While I found this book to be informative overall, I think it also struggled in differentiating between sensitive people and empaths (at times) and since EVERYONE seems to classify themselves as an empath these days, I think this was a missed opportunity to draw a clear distinction between the two. I wanted to leave this read feeling empowered and knowing whether I could identify aspects of my sensitive nature to harness or reel in, but I think this book just tends to point to sensitives as feeling and thinking too much ALWAYS, and if that's the case, I'm not sure where I land. Kaufman, Scott Barry (May 4, 2015). "Shades of Sensitivity". Scientific American. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Kaufman explains Smolewska et al. (2006). This book by James Williams seeks to help adults understand the world from a highly sensitive child’s perspective. It aims to help HSP children grow and thrive despite their difficulties. Understanding the Highly Sensitive Child also provides readers with clear and concise guides which makes information easily digestible.

From "The Clinical Implications of Jung's Concept of Sensitiveness" (2006): (re autism) HSPs are very aware of social and emotional cues and relate well socially once familiarity is achieved. Overstimulation is a sensitive’s bête noire. I’m wondering if I qualify. I do react strongly to caffeine and alcohol, so I rarely drink either. I’m often cold. Some noises make me lose my mind. I swear at motorcyclists whom I suspect have modified their exhaust pipes to amplify their revs and I harbour dark fantasies about the feral dogs my neighbours keep in the yard and who bark through the night. But perhaps I react strongly to caffeine and alcohol because I don’t drink them much. For the other example, I could be responding as much to perceived selfishness as noise itself. Plus, it is often cold. HSP? TBC. Per Boterberg et al. (2016), a "theoretical redefinition" by E. Aron, Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person (2010): "DOES" acronym: Depth of processing, Overstimulation, Emotional intensity, Sensory sensitivity. 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). p.188 – A Toolkit to Lessen Overstimulation – The key to dealing with overstimulation both chronic and occasional, is to create a lifestyle that works for your sensitivity, not against it. First, you need to reliable ways to activate the Soothe system and end the overstimulation in the moment. Then, you need realistic methods to build a long-term lifestyle that nourishes your sensitive nature.If you answered more than fourteen of the questions as true of yourself, you are probably highly sensitive. But no psychological test is so accurate that an individual should base his or her life on it. We psychologists try to develop good questions, then decide on the cut off based on the average response. a b "The Highly Sensitive Person In Love with Elaine Aron". WebMD Live Events Transcript. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Transcript published October 2007 or before. Elaine Aron has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and a thriving psychotherapy practice. She is the first therapist to tell HSPs how to identify their trait and make the most of it in everyday situations. An HSP herself, Aron reassures others that they are quite normal. Their trait is not a flaw or a syndrome, nor is it a reason to brag. It is an asset they can learn to use and protect. p.136 – The Foundation of Human Progress – As powerful as empathy is, it does more then drive human morality. In many ways, it’s also key to human achievement. That’s because innovation is mostly a group activity – it requires the exchange of ideas, and empathy is the lubricant for that exchange.

PDF / EPUB File Name: The_Highly_Sensitive_Person_-_Elaine_Aron.pdf, The_Highly_Sensitive_Person_-_Elaine_Aron.epub Make Time to Laugh and Play – Sing along with the car radio, go on a bike ride with no destination in mind. This focus on play and the willingness to engage in it in called the play ethic. It’s about embracing your inner child and making time for fun. […] You can’t laugh at something funny and feel overwhelmed at the same time. Licht, Cecile L.; Mortensen, Erik L.; Knudsen, Gitte M. (2011). "Association between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and the 5-HTTLPR Short/Short Genotype" (PDF). Center for integrated molecular brain imaging. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2012. ● Licht, C., Mortensen, E. L., & Knudsen, G. M. (2011). "Association between sensory processing sensitivity and the serotonin transporter polymorphism 5-HTTLPR short/short genotype." Biological Psychiatry, 69, supplement for Society of Biological Psychiatry Convention and Annual Meeting, abstract 510. p.184 – Soothe switches on naturally when there is no threat to defend against and no goal to chase. Others have called it the “rest and digest” system, because once in Soothe mode, we feel calm, content, and comforted. […] Soothe allows us to relax, slow down, and enjoy what we’re doing in the present moment. You might use Soothe when you savor your morning coffee, get a massage, or mindfully appreciate the fresh blossoms in your garden. […] When you feel safe, happy, secure, cared for, and calm, you’ve entered Soothe mode. […] Learning to activate it regularly is a game-changer for sensitive people.I love learning, and here I realised there are so much to this concept. Things I knew but was not made concrete until now. A sensitivity to light, sound, smell just to name a few. I suppose most interestingly to me was the susceptibility to cold. This rang so true for me. As did those prior sensitivities. I am unfortunately well able to a high level of discomfort when working with people who don't have clean clothing or who possibly are not very hygienic. Sometimes this is honestly hard to tolerate, and knowing I'm not abnormal is helpful. Thoroughly disappointed. As I identify as an introvert, I have become increasingly suspicious that I might be high sensitive (or a HSP) as well. Boterberg et al. (2016) describe high SPS as a "temperamental or personality trait which is present in some individuals and reflects an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system and a deeper cognitive processing of physical, social and emotional stimuli." [2] p.204 – Give It Time – Remember, overstimulation is your brain doing what it does best: going deep. In these moments, do what you can to draw on your tools, and be kind to yourself if the results aren’t perfect. This too shall pass.

A human with a particularly high measure of SPS is considered to have "hypersensitivity", or be a highly sensitive person ( HSP). [2] [3] The terms SPS and HSP were coined in the mid-1990s by psychologists Elaine Aron and her husband Arthur Aron, who developed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) questionnaire by which SPS is measured. [3] Other researchers have applied various other terms to denote this responsiveness to stimuli that is seen in humans and other species. [4]p.150 – Depth of Processing – Sensitive people don’t just take in more information; they do more with it. Is it possible you just have feelings, and loud noises… are annoying?” I reply. (Maybe I’m less empathic than I think.)

Aron, Elaine N., Ph.D, "Understanding the Highly Sensitivity Person: Sensitive, Introverted, or Both? | Extraverted HSPs face unique challenges" ( Archived April 19, 2013, at archive.today) Psychology Today, July 21, 2011. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking was much better. If I hadn't read Quiet before reading this book, I may have given it 2 or 3 stars instead. There were a few helpful discussions of sensitivity and the differences between sensitive and non-sensitive people, but overall.. just.. ugh.This book contains a little too much psychobabble for my taste (too much talk about parenting your inner infant and other wonderful stuff like that - without all of that I would have given it five stars) but I am glad I read it because I finally understand why I am so weird. Now I know why I can be such an introvert even though I love being around people, why I can't handle people playing with my hair, why I can't remember people's names when I meet them for the first time, why I have such a low tolerance for alcohol, caffeine, and most medications, why I can't stand wearing wool scarves, why I startle so easily.....and many more traits that I thought were just part of my personality - mental quirks that I've developed over the years. Now I know that all of my weirdness is genetic and I'm pretty sure I lovingly passed it onto my oldest child. In the workplace, HSPs are often the highest performers, yet the first to burn out. They can struggle in relationships, as they lean towards people-pleasing. “When you notice all the little hurts that happen with other people, how can you not?” points out Granneman. But the story is not a pessimistic one, she insists. The ability to connect is of huge value and higher sensitivity is linked with creativity, brilliance and higher IQ. The trait is shared by pioneers across science, business and the arts – anyone who notices details others don’t, makes connections they can’t. “I knew an HSP painter who saw 20 different shades of blue on a wall where others saw just one,” she says.