPs. The web site's forums serve in part as a place for HSPs to connect with their peers, as well as a place where HSPs can submit their creative writing, poetry, articles and photography to be considered for publication in the magazine.

This first link is to the Tribe Magazine forums-- it's growing online community of friendly and welcoming HSPs. You will have to register in order to participate in discussions-- but that's quick and easy!

http://tribe.paramimedia.com/community/index.php

And here's a link to the main magazine web site. Here you can find information about Tribe, links to the online edition, and a place to order the printed edition. Personally, I recommend the paper version-- it's a really nice magazine!

http://tribe.paramimedia.com/

2010 HSP East Coast Gathering announced

It was recently announced that there will be another HSP Gathering Retreat in the eastern US, in 2010.

Although not in our immediate area, the Gathering will take place at Black Mountain, North Carolina, on April 8-12, 2010. To learn more, you can visit Creator/Organizer Jacquelyn Strickland's web site where updates will be posted, as available.

The event will take place at the YMCA Black Mountain campus, near Asheville, NC. Don't for a moment think this is your average "Y," this facility is a full-service conference center, set on 1200 acres of natural parkland in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

If you've ever considered going to an HSP Gathering, these are wonderful and enriching events.

Welcome to our group's blog!

Thought I'd set up a blog for the group-- works well as a way to post news of ongoing activities, group events and anything HSP-related in the area.

If you've come to this spot as a random visitor, this is the blog belonging to the Boston and New England Highly Sensitive Person Group. The group is an online discussion group and message board for HSPs in the New England states area.

You can visit the group's web site for more information, both about the group, and about what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (if you're not sure).

We're always happy to welcome new members from the area-- if you're an HSP living in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont, and would like to meet (or just make contact with) other HSPs, we hope you'll join our group! The group is part of the "YahooGroups" system, and has moderated membership to ensure an HSP-friendly environment. To join, please visit the group site and apply.

The group is primarily a "web" group, although we're hoping that-- as membership continues to grow-- we can perhaps help people form local groups in their towns or communities. There's a lot of value to HSPs knowing each other... and it can be very healing to experience the validation that comes from being with others who "get" it. However, keep in mind that a web group is NOT a substitute for therapy, if you're having a personal crisis.