Traits of a Highly Sensitive Person

I know for many people when they were growing up they were always taught that being over sensitive, too soft, or too “touchy” was such a bad thing. These same children grow up to be sensitive adults with daily struggles & battles; introversion, anxieties caused by various social situations, and known to be “overly emotional”. Highly Sensitive People (HSP’s) are known to observe things & situations quietly, they are known to trust other’s opinions to the point where they will ask for them, they are creative & innovative people, they’re motivated & inspired by such things as “the meaning of life”, are known to resolve things through listening & empathy, hold themselves to high ideals, they’re very good at brainstorming, and have a constant need to create things, design, or invent things. Introversion in itself is not considered to be a characteristic of high sensitivity; it is a component to the combination of many things.

Some of the traits of an HSP also fall under the category of someone with Sensory Integrative Disorder. Such traits include extra sensitive to smells/touch/sounds/tastes, an acute & severe reaction to pain, stronger reactions to medicines & side effects, and are known to have a slower immune system. Some of the difficulties that are faced by people with sensory & sensitivity issues are they focus more on others than their own needs, have troubles dealing with conflict, they’re known to be perfectionists, easily hurt & misunderstood, they need time with little to no stimulation, and always needs more sleep. When they get into situations that cause severe anxiety or too much going on around them, it is also known as being “overstimulated”; when this happens, the person will ‘check out’, they will detach.

Someone who is highly sensitive has a journey towards self-acceptance, but it must be acquired. They must learn to accept & love themselves just as they are… SENSITIVE. They must learn about sensitivity, what they’re specifically sensitive to, etc. They must also find the “gifts” within sensitivity; the strengths & weaknesses that come along with their sensitivities. One of the most important things they must do is to kill the “inner critic”; the voice that says they’re a failure, there’s something wrong with them, or that they MUST win/succeed in order to matter.