This is sort of an obligatory entry. :) And I apologize in advance for its length. I mentioned super briefly in an earlier entry the notion of a "Highly Sensitive Person"--just to mention that I hadn't mentioned it yet. It reminded me that I still haven't gone into that.

So here's a rundown on what I've learned about the "Highly Sensitive Person."

This is a real psychological term that first came about around 1999. It's what they (psychologists) deem a person who is just, by regular definition, really sensitive. They attribute it to a more tightly-wound nervous system than the average person, and they say about 20-30% of the population is HSP, which is too high of a percentage to classify as a disorder.

But it is an intrinsic part of my life nonetheless.

I came to that conclusion (and first heard about HSPs) when I ran across a Psychology Today magazine back in August 2011. I was so intrigued by the article that I went ahead and bought the magazine, then proceeded to underline 60% of it and checkmark all the parts that I especially identified with. :) It was amazing. They described me PERFECTLY.

Here are some excerpts I underlined and/or checkmarked:

"[HSPs] are also the ones whose feelings are so easily bruised that they're constantly being told to 'toughen up.'"

"Given their extreme ability to sense and internalize the moods of those around them, the presence of an agitated person, even a stranger with whom they never interact, can make them uneasy."

"Highly sensitive people are often taken for introverts, and, as with introverts, social interaction depletes them. But in fact they react strongly to everything in their environment. As a result, they need and typically seek extra processing time to sort out their experiences."

-I actually am an introvert, but I know one girl who is even more HSP than I am and she could be classified as an extravert, although she doesn't readily appear as one.-

"In general, the heavy cognitive demands on all HSPs predispose them to a more reactive than boldly active stance in life. All that sensory input consumes psychic resources for thinking before they take action. Any risks they face are carefully calculated."

-Extra processing time and heavy cognitive demands sound exactly like what I go through whenever I'm presented with an unfamiliar or unexpected situation. And yeah. I could be described as reactionary. :P Not my favorite quality about myself--something I'm always working on, but boy. It's hard.-

"Brain imaging studies show that their reactivity reflects a distinctive biological feature: a hyperresponsive amygdala, the brain center that assesses threats and governs the fear response. Unexpected events--from a blizzard to a pop quiz--set off the alarm system embedded in their naturally touchy amygdala, keeping them on the constant lookout for danger."

-I could say more on this...But right now, I'll just say, constant lookout for danger? Check!-

"[Michael Jawer] believes HSPs are unusually touchy to both emotional and tangible irritants--to mean-spirited comments as well as pollen or dander in the air. Behind it all, says [Judith] Orloff, is likely a hair-trigger flight-or-fight response."

-I do, in fact, have terrible summer allergies. I thought this was very interesting and made sense.-

"Internalized by a highly sensitive child, ridicule can snowball into depression. Likewise, a 'Nice job!' atop a book report might not seem like a game-changer, but to a sensitive child a little encouragement can have outsize effects, motivating a child to reproduce that behavior."

The article had more to say about how offhand comments, good or bad, can have tremendous effects. That part resonated very much with me as I remembered traumatizing moments from my life from a negative remark, as well as moments where I felt like I was on top of the world because I got positive remarks on my schoolwork.

What also resonated very much with me was the parts about how we're often told to just "toughen up." I was told that in so many ways by my family...Ugh. And I realize now that they just didn't know. But I still remember those moments and those feelings as sharply as if they happened earlier today. Those were formative years, and to this day, those very words still make me feel just awful inside.

Oh, and the part about other people's moods being contagious to me--yeah, very true, for both good and bad. That's why people like Elizabeth and Heidi--happy people--are the ones I usually make lasting friendships with.

One last interesting note on the subject before I head for bed... Stephen has decided that an HSP must be on the low end of the autism scale. I can't explain that because I can't explain autism well enough, but after listening to Stephen (who is a wealth of information on any topic), it makes sense. Although it's very weird to think of myself as, in a broad sense, almost autistic.

...LOL!! I just told Stephen about calling him a "wealth of information on any topic." I have NEVER seen him fall over glowing like that before! Wow! I guess that is a HUGE compliment to him. :) Note taken, darling. Note taken. :D

Gosh, I love that guy. :)

-Stephanie

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