HSPs and Instant Arousal-Stopping Medication
Posted by: HSP Woman on: April 29, 2007
People frequently ask me “What is a highly sensitive person (HSP)?”
This is an excellent question, and, considering the theme of this blog, one that deserves further discussion.
Here is a quiz from Dr. Elaine Aron’s web site identifying traits she believes represent HSPs. See how many statements are true or somewhat true for you.
Are You Highly Sensitive? A Self-Test
Copyright, Elaine N. Aron, 1996
• I am easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input.
• I seem to be aware of subtleties in my environment.
• Other people’s moods affect me.
• I tend to be very sensitive to pain.
• I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days, into bed or into a darkened room or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.
• I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
• I am easily overwhelmed by things like bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens close by.
• I have a rich, complex inner life.
• I am made uncomfortable by loud noises.
• I am deeply moved by the arts or music.
• My nervous system sometimes feels so frazzled that I just have to go off by myself.
• I am conscientious.
• I startle easily.
• I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time.
• When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment I tend to know what needs to be done to make it more comfortable (like changing the lighting or the seating).
• I am annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once.
• I try hard to avoid making mistakes or forgetting things.
• I make a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows.
• I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me.
• Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or mood.
• Changes in my life shake me up.
• I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art.
• I find it unpleasant to have a lot going on at once.
• I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations.
• I am bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes.
• When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise.
• When I was a child, my parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy.
How’d you score?
It is general knowledge that everyone, HSP or not, feels best when “optimally aroused” — like Goldilocks, not too hot or not too cold, not too stressed or not too bored.
The challenge is that HSPs notice a greater degree of “levels of stimulation” than most people, with most people being the 80% of the population who aren’t considered highly sensitive people. In her book, Dr. Aron writes about how researchers have observed “in all higher animals — mice, cats, dogs, horses, monkeys, and humans — that the percentage of a particular population that is very sensitive to stimulation is about the same, around 15-20 percent.” So, again, most of the population (80-85 percent) is not easily aroused and quickly over-stimulated whether you’re a mountain lion, a mule deer, or a Homo sapiens.
In other words, what is just moderately arousing for most people would be intensely arousing for HSPs. Something greatly arousing for 80 percent of the population can be so overwhelming for a highly sensitive person that he/she “shuts down,” or stops functioning for the duration of the stimulus (or stimuli).
People ask if arousal or stimulation is the same as fear. Dr. Aron does make the point that “fear can create arousal, but so does joy, curiosity, or anger. But we can also be over-aroused by semiconscious thoughts or low levels of excitement that create no obvious emotion.” Hmm… Interesting.
This leads me to another theory about the origin of my anxiety, panic, and agoraphobia. As I posted before, I have tried to compete with the best. Honestly, I tried to be the best at a very high cost to my well-being. Imagine me, a young and unaware HSP constantly on the go, running and winning and pushing myself at a pace probably manageable for 8 out of 10 of my friends. Unfortunately, it was a lifestyle with levels of stimulation certainly not manageable for me (being in that 15-20 percent of sensitive souls and all).
Somewhere along my development, I never learned to discern between novelty, excitement, joy, anger and one state of being or emotion: FEAR.
Whenever I felt over-aroused or over-stimulated — which was nearly always — I quickly learned to associated it with the need to be afraid, cautious, and distrustful.
Since sensory arousal made me ill, it seems logical I would want to avoid it at all costs. BUT I DIDN’T. I continued to burn the candle at both ends trying to fulfill an expectation of myself that did not resonate at all with my highly sensitive nature. It still amazes me that in college I planned to go to medical school up until the very day I had my first gynormous panic attack. (By the way, it’s been reported less than 10 percent of medical doctors in the United States are HSPs.)
Is it any wonder I developed panic attacks? I was in a constant state of over-stimulation. For the majority of my friends, crowded malls or jam-packed movie theaters were nothing but annoying. To my system, crowds seemed to threaten my very survival, hence the panic attacks. Flight or fight at its finest.
Finally, I get to the point of my post. One of the most thought-stimulating lines in Dr. Aron’s book is the title proceeding her bit about HSPs and medication.
