Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) & Neurodiversity
Research suggests 20-25% of us are HSPs by nature.
Feel like you are always overwhelmed? Like you can't handle everyday stress like those around you?
Highly sensitive persons (HSPs) experience what researchers refer to as sensory processing sensitivity. Due to the heightened sensitivity of our nervous systems, this amplifies seemingly every aspect of our lived experiences, from how loud noises sound to how strong our emotions feel.
A common way to define the experience of HSPs is through the DOES acronym, coined by sensitivity expert Dr. Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person. DOES stands for:
Depth of Processing-- You overthink. Everything. What sparks one thought for a non-HSP sparks 10 or 100 for the HSP. They tend to make connections and pick up on patterns in others’ behaviors. And it is not just depth of thought processing; they feel deeply. And when we feel things so deeply, we are bound to be hurt more deeply.
Overstimulation-- Just make it stop! The noises, the feelings, the sensations, and the thoughts. Good grief, the thoughts. HSPs are literally taking in more information at any given moment. Of course we find ourselves often feeling overwhelmed by this. Think of it this way: it’s not that HSPs are weaker or less resilient than non-HSPs. HSPs just take on more water every day. If non-HSPs took on as much water every day, they would feel just as overwhelmed. Given that HSPs absorb more, they have to prioritize restorative time and activities. They must offload all the internal and external stimulation accumulated throughout the day.
Emotional Reactivity/Empathy-- HSPs tend to be capable of strong empathic reactions to the suffering of others. HSPs often find it difficult to NOT put themselves in another’s shoes. They automatically intuit how others feel and may, at times, struggle to delineate between their own emotions and the emotional experiences of others.
Sensing the Subtle-- What others may view as being overly critical, focused on the wrong things, and even crazy or paranoid is actually a vital evolutionary advantage-- or it can be. HSPs perceive more subtle differences and changes in their environment. The HSPs in a species group detect and react to threats in their environment earlier than their non-HSP counterparts. They serve as sounding alarms who can keep the group safer-- if they are heard. How does this characteristic manifest for humans not at risk of being attacked by wild animals? HSPs may point out what can go wrong or always think and/or say: “I knew that was going to happen…I knew they were going to say that…do that…need that…”
Recognizing these tendencies in your own life, or in the behavior of loved ones, increases our understanding as to how HSP brains make decisions differently and how divergently they experience the world from our less-sensitive counterparts.
You can learn to embrace your sensitivity and allow it to be your strength.
Let me be the first to tell you-- You are not too sensitive. You are not too emotional. Your feelings are valid.
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"Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits." (Baumer, M., M.D., MEd, Nov 2021)
The Highly Sensitive Person is one example of neurodivergence along with Autism, Sensory Processing Sensitivity, ADHD, and others. There is significant overlap across and between these so-called distinct "disorders." To me, these are varied manifestations of the human experience. Picture a color palette with HSPs having a bit more of this or that color, Autistics more of another, and so on. At the end of the day, whatever label you give to your experience should make sense to you. Ideally, as you come to understand your experiences through a neurodivergent lens, you will begin to view yourself through a lens of self-compassion and self-acceptance. You will begin to unmask and reconnect with the version of you that is true. And that is a beautiful thing.