Highly Sensitive - Blog Posts

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Defining The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

For as long as I can remember, I have felt hyper sensitive not only to the behavior and emotions of other’s but to physical pain and the environment as well. I have always felt too much and often experienced a sense of overwhelm without even knowing where it came from at times. I have experienced the bitter sweetness that so many HSP’S know all too well. Like many HSP’S, I have often felt extremely misunderstood and have experienced difficulty fitting in with society. On the same note, I have witnessed this high level of sensitivity to be one of my greatest attributes. Being highly sensitive has been an absolute blessing in my work in the healing arts in fields such as hospice and massage therapy. The HSP trait has also been an invaluable asset as it has been linked to experiencing a range of emotions, deeply empathizing with others, and facilitating creative expression. If you or someone you know can relate to these traits, you are certainly not alone and may very well be a highly sensitive person.In this post, I would like to briefly note a number of variations describing the highly sensitive person. 

The HSP Defined

Although there are various types of Highly Sensitive people, the following descriptions are examples of ways HSP’s have been described in general:

 Dr Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D, author of The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, in an article titled What Does It Mean To Be Highly Sensitive? describes the HSP demeanor as a particular trait found in one’s personality. She defines an HSP as a person who responds to mental, physical, and emotional stimulation acutely. She explains that being a highly sensitive person is normal and about 15-20% of the population with a particular gene are considered to be a highly sensitive person. There has also been evidence based research in the field of psychology suggesting the HSP trait is, indeed, a real trait some people truly acquire. This personality trait is called SPS(Sensory Processing Sensitivity), indicating that the HSP actually has neural differences from most of the population. 

In the previously mentioned article, Dr Aron goes on to mention that the HSP has pros and cons. Some of the positive traits included involve traits such as empathy, intuition, being highly attuned to another’s needs, and creativity. Infact, many HSP’s have careers in fields such as therapy, counseling, writing, artistry, and music. Some negative aspects of being an HSP include being easily overwhelmed, tiring easily, and are very sensitive to other’s emotions. She explains more about the scientific research regarding the HSP on her website. 

Another author known for her work in this field is Dr Judith Orloff MD. She has written many books and articles geared to the highly sensitive person and I have personally enjoyed reading her work. In Psychology Today, she mentions that highly sensitive people have a low tolerance for stimulation and a preference for spending time alone. She also mentions the HSP having a sensitivity to sound, light, and smell as well as experiencing a sensitivity to large crowds. Although HSP’s can be extroverts, she mentions that most HSP’s tend to be introverts.    

In this post, I briefly described my experience as an HSP as well as several descriptions of the HSP by experts in the field of Psychology. Since this blog is dedicated to supporting and connecting with other HSP’s or anyone interested in the topic, I intend to create more informative posts as I continue my journey. I believe there is an abundance of knowledge we can all learn from eachother on this journey from surviving to thriving as highly sensitive people. 

With love,

Dahlia

Welcome To My First Blog

Hi I'm Dahlia and welcome to my first blog ever! This blog is about the HSP (Highly sensitive person). For as long as I can remember, I have been a highly sensitive person. I have always been highly sensitive to people, energies, emotions, and various other stimuli. For many years, I struggled with my sensitive nature and after experiencing many difficult life circumstances , I have been on the path to self discovery and healing. During a healing session I had many years ago, a practitioner mentioned that I was a highly sensitive person and suggested a number of resources to help me along the way. After the healing session, I became curious about the HSP topic and began my journey from surviving to thriving as a highly sensitive person. I have grown and learned alot over the years, but after the recent sudden loss of my partner ( he was my best friend and love of my life), my sensitivity has been effected in ways I can't even explain (perhaps in another post). The experience of his loss has been excrutiatingly painful and when he died, I felt like I died too. This experience has propelled me to a whole new level of healing. After a mentor recently suggested I start a blog, I chose to write about the highly sensitive person. At first, I was reluctant to create a blog. I tend to be shy and introverted and had never posted on social media before. Because I felt driven and inspired, I decided to no longer let my ego run the show and decided to create this blog with a sense of purpose. Although I don't have it all mapped out yet, this blog is intended to serve many purposes. Some purposes of this blog include:

To provide information, tools, and resources about the HSP

To be of service or support other HSP's in some way

To connect with other HSPs and like minded people

To learn more about the HSP

To evolve as a writer and learn how to blog

This post is a brief introductory to this blog. In the next post, I will describe what an HSP actually is in more detail. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Feel free to comment or request any topics for this blog and again, welcome to the blog!

With love,

Dahlia