She titled the section: “Instant Arousal-Stopping Medications.” She mentions the benzodiazepine’s amazing ability to stop arousal in its tracks.
This to me is very telling.
I was prescribed Xanax first. Then Klonopin was added two years later, more or less. Wow! I thought I was being given medication to stop the panic attacks. In actuality, I was being given drugs to stop the arousal: instant arousal-stopping medication. Why don’t pdocs stop calling benzodiazepines “anxiolytics” and start naming them truthfully as IASMs? “Here, little lady, why don’t you take this Rx for Instant Arousal-Stopping Medication”? Actually calling these drugs what they are could possible prevent another male from ever popping his first Xanax! What guy willingly wishes to stop his arousal instantly? 
More seriously, knowing what I do now about HSPs and arousal, not only was I stopping the fear (or trying to), I was also attenuating feelings of excitement, joy, anger, curiosity…. I wasn’t just stopping feeling panicky, I was potentially stopping FEELING, period. I really went about it the wrong way entirely. I wish I had worked on acknowledging my HSP nature by learning what works for me (like recharging with a quiet hike in the woods), and what absolutely doesn’t work for me (like aiming for a career that’s infamous for being over-stimulating).
So, tomorrow’s Day Three of my water taper as I titrate off of Valium. And, oh yes, I am feeling EVERYTHING as if for the first time. I am just not used to processing the gamut of daily human emotions! Even when I am excited about something, I still get the same physical reactions as I do when I panic. I’ll get a neat letter or phone call and I instantly have an IBS attack. I feel nauseated when regular stuff happens. It’s very strange yet freeing at the same time.
I dream of the day I am benzo free. I want to feel intense love, overwhelming joy, even a good bout of anger now and then. I don’t want to continue halting all arousal, because for an HSP, that’d be a whole lot of nothingness left.
I need to relearn how to trust my body, my mind, my ability to cope. And, I am, actually. I feel optimistic.
Look! I just wrote I FEEL OPTIMISTIC! And, I really do! I do feel it. It feels a bit awkward, and maybe I need to run to the bathroom, but, hey, I AM FEELING! Whoo!
41 Responses to "HSPs and Instant Arousal-Stopping Medication"
April 29, 2007 at 4:58 pm
No! AMA, that’s a GOOD thing! 
It’s great to be able to rule out one possibility for having been prescribed benzodiazepines. Unlike yourself, the “being considered shy” question: well, that’s the only question on the test I answered FALSE. I would never be called “shy” by anybody. But, this just adds another layer to the whole HSP thing. There are, according to Dr. Aron, HSPs that are extroverts, too. Only about 4.0% of the 15-20% of HSPs of a given population are HSP/extroverts. I happen to be in this 4.0%.
Regarding your high sensitivity to your surroundings and what people need without necessarily asking: you could be empathic, an intuitive. There are many empaths who are NOT HSP. What the literature terms an “unskilled empath” (one who isn’t aware of his/her gifts and thus doesn’t have strong energetic boundaries) would more likely be really hurt by others. Maybe this is your case? Hmm… It’s worth thinking about. Empathy is another very interesting topic especially when discussing mental health.
Then, again, maybe you’re in a completely different “category”! Everyone is unique, that’s why cookie-cutter therapy is just crap.
April 29, 2007 at 7:37 pm
how do unskilled empath learn their skill? i would very much like to become a bit stronger…
(i’m not shy either! far from it!)
April 30, 2007 at 3:00 am
I took the quiz and I scored 18 so I am and HSP. I kind of knew that. LOL Interesting read and thanks for sharing it with us.
Deb
http://cagedshadow.wordpress.com/
May 2, 2007 at 1:27 pm
This was a very interesting post. I can’t wait to read the HSP book, even though like you, I don’t believe in this “cookie cutter crap” either. I answered yes to 19 of the items, but some were definite no’s… No one ever saw me as a “shy child.” Sometimes I feel shy, but I don’t act it, which is even worse because then I put myself through a lot of things that a shy person would (wisely) avoid!
Anyway, good post, and I hope you’re still feeling optimistic!
