By: Dana V. Gimarangan
Are you always teased for skipping on those horror movie nights? Do you feel the sadness, anger, or pain of those around you as if they are yours?
Perhaps someone’s lack of sensitivity made you angry. Or you feel a strong need to protect and care for the innocent.
If you are nodding your head right now, you might be an HSP.
A Highly Sensitive Person or HSP is someone with a sensory processing sensitivity that affects 15-20% of the population. Doctor Elaine Aron explains this as D.O.E.S.
Depth of Processing
Overly Stimulated
Emotional Responsiveness
and Subtleties, Sensories or Stimuli
Someone with HSP has a deep internal dialogue and seeks meaning by processing the world around them. They are aware and empathic of others’ feelings, therefore, getting emotionally and physically drained in public settings.
Here are the 13 common traits of an HSP.
- You hate conflict and often avoid them.
- Minor disagreements feel like soul-crushing fights.
- You need at least one hour every day to recharge.
- You are perceptive of the people, animals, and environment around you.
- You feel anxious or shy in new settings or around new people.
- You dislike certain clothes or textures.
- You react or feel strongly towards criticism.
- You cannot stand gossip and small talk.
- Art and music make you happy.
- You are creative in finding new solutions.
- You form strong relationship bonds.
- You have low pain tolerance.
- You are extremely curious.
HSP is not a disorder. There is nothing wrong with you, nor does it make you superhuman. Like a gene, the HSP trait makes things louder to you compared to others. Thus, be careful of whom you let in your personal space.
Dysfunctional families, childhood trauma, and toxic relationships make life harder for people with HSP.
Causes of unhealed trauma
- A home where showing feelings is a weakness.
- A partner or relative with narcissism, untreated mental illness, addiction, or rigid religious/traditional rules.
- Living in poverty, abuse, gaslighting, loud neighbourhoods, and frequent drama.
- CPTSD
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Patrick Teahan shares recovery tips for the HSP with hidden childhood trauma.
- Work on your boundaries, self-care, and healing.
- Reclaim and reframe your identity. Journal the things that make you different and why they are helpful.
- Master your HSP traits. Improve how you cope with relationship intimacy, co-dependence, and hyper-vigilance.
- Seek professional help with a licensed mental health practitioner. Have a good support group.
With patience, understanding, inner work, and professional help, there is the hope of a peaceful and happy life for the HSP with past trauma.
Author’s Bio:
Food, writing, good music, and Shaman King keep Iloilo’s 8-year social media and digital marketing enthusiast Dana Villaprudente Gimarangan dynamic.
This 36-year-old depression survivor, intuitive and psychic, is a life student of Spirituality and Human Behaviour.
She is a proud Computer Engineer, Real Estate Broker, SME supervisor, Freelance Writer, and Lead Generation Specialist. Being in a committed, evolving and happy relationship with her 12-year boyfriend, Dana can indeed say May Forever.