Embracing Sensitivity
Highly Sensitive Support
A Space for Sensitive Souls: Welcome! This is a specialized resource for highly sensitive individuals, as well as those who want to know more about high sensitivity.
Supporting Highly Sensitive Children: Dedicated to their psychological well-being and development.
Understanding & Self-Care: Gain deeper insights into your sensitivity and how to thrive.
Personalized Therapy: Find the right therapeutic approach for you or your child.
"If there is no awareness of the Sensory Processing Sensitivity trait, this may lead to a lifetime of 'misunderstanding' for the highly sensitive … and without a highly sensitive subculture, many children go without the language and scaffolding needed to communicate and understand their trait."
Dr Bianca P. Acevedo, research neuroscientist, editor and one of the authors of The Highly Sensitive Brain
What is “Highly Sensitive Person”?
Highly Sensitivity Person (HSP) and its scientific term, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) were coined in 1996 by Dr Elaine Aron, a research and clinical psychologist, as a naming of a trait found in approximately 15-20% of the population. The Highly Sensitive trait is characterized by a heightened sensitivity to stimuli, both from outside and from one's body (such as pain, muscle tension, hunger, memories, fantasies and thoughts). People with high levels of SPS generally observe subtleties in the environment and others.
Dr Aron uses the DOES model to explain the attributes of highly sensitive people:
D- Depth of Processing
Whether or not HSPs are aware of it, they invariably engage in deep analysis and reflection on the information they receive, comparing it to and connecting it with past experiences. They tend to notice details and relations between different things readily.
O - Overstimulation
As HSPs notice all the details in the environment, they can be intensely stimulated by inputs such as noise, light, smells, textures, and crowds, which can lead to fatigue and significant stress.
E - Emotional Reactivity & Empathy
For HSPs, the brain areas related to empathy, especially the insula and the mirror neuron system, are more active, which indicates a stronger ability to understand and share the emotions of others.
HSPs experience both positive and negative emotions deeply, and have more intense emotional reactions. They feel emotions such as joy, sadness, and anger more strongly, and are also more susceptible to the emotions of others. In Dr Jadzia Jagiellowicz's study, HSPs demonstrated stronger empathy when viewing photographs displaying faces with intense emotions, whether positive or negative, than non-highly sensitive people.
S - Sensing the Subtleties
When HSPs perceive and process information, the more active brain regions are those responsible for processing complex sensory information, for example, areas that capture subtle meanings of words will be more active than areas that identify words by their shape.
They are good at observation and can notice subtle changes in the environment, such as changes in other people's expressions and tones of voice as well as colors, sounds, temperature in the environment. They are able to pick up details that others may overlook.
Strengths that HSPs may possess:
Creativity: Their heightened senses catalyze inspiration while their deep perception of aesthetics and details in the environment creates a vast inner database fostering creativity and profound expressions.
Empathy: They understand people’s emotions, thoughts and experiences on a deeper level. They are good at comprehending others’ feelings and needs which helps creating connections and stronger bonds with people.
Strong Insight: Their ability to discern connections makes it easier for them to learn from experiences and find the right resources.
Attentiveness to Details: They often identify problems, errors or even danger that remain unnoticed by others, at work and in other areas of life.
Experiencing Life in an Enriching Way: With a reward system that strongly responds to positive experiences, they readily find happiness in deeply experiencing the beauty of life.
Challenges that HSPs may face:
Not Easy to Act Fast: HSPs tend to pause and check to observe before taking action, it usually takes more time for them to act or make decisions.
Feeling Overwhelmed: The deep processing of stimuli can lead to feeling disturbed and fatigue, sometimes, it can even trigger anxiety in HSPs.
Vulnerability to Chronic Stress and Negative Childhood Experience: Prolonged exposure to negative, harmful, or overly stressful environments, particularly in childhood, increases their susceptibility to chronic fatigue, burnout, anxiety, and depression.
The Downside of Emotional Intensity: HSPs may resort to suppressing or detaching from their own emotions when overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions.
Alienation and Self-doubt: Attempting to conform to the lifestyles and pace of non-highly sensitive individuals often leaves HSPs feeling out of sync, misunderstood, and inadequate.
It's incredibly important for HSPs to understand their own traits. By recognizing their needs and taking care of themselves, including regulating their emotions and managing stress, they can unlock their full potential and lead a more fulfilling life.