May 2, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Dear AMA, Regarding the “unskilled empath” comment above from April 29th:
Top 7 Ways to Stop Picking Up Pain
By Rose Rosetree
(http://top7business.com/?expert=Rose-Rosetree)
One in 20 people was born as an empath. The good news is that when skilled, you can have clear, direct experience of what it is like to be other people. Until skilled, however, you’re likely to pick up other people’s pain. Every day of your life! Without trying! Pain will cling right to your aura, like static-ridden shirts from the dryer that give your body an unwelcome hug. Here are seven ways to get you started at
becoming a skilled empath.
1. Forget the clichés. Sure, you’ve heard advice like, “Tighten up your boundaries” and “Avoid toxic people.” Well, I’ve taken surveys, teaching in many parts of the U.S., plus two other continents. All empaths have tried this sage advice. And it works… for people who AREN’T empaths. Empaths need
to use techniques designed just for them.
2. Stop putting up walls. They don’t work. Most commonly, sensitive people try putting walls around their hearts. These walls become real structures on the level of auras. Some people are so good at walling themselves up, they can develop four or more walls, one behind another. But walls don’t
help an empath to keep out pain. What do walls really accomplish? They make it hard for people to find out what you are really like. Do you want your people to find you? Whether dates, customers, friends, they’ll find you faster if you stop putting up walls.
3. Recognize if you are an empath. This isn’t necessarily about having mushy, gushy feelings. I’ve identified many different gifts, including intellectual empathy, spiritual empathy, different forms of physical empathy. Know any hypochondriacs? They are probably unskilled empaths with “Physical Oneness.” Whatever your gift(s), until you learn skill as an empath, you’ll pick up the related kind of pain. Skill begins with appreciating that you are unusually good at connecting to people in a particular kind of way. Give yourself credit.
4. Use your consciousness to “know the difference.” Just as the famous Serenity Prayer is about having the wisdom to distinguish what you can and can’t change, empath’s empowerment begins by distinguishing what belongs to you and what doesn’t. You can definitely develop this skill. It
does take a bit of time to learn because consciousness is a very abstract level of life, not to be confused with intellectually understanding an idea. (Analogy: Experiencing God versus having an idea about God.) How much time does it take a typical empath to learn to use consciousness with
skill? We’re not talking years or months. It takes about as long as washing your car or coloring your hair.
5. Coming home. Once you wake up your consciousness, you’ll discover many different and fascinating aspects of yourself. You’ll also appreciate how often your consciousness shifts to take on the experience of other people. With practice at bringing your consciousness back to yourself, you’ll
gain the ability to choose when you connect with others as an empath.
6. Turn-on techniques. After you learn how to turn your empathic gift(s) OFF most of the time, you can safely begin to turn your empathy ON by choice. Dedicated techniques for doing this contain built-in protection from taking on the other person’s pain. Your service and insights are actually greater than if you don’t use those techniques. Imagine being jet propelled into the clear experience of otherness! I call it “The biggest fun you can have with your clothes on.” And it’s great
for service to others as well as gaining more wisdom for yourself.
7. Forget trying to just “Be Centered.” I’m not saying it’s impossible. But as a strategy to avoid pain, trying to center is counter-productive. Most attempts are frustrating. Or limiting. Or both. If you are an empath, you have many levels to your consciousness, e.g., awareness of the environment
in contrast to mindfulness. With skill, you can center yourself at any level you desire.
She has more information on her website. I bought the book written by her “Empowered by Empathy.” It has some helpful skills.
There is so much out there about empathy. I think it deserves looking into if you find your “intuition” more right than wrong, or if you pick up on others’ needs really well. It may help explain why some of us tend to be anxious, depressed, or moody. Sometimes the feelings just aren’t ours!
May 2, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Hi Moodblog,
I am starting to see yet another pattern here: The LACK of shyness we all seem to have. I wonder if this is common with people like us. Remember that about 4% of any given population is BOTH extroverted and HSP. I think this observation deserves more thought. You are so right when you point out that we tend to get ourselves into situations that no shy person would dream of. Very interesting…
May 2, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Yeah, by MBTI standards (have you ever taken that test?), I am an introvert because I have a rich inner life and I derive my energy primarily from within, rather than external sources. But, I am not “quiet”, for the most part, and I pursue leadership opportunities and that sort of thing. So it may be a question of defining introversion and extroversion. What do you think?
