Question 1

Could you define a 'highly sensitive person' and if this impacts on psychological being. Does a highly sensitive person also have increased intuition and kinaesthetic sensitivity?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Sensitivity is a common human trait and reflects people’s capacity to perceive and process information about their environment and experiences they make. Sensitivity reflects a spectrum from low to high which means that all people are sensitive but some are more and some less. According to several studies, people can be categorised into three sensitivity groups: low, medium, and high. High sensitive people are generally more strongly affected by what they experience: They suffer more in the face of negative experiences but also benefit more from positive ones. It is possible that highly sensitive people also have higher intuition and kinaesthetic sensitivity but more research is needed in order to investigate the relationships between these concepts. For more information on sensitivity, please visit https://sensitivityresearch.com/about-sensitivity/.

Question 2

What can you do to help with being so highly sensitive?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Sensitivity is a common and normal human trait. It is not a psychological disorder or pathological condition. Most sensitive people live healthy and happy lives but some may experience aspects of their sensitivity as challenging. Given that sensitive people are strongly influenced by their environment, an important way to influence one’s well-being is to select a work and living environment that suits the individual level of sensitivity. Furthermore, it is often important for sensitive people to set clear boundaries in order to avoid overstimulation and make sure they frequently take time out to process their experiences and recharge.

Question 3

Is this trait shyness?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Sensitivity is not the same as shyness. Some sensitive people are shy whereas others are rather sociable and out-going. Just as some less sensitive people can be shy and others less so. Hence, sensitive people are not necessarily shy but their often more cautious and observing approach to new situations may sometime come across as “shyness”.

Question 4

What is the most important psychiatric disorders that HSP presdisposes someone to?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Current knowledge on the relationship between sensitivity and psychiatric disorders is still limited. However, we know that sensitivity is associated with the common personality trait of Neuroticism (the tendency to experience the world as distressing, threatening, and unsafe) which has been found to predispose people for the development of psychiatric problems. According to several studies, sensitive people generally tend to experience more depression and anxiety symptoms. On the basis of these studies, being highly sensitive can increase the risk for the development of anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. However, whether a highly sensitive person develops a psychological disorders most likely depends on whether they had a negative or traumatic experience. In the absence of such an adverse experience, highly sensitive people are not necessarily at greater risk for the development of psychological problems compared to less sensitive people. For more information, please see https://sensitivityresearch.com/about-sensitivity/.

Question 5

What are the evolutionary advantages of being a HSP?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

There are evolutionary advantages to both low and high sensitivity and this is the reason why we find both low and high sensitive people in the general population. Low sensitive individuals tend to be more robust and resilient when faced with challenges and approach potential opportunities more readily and more boldly. High sensitive individuals, on the other hand, benefit from their more cautious and observational approach to life by spotting opportunities that others easily overlook. Furthermore, their sensitivity allows them to adjust more carefully to the specific conditions of their environment. For example, in more adverse environments, they will be more vigilant to potential threats and in more supportive environments, they will benefit more from the available support. Low and high sensitivity reflect different strategies and one is not better than the other. Interestingly, according to several studies, highly sensitive individual often tend to make up the minority of the population with only about 20-30% being highly sensitive. Almost all of the current sensitivity theories suggest that high sensitivity has both evolutionary advantages as well as disadvantages. You can find more information on the advantages and disadvantages of sensitivity on https://sensitivityresearch.com/about-sensitivity/.

Question 6

How to deal with shame about the need to rest and down time when you're a HSP parent and in a workplace that values overtime and a live and breathe work attitude?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Most people will find being a parent whilst also working in a demanding job rather challenging. However, this may be even more taxing for sensitive people and they may feel shame for their need for rest when comparing themselves to less sensitive colleagues. I think it is important to acknowledge that people differ in various aspects of their temperament and personality and that different personality types have different strengths as well as different weaknesses. A sensitive person may tire more quickly and need more time to recover. On the other hand, more sensitive people may also be more detail focused, work better with others and deliver to a higher standard. More research needs to be conducted on sensitivity in parents and in the work place. However, based on what we know, I think it is important to avoid comparison with others whilst arranging a suitable work situation (for example, considering part-time or working from home) and setting clear boundaries for work. Highly sensitive people are able to do well in demanding and challenging jobs, but they need to be able to arrange their workplace and workflow in such a way that it fits well with their needs. This may mean having clear working and off hours, taking regular breaks during the day but also on weekends. Furthermore, it may be important to discuss workload and deadlines with the supervisor or team in order to be able to plan well ahead. Of course, different challenges will require different solutions and finding a job or workplace that fits well with the individual temperament and personality profile can be difficult and take time.

