5 Myths About HSPs from Linda Binns on Vimeo.
Do you have a tendency to jump out of your skin when hearing a loud noise? Can simple everyday tasks find you easily overwhelmed? Are bright lights a source of severe discomfort and often seem almost blinding?
Many hear the words highly sensitive and think of someone crying at the drop of a dime or having an overly emotional response that doesn’t match the situation. Yet what is listed above are just a few of the traits one could also experience as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
What Does it Mean to be Highly Sensitive?
Being highly sensitive is something you are born with. It’s a part of one’s personality and is not a disorder that can be “cured”.
It’s estimated that 15 to 20 percent of the population is comprised of HSPs. Often times they get misdiagnosed with other disorders such as ADHD, Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar, and vice versa. Therefore, it is imperative to seek a proper diagnosis from a professional if you are struggling.
Many don’t realize that what they’ve dealt with since childhood is a hypersensitive nature until reaching their teen or adult years. I myself am highly sensitive and as a child felt there was something fundamentally wrong with me. I would get picked on, told to “chill out”, or “stop overreacting”. It made me feel alone and “not normal”. Those feelings began to see me become increasingly anxious, depressed and isolate myself as a result.
According to an article on www.supportiv.com, “HSPs have more brain activity in sensory and emotion-related brain regions, which explains why they are so in touch with the world around them and why they sometimes have to shut it all out.” As an example, when the HSP is angry, they are apt to feel it on a scale of 1 to 100, as opposed to others who only feel it on a scale of 1 to 10. This type of overstimulation is the reason many times they feel the need to leave early or back out from an outing, gathering, etc. in order to decompress and re-charge both their physical body and mind.
HSP’s tend to feel the emotions, and subsequently the pain, of others as well. Dealing with your own feelings can take its toll on anyone, then add in shouldering the emotions of someone else and life can become extremely exhausting.
Stigma and Judgment
It’s hard enough in this day and age to grow up without people perceiving you to be overly dramatic. Feelings of being stigmatized by others, coupled with one’s own self-judgment, can make HSP’s feel like a fish out of water.
Concentration can become increasingly difficult when surrounded by outside stimuli such as crowded places, multiple conversations going on at once, bright lights, open areas or constant/loud noises.
Perfectionism, procrastination and second-guessing oneself often manifest in those described as highly sensitive. Being put on the spot, especially in front of a group, can overstimulate and send them into what’s called a freeze mode. Feelings of inadequacy can then develop along with the fear of being judged.
The Plus Side of HSP
On the flip side, being a highly sensitive person, when properly understood and cared for, can be a true asset.
The deep feelings associated with an HSP make them more appreciative of creativity, such as art and music. They seem to be able to relate on a deeper level to what the artist is trying to convey through their work.
Because HSP’s can empathize with what others are feeling, they also tend to bond easier with those who are struggling.
When there is a greater understanding of what it means to be highly sensitive, there can also be less judgment and stigma attached. HSPs have a gift and as with any gift, it is one that should be cherished out in the open and not hidden behind closed doors.
Writer, poet, designer, crafter, and mental health advocate. I have encountered struggles throughout life with addiction, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. I no longer identify with the above struggles, however, as I refuse to be defined by a disorder, disease or diagnosis. It is through the guidance of an anxiety coach in which I continue the healing of both my mental and physical health, while in the process supporting others along their own path towards recovery.