May 2, 2007 at 5:40 pm
thanks! the article is great. i love how it tells us to stop trying to pretend we are not the people we are and to tie ourselves down according to other people’s patterns of self-containment. i LOVE that. i’m learning so much from you, HSPwoman!
i don’t pick up other people’s moods. i have learned long ago to “come home.” what a lovely expression.
but i do suffer a great deal when other people wouldn’t. i know because i ask them. a short time ago a therapist i saw exactly once told me i was like “the hole of the donut.” how shocking! what a terribly negative thing to say to someone in pain! but there is a little bit of something to that (only a little bit). maybe i don’t pick up pain from other people, but i do pick up love from them. and when love is not clearly forthcoming, i feel forlorn. i certainly must become skilled in this respect!
May 3, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Moodblog,
I think you are ABSOLUTELY right about the need to distinguish between “shy” and “extrovert.” I’m totally like you. I have a history of pursuing “leadership” roles, but I, too, rejuvenate with alone time. This seems contradictory, no? I promise to investigate this further. It’s very interesting to me. Anyone care to chime in and give us your definitions of introversion and extroversion? Thanks, Moodblog!
May 3, 2007 at 2:45 pm
AMA,
I’m still trying to work my head around this “hole of the donut” observation… Very strange. I think we could reframe this to signify something positive to us, don’t you agree? Being the hole means being unique, standing alone for what you believe when everyone else is totally conforming. And, don’t you think the donut holes are the most delicious? I love eating donut holes more than the big ‘ol fattening, greasy, stale donut! So, the hole of the donut looks absent, but it actually gave birth to the wonderful delight of the little ball of tasty cake. Little things are often the most precious. They are mysterious except to those willing and patient enough to invest time getting to know them. Oh, I could go on! 
May 3, 2007 at 5:42 pm
They are mysterious except to those willing and patient enough to invest time getting to know them.
yes, thank you. actually, that really hurt. it was more than a year ago but i’m still smarting from it. strange how someone with an office and a “professional” position can get under our skin. i wish i hadn’t paid her. but then, you know, fuck it. she can have my one hundred bucks. i’m sure she’ll spend it well.
May 3, 2007 at 5:48 pm
AMA,
I’m so sorry that stupid doctor hurt you. I wish I could tell her off; I’m very protective of my friends that way.
I still have no idea what she was implying. Do you think she was being unkind on purpose? You are anything but what she said, in my opinion. You’re awesome!! (But I really do buy the donut holes rather than the actual donut!)
By the way, your avatar reminds me of my morning water taper!
May 3, 2007 at 5:50 pm
AMA,
Oh, and regarding “professionals” getting under your skin — I have meet very few who didn’t actually.
I remember one who was doing CBT and he wanted me to spin around in a chair and induce a panic attack. I told him no way! Then, he told me (and I quote), “You’re really starting to piss me off.”
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? I paid him, too. Jerk.
May 7, 2007 at 5:38 pm
YAY discussions about mental health! I am definitely not a HSP. I pretty much suffer from normal depression. Sleeping a lot….getting sad over terribly stupid little things when I’m in the wrong mood…most of all, the one that affects me as a student the most…shutting down when things seem overwhelming. But I’m cool with loud noises and lots of stimulation and I like doing many things at once – in fact it’s hard for me to focus on just one thing at a time. And caffeine barely affects me. It’s 8:30 at night, and I’m drinking some right now, and I’ll still fall asleep just fine in a few hours.
I can certainly empathize with the mental health professionals discussion. A year or two ago I needed to find a new doctor because my lovely school’s psychologists were “short-term only” and I had maxed out my visits. The first person I saw was this little 80 year old grandmotherly woman. In my first visit, I told her a bit about who I was (including the overachieving aspects of what I do) and she told me she couldn’t see what I’d have to be sad about, my life seemed pretty good. I was like, uh….thanks. Really. And then because I can be shy, I had someone else call to cancel my next appointment with her, and never went back.