Question 7

Are highly sensitive people more likely to suffer from sleep disturbance and be a light sleeper?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

There are only a few studies that looked at sleep and sensitivity. Most of these studies focused on sleep behaviours in children. According to these studies, more sensitive children had more problems falling asleep and also struggled more going back to sleep after waking up. More studies with adults need to be conducted in order to better understand the relationship between sensitivity and sleep. However, while being sensitive in itself does not mean that someone will necessarily suffer from sleep problems, it is certainly conceivable that the more sensitive someone is, the more likely they are to experience difficulties with sleeping. One of the main reasons for this is that highly sensitive people have higher levels of sensory sensitivity meaning they perceive noise more easily, but also changes in light and temperature. As a result, they may wake up more easily and struggle to fall asleep in noisy or bright environments and may need to darken their bedrooms in order not to wake up too early. Another reason for potential sleeping problems is that highly sensitive people have very active minds and process their experiences more deeply. Hence, they tend to struggle to switch their minds off at night, especially after a challenging or very active day or ahead of an important event. In order to sleep better, sensitive people will benefit from developing a good evening routine that allows their busy minds to settle and calm down whilst also ensuring that the bedroom is quiet, dark and at a suitable temperature. In other words, all the established factors that are generally important for good sleep will be even more important for highly sensitive individuals. However, if all conditions are right, highly sensitive people should be able to experience good sleep as well.

Question 8

Are HSP children often misperceived as "difficult"?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

About 30-40% of children are highly sensitive. Sensitive children are sometimes perceived as “difficult” by their parents because they are more easily distracted and disturbed by noise and bright lights, are more fearful and anxious, and often need longer to get used to changes. However, whether these children show problematic behaviours depends also very much on the quality of their environment. If they grow up in an environment that suits them well, they are less likely to show problematic behaviours such as frequent resistance and disobedience. But in a less suitable environment, they tend to develop more problems than less sensitive children.

Question 9

Are children with the highly sensitive trait gifted?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Every child is sensitive but some are more sensitive than others. According to our research, about 30-40% of children can be considered highly sensitive. They are more sensitive in that they tend to be more perceptive and process information about their environment more deeply. Sensitivity has many benefits, such as a more pronounced empathy, intellectual interests and creativity. Some links have been found with intelligence as well. However, high sensitivity is not the same as being “gifted”. Although some highly sensitive children may be “gifted”, most highly sensitive children will not differ substantially from less sensitive children regarding their intelligence. However, more research is needed to explore giftedness among highly sensitive children.

Question 10

Are HSPs more likely to experience chemical sensitivities e.g., fragrance sensitivity?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Sensitivity as described in the broad and integrative concept of Environmental Sensitivity refers to individual differences in people’s normal ability to perceive and process information about their environment. Highly sensitive people are characterised by high sensory sensitivity and deep cognitive processing of their experiences. Not surprisingly, many sensitive people are very sensitive to smells and odours but their heightened sensitivity does not reflect a disorder. However, chemical sensitivity (or multiple chemical sensitivity) is a different concept and describes unpleasant symptoms triggered by chemical exposures. Importantly, “multiple chemical sensitivity” is a debated concept which is currently not recognised as a medical disorder. I’m not aware of research that investigated whether highly sensitive people are more likely to experience “multiple chemical sensitivity”.

Question 11

How to help a loved one who is a HSP?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

Sensitivity is a common human trait and not a disorder or impairment. Hence, sensitive people don’t necessarily need special support or help. However, sensitive people are often especially receptive to social support, deep and meaningful conversations, close friendships, time to recover after busy periods, but also inspiring, engaging, or new experiences. Given that sensitive people tend to reflect deeply on their thoughts and feelings, the best way to support a sensitive person is to ask them about the kind of support that they would find most helpful.

Question 12

How can I treat a patient who is suffering from a highly sensitive personality?!

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

First of all, it is important to clarify that being highly sensitive is not a psychological disorder and therefore does not require treatment. Sensitivity is a common and healthy temperament trait. Everyone is sensitive to some degree but about 30% of the population are especially sensitive. Highly sensitive people are more sensitive to the quality of their environment and experiences they make. They are more negatively affected by adverse experiences (e.g., stress) but also benefit more from positive experiences (e.g. social support). Interestingly, several research studies show that sensitive people are responding more strongly to psychological intervention. For more information, please see https://sensitivityresearch.com/about-sensitivity/.

Question 13

Is HSP the same as being an empath?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

While sensitivity is a well researched and accepted concept in the field of psychology, “empath” is not a scientific term and lacks both a solid theory and empirical evidence. However, according to research sensitive people often have a high degree of empathy and find it naturally easy to understand other people’s feelings and thoughts. Hence, while all people have some capacity for empathy, sensitive people tend to have higher empathy.

Question 14

Do HSP have more activity in mirror neurons?

Michael Pluess · Accepted Answer

I’m not aware of any research on mirror neurons and highly sensitive people. Generally, most of the research on mirror neurons has been conducted in animals and the evidence in humans is relatively sparse and still debated. Although it is conceivable that sensitive people may have more (or more active) mirror neurons than less sensitive people, there is currently no research that provides strong evidence for this hypothesis.

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