Every fifth person has a particularly sensitive nervous system, but most of them are not even aware of it. How are they different from others? And how can you make life easier for them?
Psychologies: Who is a highly sensitive person?
Joe Capriotti, coach, specialist in working with highly sensitive people: According to the research of Elaine Eyron, psychologist, author of the book “The Hypersensitive Nature. How to Succeed in a Mad World”, about 15-20% of us (men and women approximately equally) from birth have a finely tuned, especially sensitive central nervous system. We are distinguished not only by emotional responses, such as an increased capacity for empathy, but also by many physiological features.
In medicine, is there such a diagnosis as hypersensitivity?
D.K.: The scientific name for this phenomenon is sensory hypersensitivity, which is congenital and genetically determined, but it is not a medical diagnosis. A highly sensitive nervous system can be compared to any other feature of a person (for example, blue eyes or blond hair). These features do not depend on our will and the influence of the environment.
How do you know if you are a highly sensitive person?
D.K.: Are you sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, strong smells? Tend to think as carefully as possible about new information before answering? Do you feel emotions very deeply? Do you have hypersensitivity to alcohol, caffeine, drugs, pain, hunger? If you answered yes to these questions, there is a high probability that you can be attributed to this category of people. If you are not sure, you can take a special test.
How many such people are there in the world? How common is hypersensitivity?
D.K.: It is estimated that there are about 1,3 billion hypersensitive people in the world, but, most likely, most of them do not know about it. Almost all of us have a relative, friend or colleague who is highly sensitive.
Let’s say I found out that I belong to this category. I don’t know what to think!
D.K.: This means that you are an unusual person who was born with such a feature! Hypersensitivity is thought to have evolved as a survival strategy. It is found in more than 100 different biological species. In a sense, it can be said that 20% of people with high sensitivity contribute to a balanced society in which 80% of people have ordinary sensitivity.
Is it possible to recover from increased sensory sensitivity?
D.K.: There is no need to try to “treat” this natural congenital feature. But still, some people take medication to dull their sensitivity and make it easier to fit into society.
Are there any techniques that make life easier for such people?
D.K.: The main difficulty faced by people with a sensitive nervous system is the tendency to overexcite from the abundance of irritants around. At school age, it is easier for them to learn when there is nothing superfluous in the class, and it is also important for them to give extra time to fully assimilate new information. Adults need to build their schedule so that hard work in an abundance of external stimuli is punctuated by rest, which will help restore strength. In general, it is important to be able to rest and relax – reading, music, meditation can help with this.
What literature on hypersensitivity would you recommend?
D.K.: In addition to Elaine Ayron’s book mentioned above, it is also helpful to read her book The Hypersensitive Child.
What about coaching and psychotherapy?
D.K.: Both can be very useful, but for different reasons. For those who suffer from psychological trauma received in childhood, of course, psychotherapy will help. Coaching is useful for those who want to learn more about their characteristics, learn how to get the most out of them for themselves and use them to achieve their life goals.
Can hypersensitive people live happy lives?
D.K.: Certainly! And the sooner they learn about their features and understand how they can be used, the better.