These types of HSPs may not easily identify themselves as highly sensitive:
Extroverted HSPs
Research indicates that around 30% of HSPs are extroverts. Although Extroverted HSPs feel energized from socializing with the others, they need more alone time than non-HSPs to regulate themselves after social activities. As HSPs generally tend to observe first – a trait that is often associated with introversion – and introverted HSPs are more common, extroverted HSPs may not always relate themselves to being highly sensitive.
High Sensation Seekers (HSS)
High Sensation Seeking, a concept developed by psychologist Dr. Marvin Zuckerman, describes the drive to pursue novel, complex, and intense sensory experiences. This drive often leads individuals to embrace risks in their quest for stimulation. A classic example is the participation in extreme sports, fueled by the enjoyment of the thrill they provide.
This trait appears almost diametrically opposed to HSP's inherent tendency to carefully assess potential risks and shy away from unnecessary adventures. This raises an intriguing question: can someone be both highly sensitive and a high sensation seeker? The answer is yes.
This type of HSS-HSP is driven by a strong curiosity and a desire for novelty, yet avoids taking on high risks. Instead, they seek safe stimulation and eagerly pursue pleasure without danger, participating in stimulating activities within their comfort zone, such as skiing and diving, while prioritizing safety.
HSS-HSPs are sometimes known as covert HSPs. While their demeanor may appear bold and lively, their inner world is deeply sensitive and delicate. This duality can lead to a marked contrast between their public persona and their private self. This internal dichotomy can make it difficult for others to understand them, and even for them to fully understand themselves. They may experience internal conflict, struggling to reconcile their sensation-seeking and sensitive sides, particularly when making significant life choices, such as choosing a career. As a result, they may consciously or unconsciously conceal or downplay their sensitive nature.
Dr. Aron developed a High Sensation Seeking scale (HSS scale) tailored for HSPs. A key distinction from other HSS assessments is that this version omits questions related to taking serious risks. While this test is not as well-researched as the Highly Sensitive Person scale (HSP scale), it can give you a general idea of your sensation-seeking tendencies.
References:
Acevedo, B., Aron E.N., Greven C.U., Homberg J.R., Jagiellowicz J., Lionetti F., Mckay D., Naumann F.V., Storch E.A. & Zarinafsar S. (2020). The Highly Sensitive Brain: Research, Assessment, and Treatment of Sensory Processing Sensitivity. UK: Academic Press.
Acevedo, B. P., Aron, E. N., Aron, A., Sangster, M. D., Collins, N., & Brown, L. L. (2014). The highly sensitive brain: An MRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others' emotions. Brain and Behavior, 4(4), 580-594. Itts://doi.org/ 10.1002/brb3.242.
Acevedo, B., Aron, E., Pospos, S., & Jessen, D. (2018). The functional highly sensitive brain:
A review of the brain circuits underlying sensory processing sensitivity and seemingly related disorders. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 373(1744), 5. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0161.
Acevedo, B. P., Jagiellowicz, J., Aron, E., Marhenke, R., & Aron, A. (2017). Sensory processing sensitivity and childhood quality's effects on neural responses to emotional stimuli. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 14(6), 359-373.
Akinola, M.. & Mendes, W. B. (2008). The dark side of creativity: Biological vulnerability and negative emotions lead to greater artistic creativity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(2), 167-1686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208323933.
Aron, E.N. (1999). The Highly Sensitive Person. UK: Thorsons Classics.
Aron, E.N. (2010). Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person. New York: Routledge.
Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J. (2012). Sensory processing sensitivity: a review in the light of the evolution of biological responsivity. Personality and Social Psychology Review,
16(3), 262-282.
Bridges, D., & Schendan, H. E. (2019). Sensitive individuals are more creative. Personality and Individual Differences, 142, 186-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.09.015.
Jagiellowicz, J. Xu, X. M., Aron, A., Aron, E., Cao, G. K., Feng, I. Y., & Weng, X. C. (2011).
The trait of sensory processing sensitivity and neural responses to changes in visual scenes. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 6(1), 38-47. https:/ /doi.org/10.1093/ scan/ nsq001.
Jagiellowicz, J., Xu, X., Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Cao, G., Feng, T., & Weng, X. (2011). The trait of sensory processing sensitivity and neural responses to changes in visual scenes. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 6(1), 38-47.
Naganuma, M. (2022). Manga De Wakaru Binkan Sugiru Jibun Wo Suki Ni Nareru Hon. Taiwan: Ping's Publications, Ltd (Chinese translation), 35-46.
Pluess, M. (2021). The Research on Sensitivity: Taking stock of past, present, and future investigations on sensitivity. (2021). https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-science-sensitivity/202105/the-research-sensitivity