What is over-sensitivity? Are you a sensitive person?

Do you find yourself feeling faint sensations that others don't? Are you easily startled? Or is your mood easily swayed by the emotions of those around you? If the answer is yes, you may be the oversensitive type.

An overly sensitive person is known as HSP (short for 'highly sensitive person'), the most obvious characteristics may be shyness and embarrassment, exaggerated expressions when watching scenes of blood, violence or tragedy. lamenting on TV, they will probably cover their faces with their hands not to see these images reflexively.

For some other HSPs, their higher sensitivity may manifest in an inability to tolerate strong scents or bright lights, or discomfort in a large crowd. In general, being overly sensitive to something.

Kanye West, Nicole Kidman and Lorde all describe themselves as "very sensitive people"

Many world celebrities, including: Alanis Morissette, Kanye West, Nicole Kidman and Lorde - have become HSPs over the past few years. The term is being used more and more on lifestyle magazines and blogs.

High sensitivity is often cited as a contributing factor to depression and burnout. Professor Corina Greven of Radboud University medical center in the Netherlands, said: 'Many people still think of it in terms of risk and vulnerability. Both high and low sensitivities have their own advantages and disadvantages, it all depends on the circumstances.

With a little self-knowledge of where we stand on this scale, we can all learn to find coping mechanisms that suit our personalities in any situation.

The idea of ​​a highly sensitive person seems to remind us of the 19th century diagnoses of nervous breakdowns, hysteria, and the 'retirement cure' often prescribed to overstimulated. However, modern interest in HSPs dates back to the mid-1990s, with research by American psychologists, Elaine and Arthur Aron.

The aim of the researchers was to capture someone's "sensory processing sensitivity," a person's ability to be stimulated in the face of physical, social or emotional stimuli. It does not matter whether the nature of the excitement is positive (such as physical, social stimulation) or negative emotion (through feelings of intense stress). The ultimate goal is to learn how the central nervous system responds to strong stimuli.

To do so, the researchers designed a series of questions that can be answered on a scale of 1 to 7, such as:

1. Do you find yourself needing to take a break from your busy days, get into bed or into a dark room, or any other place where you can have some privacy to relieve your irritation?
2. When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment, do you tend to know what needs to be done to make it more comfortable (such as changing lighting or seating)?
3. Do you find it annoying to have so many things going on at once?
4. Does being very hungry create a strong reaction in you, disrupting your concentration or mood?
5. Are you deeply moved by art or music?

Those reported as HSPs are more adept in a variety of areas.

The questionnaire is called the HSP scale and the top 20% is considered the HSP. Subsequent research also showed that people's scores were correlated with measures of introversion, but the difference was large enough that the two traits could be considered distinct. Psychologist Dr Charlotte Booth, a researcher at University College London, said: 'Not everyone who is highly sensitive will be introverted.

In general, those who reported as HSPs were more adept in a variety of areas. For example, they can more easily detect faint sounds that many other people cannot hear. One participant in a study recently said, "I just need to look around the group and immediately see who's feeling well and who's fighting as a couple, or where there's tension." Sensory processing sensitivity is also reflected in different thinking styles. 'It also involves taking more time to make decisions, reflecting more, and enjoying deep conversations by all means of small talk,' says Greven.

Eva Pama-van 't Zand, a psychologist in the Netherlands, describes the feeling as like a small boat on a lake surrounded by larger ships. While everyone else is steady, you are shaken by even the tiniest waves. At its best, a person's over-sensitivity can be as little as a smile from a stranger. Their experience of the real world is richer. However, during busy periods, the intensity of their emotions can make them "fever".

While there is still some skepticism about any trait measured through self-report, people's scores on the HSP scale seem to reflect objective differences in the brain's response to the environment. . More sensitive people seem to show greater reactivity in sensory regions involved in perceptual processing, regions such as the ridges and amygdala that are involved in emotion. Importantly, they also showed increased activity in the prefrontal cortex and other areas involved in cognitive tasks such as planning and abstract thinking.

Taken together, these findings seem to support the claim that sensitive people are perceiving the world in a more intense way. According to a recent article, they are even more likely to experience a "sense of self-control meridian response" — a tingling sensation in response to a whispering voice or the sound of brushing hair.