But, I found the best doctor after that. I’ve been seeing her for over a year, and she is great. She has her off days, like everyone does, but she’s understanding and she never belittles me and I’ve really benefited from my meetings with her. So, I’m here to say…keep trying. Don’t be afraid to make an appointment to meet someone new until you find someone you actually like. It makes SUCH a difference to actually LIKE your visits with the psych doctor.
So, yeah, I just came over to visit your page and say hi to HSP Woman, thanks for visiting mine! You do seem to have many things in common with me…I bookmarked your page too. Let me know what you think of the Pinker book!
May 7, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Oh yeah, and when, as a senior undergrad, I saw someone in the school’s psych services for the last time, the man had the gall to tell me that given what I said (in my ten minute here’s why I need a refill for the prozac prescription discussion), maybe I shouldn’t go to grad school. Thanks, JERK. Because these issues would never, ever bother me in other aspects of the real world, so it makes sense to just give up now…. ugh.
May 7, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I think I figured out why it didn’t link to my blog….in the profile section you can put “webpage” so I had to manually put my blog’s URL in there. Kind of weird that it doesn’t just automatically link to your blog unless you change the webpage to something else….
May 7, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Good thing is, now it works! I hope everyone checks out your awesome blog! 
May 7, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Oh, and what a terrible thing to say to you. The world would have been deprived of a very significant female scientist. We women need more women out there researching on our behalf. Maybe not directly, but you’re still out there representing! What area of science are you in? Are you working in a lab as you get your PhD?
I’m so glad you didn’t listen to that jerk.
May 7, 2007 at 9:03 pm
I know, I can’t believe he said that! Since my new blog is my first anonymous one, I’m still deciding how much to share…but I think it’s safe to say I’m in an engineering field. Which is pretty cool from the feminist perspective….we need more women engineers, and now I get to reach out to the younger girls and mentor and encourage them to go into engineering!
June 29, 2007 at 11:31 am
I answered yes to 20 of the questions. But I was not always so sensitive. I think the psych meds stripped me and left me HS–though I certainly always had some of the traits. Certainly some of the traits are something to be proud of. Other’s are simply a downright nuisance!
Very interesting post!
June 29, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Hi there, Gianna
I was less “highly sensitive,” too, before the dozens of psychotropic meds. Interesting, no? I have never been considered “shy.” And, as a child, I had no fear or shame.
Now… well, I am definitely a HSP, but I’m proud of it! According to Elaine Aron, we HSPs are the “priestly advisors” rather than the “warriors.” Again, only 2 of 10 people are HSPs. So, Gianna, you are very rare indeed!
But, regardless of HSP or not, I found it so empowering to see my “mental illness” from a different perspective. I had been told I was defective for too long.
Like yourself, I am 100% committed to finding alternative explanations and “remedies” for my mental well being.
Dr. Aron’s work is just another wonderful possibility! The more I become aware of my HSP-ness, the less anxiety and depression I experience. It’s really a great find in my case.
I hope it may help someone else, too.
Thanks for your comment!
June 29, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Gianna,
One more point. I couldn’t have gained so much from my HSP-ness through Elaine Aron’s book alone. It was my Life Coach, Jenna Avery, who I owe most of my progress to. It was she who has guided me throughout the last two years of major transition. Our weekly or bi-monthly phone sessions have done more for me than 18 years of traditional therapy and psychiatrists. And, interestingly, Jenna and I have not really delved into the panic disorder per se. We talk about how my highly sensitive nature can work for me instead of me fighting it as I had (which I believe was the root of my panic and depression).
Jenna is a wonderful, caring, intelligent life coach. I highly recommend her to anyone who is feels he or she is a HSP and who hasn’t been helped by the medical model of mental illness.
A link to her web site is on my sidebar if anyone desires to give her a call. Really, I get nothing from recommending her! I just know how much she helped me change my life for the better.
Here’s a link to her site:
http://www.highlysensitivesouls.com/index.htm
June 30, 2007 at 9:00 am
Thank you HSP. I need to learn to live with my limitations. I’m about to post about how I failed to do that last night. I am not content with my sensitivities.
I do have a good therapist who does not buy into the medical model and who I believe is helping me appreciate myself, but I have a way to go. I like the idea of making my sensitivities work for me. I haven’t figured out how to do that and last night I downright abused myself in order to just say, f&^k the sensitivities.
