The Highly Sensitive Person

[Raggamuffin]

Yesterday I picked up a book on Play Books with the title of this post. 10 days ago when I took the fledgling bird to the vet I made a post on this site. Someone replied saying I was highly sensitive and it lead to a lot of introspection.

For a long time I've been focusing my attention on overcoming anxiety, depression and more recently; investigating the spectrum and ADHD - both of which I'm currently on waiting lists for assessments. I've always been looking for root causes - to try and gain an understanding why I think and react like I do.

After that comment, I started researching emotional hypersensitivity and it lead me to a site with books and a questionnaire by a psychologist who had researched this field - having been emotionally hypersensitive herself. The self-assessment is free and quick to complete

Are You Highly Sensitive? – The Highly Sensitive Person

Apparently this is a condition from birth and quite common - occurring in around 1 in 5 people to varying degrees. Anything over 14 out of the 27 questions is considered probably HSP. I scored 24 myself, and so I thought further reading would be useful.

The ebook was cheap and so far it feels engaging, well written and inviting. The research was performed by herself through interviews, questionnaires, psychotherapy sessions etc. Having HSP herself and writing the book feels a lot more valid than other books I have read which seem to be from a neutral perspective of medical professionals who have undertaken case studies and research.

I'd be interested to see how others score on the test. As people on the spectrum often have co-morbidities, I wonder how many could potentially be HSP too.

Even after the short prologue I knew I'd come across something extremely useful and highly relevant for me and my life. I still have a long way to go with the book, but I have a feeling it will be invaluable.

Ed

 

[100skerls]

I scored 24 as well. Thanks for sharing

 

[Ezra]

In my personal experience there are different types of sensitivity. I am neurologically very sensitive to light, sound, flavor, odor, texture and so on. I can become cognitively overwhelmed by to much of such things. Which can lead to a shutdown or meltdown.

However at the same time I have non-psychosis related flat effect which is also a result of my neurology. Meaning I do not display emotions much or get emotional really. For instance I have never been ticklish and basically can not be startled (unless someone goes to extremes) and do not laugh or cry in a conventional way.

So taking that test is difficult because the answer to most of the questions are both yes and no depending on context. I scored a 9 for what it's worth in my case.

 

[simetra]

I'm at 19; the classic sensory sensitivities that often come with ASD contribute a lot to that.

 

[Gerontius]

16 out of 27. Apparently ASD sensitivities as well as mental ones or whatever you'd call the "thinking" kind.

 

[Ella Spell]

25

I'm working with OT for SPD.

 

[Giraffes]

I scored 11 which i guess is low.

 

[Matthias]

I used to be a highly sensitive person. I'm not anymore. It was purely psychological and caused by having negative beliefs about myself and other people. Once I replaced those negative and distorted beliefs with more accurate and positive beliefs my self-esteem improved, I liked other people more, and I'm no longer a highly sensitive person.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I scored 21.

 

[SDRSpark]

I scored 19.

For the record I really don't think HSP is a thing. I would expect many (if not most) people on the autism spectrum to score high on this test...just by nature of being autistic. Many of these things seem to me to be normal human traits, though certainly they could be amplified in some people.

I actually suspect that a lot of these "categories" of people are invented by those who are undiagnosed with something else (autism being the main one I'm thinking of but I'm sure there are others) and looking for answers...and if diagnostics were better we likely wouldn't have a lot of these things.

 

[Thinx]

I scored 5. I'm not and have never been highly sensitive. Flat affect, rational and logical, I m more of a Mr Spock auty. Nevertheless I have worked well and effectively in therapeutic settings, I have a thinking person's kind of empathy, and great respect for the strengths, wisdom and potential of others, most especially those who are brave enough to work on themselves.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I scored 7. I'm sensitive to sound, light and strong scents (sensory processing disorder), but otherwise I'm not really a sensitive person at all.

 

[Kalinychta]

I was asked most of the questions on that list as part of my autism assessment/diagnosis. Hyper-sensitivity and unusually acute affective/emotional empathy are common traits in autistic people. So I don’t think HSP is a co-morbidity when it comes to autism. Rather, it’s a symptom of.

 

[Matthias]

I was asked most of the questions on that list as part of my autism assessment/diagnosis. Hyper-sensitivity and unusually acute affective/emotional empathy are common traits in autistic people.

I agree the symptoms are common in autistic people but many, if not most, people who are part of the autism phenotype don't have them.

So I don’t think HSP is a co-morbidity when it comes to autism. Rather, it’s a symptom of.

It's a symptom of anxiety and stress. The reason autistic people have higher scores is probably because of higher rates of anxiety and stress.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

It's a symptom of anxiety and stress. The only reason autistic people have higher scores is because of higher rates of anxiety and stress.

And yet only a few of the things on the list in the OPs link could be symptoms of anxiety and stress, there are other explanations for such sensitivity, and the psychology PhD who spent her career researching this subject does not attribute high sensitivity to anxiety and stress (though it can certainly cause anxiety and stress in some people). You really shouldn't state sweeping generalisations as fact.

 

[Thinx]

I didn't have a high score. 4 out of the 11 people who have quoted scores didn't get high scores. As usual we are a mix on this as on many things, and for a mix of reasons no doubt.

@Ezra gave some useful insights about the difficulties some may have in answering this quiz, and the varied issues and causes of different kinds of sensitivity.

 

[Adora]

I have scored 25 which is pretty high.

 

[Matthias]

And yet only a few of the things on the list in the OPs link could be symptoms of anxiety and stress, there are other explanations for such sensitivity, and the psychology PhD who spent her career researching this subject does not attribute high sensitivity to anxiety and stress (though it can certainly cause anxiety and stress in some people). You really shouldn't state sweeping generalisations as fact.

I was responding to the previous post, not the OP. That post said HSP is a symptom of autism. I said HSP is a symptom of anxiety and stress because I was a HSP my entire life until I overcame my stress and anxiety last year. After my stress and anxiety went away, I was no longer a HSP.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I was responding to the previous post, not the OP. That post said HSP is a symptom of autism. I said HSP is a symptom of anxiety and stress because I was a HSP my entire life until I overcame my stress and anxiety last year. After my stress and anxiety went away, I was no longer a HSP.

Cool, which brings us back to not making sweeping generalisations.
Here, I fixed it for you:

For me It's a symptom of anxiety and stress. The only reason some autistic people like me have higher scores is because of higher rates of anxiety and stress.

Also, going back and changing your posts when people have already replied is uncool and rather dishonest.

 

[menander]

It is strange when we realize not everyone feels like we do. Then there is the dilemma. Do others bend or do we? They cannot and we cannot. I find this dilemma the one that cannot be solved. Then we either live alone or luck out and live with another sensitive person or a highly understanding soul.