Like other personality traits, sensitivities in sensory processing appear to be a product of nature and nurture. In 2020, Professor Michael Pluess of Queen Mary University of London asked 2,868 twins to take a version of the HSP scale, designed for teenagers. By comparing the scores of people who shared the same genetic blueprint with those who didn't, he found that about half of the variance between individuals could be explained by their genes.

However, scientists have so far not been able to identify the gene responsible for this effect. They suggested a potential candidate is the serotonin transporter gene (commonly known as 5-HTTLPR), which regulates levels of neurotransmitters around our synapses. Serotonin has effects on mood and attention regulation. Different variants of this gene seem to promote serotonin processing more or less efficiently than others. This has immediate implications for someone's response to their environment.

Despite initial curiosity and interest, the link between genes and emotional sensitivity appears to be relatively weak, and its importance may have been overstated. "Most likely, there are thousands of variants across the entire genome that together explain a common trait of susceptibility - rather than a single gene."

Since the study of the sensitivity of sensory processing began, psychologists have tried to track down the larger and longer-lasting consequences of this trait on our health. Pluess said: 'Among people with mental health problems, the number of those with sensitivities is commensurately higher.

Subsequent studies have also shown that the effect of emotional processing sensitivity often depends on one's circumstances, it is not a common risk factor. A study from the University of Mary Washington in the US examined people's relationship with their parents and their current mental health. Research shows that high sensitivity will significantly increase the risk of depression in children - individuals who have grown up in poor care of parents. However, for those in a happy and loved family, their sensitive personalities don't matter at all.

Sensitive people are perceiving the world in a more intense way.

A similar pattern was seen with a sample of 185 adults from the UK. HSPs who experienced emotional deprivation in childhood showed a much lower level of later life satisfaction than those who were less sensitive. "They are much worse affected by the negative environment."

It is also worth noting that HSPs are also more responsive to therapeutic interventions. A 2015 study by Pluess to investigate the effects of a prevention program, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, administered to students at risk of depression for more than a year, found that the program This is most effective in reducing depression in hypersensitive children. While it makes little difference for less sensitive children. Improved cognitive abilities appear to be helping them absorb the lessons of resilience training.

Such findings have also led some researchers to compare highly susceptible individuals to orchids. Flowers can only grow well when they are nurtured and cared for actively. According to the same theory, the less sensitive person will resemble the dandelion flower, which is less dependent on outside support. The middlemen in between are also sometimes called tulips.

High sensitivity is most pronounced in the place where they work. In toxic environments, highly sensitive people can be easily exhausted both physically and mentally. Even when they themselves are not influenced or bullied, their emotions are still easily shaken by the negative vibes around them. "They will probably be more aware of the stress around them and find it uncomfortable."

However, in a nurturing setting, greater sensitivity can be a real advantage. More evidence HSPs are better able to absorb latent patterns to escape the perception of others. This can help them approach new problems without any explanation from anyone. They can also appear to be good listeners and moderate when in groups, because they consider the needs of their colleagues.

Pama-van 't Zand says: 'Managers should be aware of the pros and cons of this trait during the hiring process. This can help them choose better candidates."

After more than 2 decades when Arons invented the HSP scale, the existence of this feature is now beyond doubt. Greven asserts, "We know that there are individual differences in environmental sensitivity." But she argues that we still need more robust research to look at the neural mechanisms behind Then, carefully describe its consequences.

High sensitivity is most pronounced in the place where they work.

With time and efforts from future studies, we may be able to identify how psychological interventions can be tailored to serve people at different levels of the world. this scale. Pluess says: 'We can have a personalized approach. That may include special treatments that address difficulties with high sensitivity – such as a tendency to feel stressed. Equally important is that we may need new approaches to help people with low sensitivities, who appear to be less responsive to traditional psychological interventions, and who may need many combinations of forms of support."

"From an individual standpoint, we find that mere knowledge of the sensitivity of sensory processing, and its effects on our lives, is instructive," says Booth. It's also been a huge help. Now it's also clear to me why I'm focusing more on a writing career where I can happily devote myself to the things I love. Being an HSP also helps explain why. That's why I'm so easily distracted by small gestures in social interactions, simply a person's voice or a slight change in their facial expression. which means I don't need to feel ashamed of my aversion to horror movies anymore."

There's always room for all kinds of personalities in this world. Whether you're a dandelion, a tulip or an orchid, you can find your habitat, forte, and friends.