I’m hurting today as a result of my actions last night. I’d love to correspond with you about how to make them work for us. (I’m not in the habit of being self-destructive–not at all–last night was an isolated incident)
Let me know if you’re interested in a email exchange.
giannakali (at) gmail (dot) com
July 1, 2007 at 5:30 am
Hi HSP…
We’ve had quite a discussion on my blog about my stupid night out. One of the commenters left a note about the HSP book. I let them know about you. If you want to follow the comment thread and add your two cents go for it.
http://bipolarblast.blogspot.com/2007/06/farewell-to-my-friend.html
It’s clear we’re not alone as all the readers there have been on psych meds as well.
You seem to have much more equanimity in accepting the sensitivities. I hope you rub off on me. I’ve purchased the HSP book now.
July 1, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Hola, Gianna
I truly believe sensitivities (being a HSP — a highly sensitive person) is/are not limitation(s). I used to think I was defective because of my nature, that’s for damn sure. And, wanting to please everyone like I was raised, I really tried to believe it when the doctors/pdocs said I need antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, tranquilizers, antidepressants, etc…
Just because your system is highly reactive to alcohol and staying up late, that doesn’t mean at all that you have “limitations.” Rather, you have certain self-care needs that others may not have.
Being receptive to the emotions of everyone around you can be draining. Being able to comfort someone who’s in pain can be draining. Being sensitive to sensory stimulation can be just plain exhausting!
I would recommend seeing your needs as needs, not limitations. Look at the amazing things you have to offer as a HSP! You are amazingly creative and intelligent; I can see it in your blog.
The greatest self-love you could have given yourself was to decide not to swallow the meds any longer to hide your sensitive nature. Again, if you really were helped by the meds, I’d say don’t stop them. But, like me, you didn’t tolerate them well. (Yet another trait of HSPs.)
I’d very much like to exchange emails with you. I don’t write very often (I am sooo tired all the time), but I’d still like to share ideas and support with you.
Again, regarding the HSP book, it’s a good start but there are others that are equally as good. I am glad you have an “outside the box” therapist. That’s always good.
July 2, 2007 at 6:34 am
Of course her [my therapist's] method had me exhausted, but she sure as heck changed my energy so that I could focus.
You are a great inspiration for me to work on accepting myself. If you write to me I can tell you what I do to minimize symptoms of over exhaustion and stimulation. It does sound like you are more delicate than me.
Some people find supplements a problem, but with careful application, I know they have really helped me. Maybe you already are supporting your system with diet and nutrition. (I stick to a religious diet)
In any case when you have the energy to write shoot me a note. We can then compare notes. I appreciate so much the comments you’ve left on my blog.
I would love to get additional book recommendations from you too.
be well…you will be permanent fixture in my thoughts now!
July 5, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I checked it out. Very nice, very nice… You’ve got a good one there, Gianna.
What diet do you follow? I’m sure it’s very healthy; could you share it with me?
December 16, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Within the past few months I discovered I was a HSP. I bought Elaine’s book. Oddly enough, I felt almost mentally invaded by the author as I would read something & think or feel “how could she know THAT about me?” Has she been looking into my head without me knowing? (I jokingly think) Is she psychic?
No, of course not. Elaine Aaron is a HSP herself I believe and has just done a lot of good research and writing.
I passed the book to someone I suspected was a HSP as well and they were overwhelmed with a similar sense of relief as they read it.
Being Highly Sensitive does NOT mean you cry at the sight of flowers or every chick-flick. I had seen the title in book stores for years and always misinterpreted it. As others have written (& Elaine is the real source), high sensitivity is just THAT. A little sensory input = a BIG internal “output”.
I must admit that this sensitivity can be HIGHLY advantageous to your own survival in the game of life as well as being able to give usually EXTREMELY insightful advice to friends, helping them in their own game. I dare say, for some of us, it either is a big part of our psychic abilities or it gives us the APPEARANCE of being psychic.
And good music is REALLY good.
Like a greek tragedy, the HSP trait has its downside. Last night I was in a nearly empty restaurant but the fast-paced pop music playing in the background (thankfully not loudly) and the group of young, collegiate, extroverted girls conversing (every other word being “like”)at the table beside me was enough to raise my arousal level to “overwhelmed”. Fortunately the lights were dim.
