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HSP's--Highly Sensitive Persons

Sunny Ghost

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I thought that at first, but it doesn't hold when you look into it a bit further. There are plenty of insensitive introverts and 30% of HSPs are extroverts.
i think i misread that part about the extroverts... i thought it was just listing the opposite extreme...

Actually, this brings to mind the studies showing that introverts are actually chemically wired to be more sensitive to stimuli, leading them to desire isolation and calm (and get overwhelmed by people) more often than people who are less sensitive (extroverts).

So this is mostly just giving a new name to introversion :shrug:
haha. seems that way... though i agree with salome... many are and many aren't. but much less common in extroverted types, i'm positive.

I relate strongly to the descriptions of HSP. Strangely enough, it's the emotional sensitivity I relate the least to. At least, I tend to see things like movies as overly fake and can maintain a pretty strong disassociation to violent images. Really, beyond music I dont emotionally connect with art very easily. However, I feel like my senses are very raw. I cannot tolerate loud noises, bright or quickly flashing lights, bad tastes and smells, or uncomfortable textures. It has always seemed to me that my threshold for sensory stimuli has been far lower than a fair number of people around me. Of course I have a few friends that know exactly where I'm coming from.

I'd think it's far from a disorder (actually, I don't think I ever read anything that implied as much) but I don't think it's unreasonable to think peope have different sensitivity levels to different things. I mean, I get adrenaline rushes in crowded rooms, but some people jump off of cliffs to get the same thing.
yeah, i related on many aspects... i have a strong hatred towards overhead lights... too bright. and i hate rooms that are distasteful, hideous or disorganized. i'll get a strong need to do something about it. (but i always related this with being an ISFP or enneagram 4...)

and also, classrooms always made me anxious due to the setting and amount of people i'm unfamiliar with. sometimes i can become incredibly anxious in restaurants that seem too busy, and will opt to face a wall.

i've given up my coffee addiction because i blamed it for my high arousal levels and anxiousness. kicking the habit did help a bit, but not completely.

i've been known to shut people out when i feel as though i've embarrassed myself... such as the example in the beginning of the article displayed.

i hate being uncomfortable, be it seating, clothing, or hunger. i'm always trying to optimize my comfort level. many friends would label me demanding because of this strong desire.

and i get embarrassed to watch movies with people sometimes because i do become very emotionally involved. same with music. i love music that stimulates me emotionally or makes my hair stand. i love dramas or epic adventures because of the intensity. so i'm equally drawn to this stimuli.
 

CuriousFeeling

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Scored 18 on the self-assessment... but I don't think being sensitive is a disorder. I think of it as living life by seeing, smelling, feeling, and hearing the world in vibrant colors.
 

Red Herring

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18 on this one. I just did a more detailed one that allowed nuanced answers (unfortunately it's in German, sorry) and scored 226 out of a possible 300 where HS started at 163...

They do want to sell their book, as do most websites that offer tests and the concept is a bit fuzzy, but it does explain a lot.... in retrospect. I was always torn between feeling like an alien and assuming everytbody was like this.

I prefer to think of it as easily overstimulated (mostly mentally, that includes also emotionally - it's related - and somewhat physically) rather than highly sensitive since that sounds likes it's limited to emotional overcharge only and has an emo ring to it.:steam:
 

Red Herring

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I partially attribute it to being a 5w4...hard to tell cause and effect! :newwink:
 

IZthe411

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I got 5. I was on the fence with some, but nowhere enough to get to 12.

The statement made that even if 1 or 2 were very true lends itself to you being HSP is a crock as well. Everyone's highly sensitive to something. They trying to push a drug with this?
 

IZthe411

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Hahahaha 5. i get MAD if i'm hungry for too long.


