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Highly Sensitive Person/People

(HSP)

If you are reading this, you might have been drawn by the topic ‘highly sensitive’. Have you ever experienced feeling like your sensitivity levels are too high? Perhaps you find yourself crying easily, experiencing emotions deeply, feeling overwhelmed in social situations, or feeling drained after social interactions. Do you also find yourself highly affected by external stimuli such as noise, light, smells, or textures, and do you notice that substances like caffeine have a stronger impact on you? Maybe you're particularly sensitive to the texture of clothing or certain types of fabric. You are not alone, you are not weird or crazy. You may be a highly sensitive person.

Highly sensitive individuals are often labeled or criticized for being 'too sensitive,' but it's important to recognize that being highly sensitive comes with its own set of strengths and challenges. The perception of high sensitivity varies across different cultures. In Western cultures where extroversion is highly valued, being highly sensitive may be seen as undesirable or even painful. However, in Eastern cultures where introversion and shyness are more celebrated, being highly sensitive may not carry the same negative connotations.

What is HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)?

It's a trait one is born with. It is also called sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) which means that the person has deeper/higher central nervous system sensitivity to stimuli (internal or external). The term highly sensitive person (HSP) was coined by Dr. Elaine Aron and Arthur Aron and it is estimated that 20% of the population are HSP and is found in more than 100 different species. Some traits commonly associated with highly sensitive people:

Heightened emotional awareness
Deep empathy and compassion for others
Easily overwhelmed by sensory stimuli
Strong intuition and insight
Tendency to reflect deeply on experiences
Sensitivity to criticism and harsh environments
Preference for solitude and quiet spaces
Creative and artistic expression
Emotional responsiveness to others' moods
A profound connection to nature and the environment

What It Is Not

It's crucial to clarify that high sensitivity should not be conflated with hypersensitivity or vulnerability. Highly sensitive persons (HSPs) may indeed be more susceptible to experiencing mental and emotional trauma, as well as conditions like PTSD and CPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). However, it's important to note that not everyone with these diagnoses is necessarily a highly sensitive person.

In fact, HSPs often face misdiagnosis with conditions such as ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Depression, or Bipolar Disorder. These misdiagnoses can occur due to overlapping symptoms or a lack of understanding of the distinct traits of high sensitivity.

Furthermore, it's essential to recognize that high sensitivity is not a part of the autism spectrum. While some traits may overlap between individuals who are highly sensitive and those who are on the autism spectrum, they are distinct concepts with their own sets of characteristics and challenges.

The Science

High sensitivity is a trait one is born with, a biological trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment and to social stimuli. It is also called sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) which means that the person has deeper/higher central nervous system sensitivity to stimuli (internal or external). The nervous system of a highly sensitive person (HSP) is unable to filter the stimuli of their environment so the world is amplified for them resulting in over arousal and over-stimulation. This can be extremely overwhelming for an HSP, hence they often prefer solitude and avoid crowds, even a 9-5 job can be very difficult for HSP but of course, this varies highly depending on the kind of job.

Neurons send and receive electrical signals to communicate with each other in the nervous system, these electrical signals in the neurons are much more active in HSP so even pain and pleasure can feel more intense.

Research has also shown that mirror neurons which help us to recognize the pain and joy of others are more active in HSP which is the reason HSP have high empathy so whether it’s loved ones or strangers HSPs feel empathy equally intense, even when watching a movie.

There is one variant of norepinephrine gene (a neurotransmitter that also helps the body respond to stress) that may be common in HSP which increases the emotional vividness and more blood flow in the pre-frontal cortex. This part of the brain is where contemplation, making plans, dreaming of the future, problem-solving, personality expression, or higher executive cognitive function happen. HSPs tend to think and process things more deeply.

Research has shown that the region of the brain involved in awareness, integration of sensory information, empathy, and action planning (such as the cingulate, insula, inferior frontal gyrus [IFG], middle temporal gyrus [MTG], and PMA) has increased activation in HSP in response to stimuli, providing evidence that awareness and responsiveness are fundamental features of HSP. According to a study the insula is crucial to understanding what it feels like to be human - social emotions, lust and disgust, pride and humiliation, guilt, and atonement, hence HSP are more aware and attuned to what’s going on inside their body and of their feelings.

Reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3135587/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4086365/

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/health/psychology/06brain.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301637169_Association_between_Sensory_Processing_Sensitivity_and_the_5-HTTLPR_ShortShort_Genotype

The Highly Sensitive Person (book by Dr. Elaine Aron)

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