Dealing with crazy traffic in places like Italy, Bangkok, etc. can make me feel like I’m engaged in mortal combat or, at least after words, like I’ve ran a marathon.
All the subconscious stress goes right to the muscles in my back (so my theory goes). I have Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome, in other words, muscle knots…trigger points.
Well, I’m HSP and dealing with the gift. Some times I would trade it for being like the 80%, but I rather like myself the way I am. Elaine’s book helps a lot.
January 3, 2009 at 1:38 am
Wow, Beavis, your comment says it all. Beautifully constructed.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Being HSP really IS a gift.
Happy New Year!
February 24, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Excellent insight here HSP! Thanks – I’m going to send this link to my daughter who is HSP.
God bless!
October 20, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Hi everyone,
I did the test and answered “yes” to 24 questions. So I guess I’m officially an HSP, which I suspected.
Unfortunately, I also suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, which doesn’t really help. The mixture of these two means that overwhelming and overstimulating situations are not only exhausting but anxiety-inducing (which, HSP woman, you may probably understand since I read that you also have had panic attacks).
I always just thought there was something wrong with me, and my panic and anxiety disorder reached a point where I was struggling with daily life. Now I am seeing a professional who is guiding me through CBT techniques to pin-point my unhelpful anxiety-inducing thought patterns in order to change them. The CBT is actually working really well! It is still, however, a very hard process to have to tackle such negative thought patterns. Sometimes I wish I could just pop a pill to help with the thoughts instead of having to struggle so much with fixing them.
I love being an HSP because I am a very creative and intellectual person, and being sensitive in nature just enhances these fields of thought. However, it gets difficult when you’re unable to do the things you’d like to do because of the highly-sensitive nature, or when faced with those feelings of panic from overstimulation.
Do you think that anxiety disorder is enhanced by being highly sensitive?
Also, I am a mix of introverted and extroverted (I am quite inner-focused yet really like people).
Thanks for your interesting post.
October 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm
p.s. even the THOUGHT of an overstimulating situation makes me overstimulated!! :O
October 7, 2010 at 10:34 am
Hey. I am a highly sensitive person no doubt. I am diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I went through klonopin addiction and withdrawl myself. Has not even been a year. Every day is a mountain of a struggle to make it through, I feel everything, like knives piercing through me. See how it goes
November 13, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Hi Paul, How are you feeling these days? Benzo withdrawal was the MOST horrible medication withdrawal for me, so I *hear* you loud and clear {{{hugs}}}
It’s interesting that you’re HSP and BPD. If you really look at the diagnostic criteria for BPD, it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to be an HSP and BPD, by definition. I wonder truly, and I am not a doctor, if your Dx is accurate. I, too, was Dx’d with BPD by two pdocs, but ten others said “No way.” Funny. I wonder how I “presented” differently to the two who said I was borderline.
Today, I am convinced I am not borderline. BUT, there is NO doubt I am an HSP. I have to be SO careful not to allow the mental health professionals to pigeonhole me, especially on days when my HSP is what I call “acting up.”
What I mean by that is some days I am too tired, over stressed, hungry, anxious, etc… you know, days when I didn’t practice good self-care (SO important for us HSPs), and I get a little OCD-like.
If that’s the day I see my therapist, suddenly my ruminations, etc get me an OCD Dx slapped on my record.
HSP traits gone wild lead to misdiagnoses. I will be convinced of this to my dying day. I’ve seen it first hand with myself, and I have heard countless stories here on this blog alone!
But, back to your klonopin withdrawal… Do you mind sharing why you stopped? Or perhaps why you were taking it in the first place? Did it stop helping or did it never help? These questions are interesting to me as they apply to me.
Today, three years after writing this post, I am back on Klonopin and doing better than ever before in my life. BUT, take note, I am not taking the Xanax and any antidepressant on top of it like I did for two decades. Something is different this time. I am functioning better than I ever have in my adult life.
I was never 100% against benzos. I was always against cold-turkey stopping them. And 99% against most of the scripts handed out bearing their name.
