What is an HSP
A recent viral video showed an elderly person in a wheelchair trying to cross a busy intersection. As they slowly creeped along using their feet to inch forward, a motorist stopped at the red light jumped out of his Jeep and quickly helped the wheel-chair bound individual safely across. Hilariously, the motorist was dressed in a Spider Man costume, making for a perfect heroic moment caught on camera.
In this instance, there was a physical need for safety and the mission was accomplished. Watching the video, I wondered: if this same elderly person was crying quietly on the street corner, would anyone have come to the “rescue”? Culturally, we are more comfortable doing than feeling, so offering physical help can be more instinctual than offering emotional comfort and care. But there are deep feelers among us….
Highly Sensitive Persons
Dr. Elaine Aron’s research identifies individuals she calls highly sensitive persons or HSPs, which make up twenty percent of humans. HSPs are biologically wired to be highly sensitive; they are born this way.
This wiring is a huge benefit in some ways. An HSP may be the first to smell smoke, or notice something tastes off in the leftovers, alerting themself and others to possible danger. HSPs are often the best listeners or friends who offer empathy.
However, generally in our culture, this type of sensitivity is scorned.
“Don’t feel, just do!”
This an overarching message can lead to shame for the sensitive among us. This can present a major conflict for HSPs. How does one cope with big emotions or other sensitivities if the world is telling you those traits aren’t welcome?
Life as an HSP
Dr. Aron’s research* offers identification and validation of HSPs experiences. She describes them using the acronym DOES:
Depth of processing: deeply introspective, needing time and space to process what they think and feel about situations and in making decisions
Overstimulation: prone to absorb whatever stimuli is in their environment, quick to feel upset, anxious, angry or emotionally overloaded, but positively, also quick to feel excitement, appreciation or love
Emotional reactivity: feeling deep and intense emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, vulnerable to emotional triggers and being hurt by others; positively HSPs’ emotional nature can foster empathy and closeness
Sensitive to subtleties: environmentally, HSPs are highly sensitive to sounds, temperature, strong smells or tastes. Stimuli that others may not notice will be sensed by HSPs
I believe another aspect of being a HSP is enhanced memory recall. Ordinary experiences can be more memorable for HSPs because they hold more sensory data.
This overview of HSPs hopefully sheds light on the reality of being an HSP - for HSPs and the people close to them. Understanding versus judging is critical for relationships with HSPs.
*This description was taken from Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God’s Great Empathy for You by Bill and Kristi Gautiere. Also see Highly Sensitive Persons: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Dr. Elaine Aron