Am I Highly Sensitive?

I remember sitting in my big comfy telehealth chair as I sat on Zoom with my own therapist. Though I can’t remember the exact details of what was said, I recall hearing the magical sentence, “Have you ever heard of a highly sensitive person?”

“No… What’s that?”

My therapist began to then, in one moment, change years and years of suffering I had gone through.

There are so few moments in life like this where something has such a profound, lightbulb effect on our lives, but this was one of them.

So if you’re like me and you have never heard of the term, or you are curious to learn more about it, let me outline some of the basics here.

First things first! High Sensitivity is not a diagnosis, but it is a scientifically validated trait. It’s a form of neurodivergence that 20% of the general population holds.

Sensitive people have a nervous system that is more responsive to stimuli, both externally and internally.

• If you have experienced some of these things, it may be a sign of hyper sensitivity:

  • You may get physically ill when you are overwhelmed or overstimulated

  • You need peace and quiet and down time more frequently than others around you

  • You can often sense other people’s emotions easily and often with accuracy

  • You process things deeply - movies, books, articles, your own emotions and other’s emotions, and often process complex thoughts with intentionality

  • You tend to be considerate and conscientious when making a decision

  • You notice details or other minor shifts in an environment that others may not notice

  • You find that loud, busy, crowded, hot/cold, uncomfortable environments can affect you physically, and you often need downtime after this

  • violent or scary shows/tv/content can be deeply disturbing and upsetting for you and your nervous system

  • You may be a perfectionist

  • You don’t thrive in high pressure or competitive environments

  • You seek answers to life’s big questions, and ask why things are the way they are, what is the meaning of life, etc.

  • You don’t like certain fabrics, textures, etc.

  • You have a difficult time with change, even positive change

  • You are sensitive to changes in your diet/blood sugar, caffeine and alcohol

  • You desire depth and emotional intensity in relationships

  • You are self-reflective, and seek to understand your weaknesses and strengths

  • Criticism really stings and can be hard to move on from

If you’re an HSP, i’m going to assume looking at that list you can find quite a few that resonate for you - and that’s just scratching the surface! Everyone is unique and notices their sensitivity superpower showing up in a different and unique way.

What an HSP is not:

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Sensory processing disorder

• PTSD

• Introversion

Though on the outside some of these may share traits with HSP’s, these are all quite different from what it really means to be highly sensitive. I will make a separate post on this, as I think it’s important to share what sensitivity is not, just as much as share what it is.

Discovering if you are a Highly Sensitive Person is just the beginning of a journey toward self-acceptance, self-compassion, and living in alignment with your true core values.

The world may not cater to sensitive souls like yourself, but it is more than possible to thrive as a sensitive person and make it your superpower.