But, in some cases, I now believe that they can help. In SOME cases. Funny, how time and personal experience changes one’s opinion.
I wish you the best in your healing journey. Thank you so much for stopping by.
November 10, 2010 at 12:41 pm
This is great! I answered “yes” 24 times on the quiz. I am definitely a HSP. I thought of going on medication. Now after reading your article I have second thoughts. Very helpful information. I feel emotions stronger than most people & things bother me that wouldn’t bother everyone. I feel misunderstood at times. That’s why I considered medication.
November 13, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Hi Lady in Green
SO nice to see you here! Twenty-four is a great score! It’s tough to be so “sensitive” to things (seems like everything, doesn’t it?!), when other people are just “eh, whatever…..”
I really loved Elaine Aron’s books, as well as her web site. I do hope you can check out some of her articles on her web site. VERY helpful to me. Then, even on Facebook there is a group of us HSPs who gather. We are everywhere! Watch out world!
I am surprised you feel misunderstood only “sometimes.” Ha! I kid with you. Seriously though, I feel misunderstood MOST of the time. But, I now know that I am just wired differently from MOST people and that is just fine. I feel kind of special. Kind of like I was blessed with this gift of intense intuition, compassion, and ability to understand very subtle changes in peoples’ moods.
I make a heck of a great nurse when a family member needs healing. I am right there. When the rest of the family runs or is “busy” I am there.
I am there to honor the people and animals and little beautiful flowers I see on my daily walks… Small wonders that go unnoticed by 99% of the world.
I SEE it, and I feel SO privileged in a way. Like I was given special glasses by the universe.
To me now, I just know what my senses, my body, can and cannot take. I just can’t do crowds or long trips or too much stimulation for too long. I need lots of “alone time.” I need sleep, and sunshine, and deep breaths.
I am so thrilled you have seen another perspective to your being-ness. Medication can help, too. I have changed my anti-medication stance in most all cases position since writing this post three years ago. But, please do not take medication because you are an HSP.
Try to tease the HSP factor out of any genuine mental health issue you may or may not have. DON’T let ignorant doctors ignore your sensitivities and label you X, Y, or Z.
HSP is not a “problem” that needs a “cure.”
We are the most fortunate beings, in my humble opinion.
I am so glad you found me!
December 4, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Hello all! Okay- i scored 24, i think I’m definately in the club. I have a question to anyone who is an HSP WITH KIDS. I just heard of this for the 1st time TONIGHT, and I was doing some other research and one of the things I read was “how great HSP’s are supposed to be with children.” I really struggle with being a stay-at-home mom sometimes. I have a REALLY active 2 year old and I find myself losing my patience w/him all the time because he’s SO loud and rambunctious and demanding. Of course I am REALLY sensitive to his chaos no matter how patient I try to be, then I feel guilty for being short w/him or yelling for him to be quiet! I can’t wait for the hubs to get home (fresh legs in the game so I can go bury my head in the pillows! I feel bad that I want to get away from him because he’s SO LOUD. I’m sure he’ll grow out of it (if God really loves me) Can anyone relate to this? I really need some sound advice. I really want to be a great mom to this little guy. I know this HSP thing is totally me. I have always felt like something was “wrong” with me. Like I was speaking a different language or something. I don’t consider myself to be shy either. The thing is, when I AM talking to someone, I’m constantly checking out their body language, tone of voice… Anyone else?
December 6, 2010 at 7:28 am
yep. same here. very sensitive. also to caffeine and alc. still unable to feel any emotions and its been 1.5 years…
Comments are closed.
Join the Discussion
 | HSP Woman on End of an Era |
 | sarah on End of an Era |
| HSP Woman on Alopecia Areata: Ophiasis… |
| HSP Woman on Alopecia Areata: Ophiasis… |
| HSP Woman on Alopecia Areata: Ophiasis… |
April 29, 2007 at 3:17 pm
i scored low on your test. i’m officially not a highly sensitive person!
there are some things there that are startingly “me” (awareness of my environment, of other people, and of other people’s needs), but loud noises bother me the normal way, i think. i do avoid loud bars, but under duresse i will let my ribcage be pounded by loud base lines and feel uncomfortable but all right.
i do get hurt terribly easily, though.