That was my one that was very very true. I cannot focus with extreme hunger. Sometimes I'm so hungry I don't have the strength or desire to cook. LOL
 

InvisibleJim

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I view HSP as a highly unnecessary over categorisation of a non-issue. Do we label fat people 'Highly Hungry Persons' or do we label thin people 'Highly Metabolising Persons'?
 

wolfy

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I didn't score that high, about seven I think. I don't know how much it is to do with Fi, but then I didn't measure that high in Fi in that cognitive test today.
 

Salomé

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I view HSP as a highly unnecessary over categorisation of a non-issue.

Just because it's a non-issue for you, doesn't make it a non-issue per se. And if it is such a non-issue, I wonder why you'd bother to post about it? Other than to be controversial, which seems to be your main reason for posting anything.
 

digesthisickness

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I view HSP as a highly unnecessary over categorisation of a non-issue. Do we label fat people 'Highly Hungry Persons' or do we label thin people 'Highly Metabolising Persons'?

how would you fill in this blank?

fat is to 'highly hungry person' as ___________ is to 'highly sensitive person'.
 

Tiltyred

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It's really not the same thing at all.
 

InvisibleJim

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how would you fill in this blank?

fat is to 'highly hungry person' as hypervigilance is to 'highly sensitive person'.

Just because it's a non-issue for you, doesn't make it a non-issue per se. And if it is such a non-issue, I wonder why you'd bother to post about it? Other than to be controversial, which seems to be your main reason for posting anything.

This is me happy :|, this me sad :|, this is me reading your unnecessary post which had no point other than to selfishly release of some inner resentment with the ultimate consequence of a slanderous opinion :|. I have experienced no change in my opinion on HSP.

Tell me, what is so unique about HSP? Some people are born or have experiences that make them taller or shorter or big boned or small boned or ginger haired or black haired or bald. Some people are more environmentally sensitive than others. Done. I'm sure its a highly fashionable label and an interesting case study for university psychology departments but it has little real relevance for 99% of people.

The reason I post about it is because of the erroneous adoption of fashionable labels due to hypochondriac google searching that leads to the modification of behaviour that damages the character of people. It's very important that if such labels are applied that individuals are fully aware of the limitations of that and how they shouldn't decide to start using it as a ransom note to limit their own self development.
 

Randomnity

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From my understanding, hypervigilance is a state of mind, not a personality descriptor. It's usually associated with PTSD rather than people being born with it, and it's pretty rare outside of that context if I recall.

In other words, it's a symptom of a traumatized mind, not a variety of "healthy" person like HSP.

I would tend to agree that the label has little value, but then, so does "INTJ".
 

Siúil a Rúin

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It would be interesting to find out more about the brain imaging research in relationship to this to see if it sets it apart as a specific, unique issue. My first impression of HSP is that it is an umbrella term that encompasses known and unknown causes of hypersensitivity much like defining "chronic pain" as a new condition. Based on the quiz alone, people with existing classifications of high functioning autism, aspbergers, narcissism, borderline personality disorder, hormonal imbalances, and anxiety disorders could all score high enough to fit into the HSP classification. I wonder if the brain imaging is demonstrating a new condition that would fit under HSP, but not any of the other ones I listed or that already exist, but are not included in this post.
 

Salomé

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InvisibleJim said:
This is me happy :|, this me sad :|, this is me reading your unnecessary post which had no point other than to selfishly release of some inner resentment with the ultimate consequence of a slanderous opinion :|. I have experienced no change in my opinion on HSP.

Tell me, what is so unique about HSP? Some people are born or have experiences that make them taller or shorter or big boned or small boned or ginger haired or black haired or bald. Some people are more environmentally sensitive than others. Done. I'm sure its a highly fashionable label and an interesting case study for university psychology departments but it has little real relevance for 99% of people.
Thanks for sharing more of your emotional constipation with the group. Very enlightening I'm sure. :rolleyes:

Randomnity said:
I would tend to agree that the label has little value, but then, so does "INTJ".
True. That label isn't relevant to 99% of the population either. ;)
Labels are as useful as the uses people put them too.

toonia said:
It would be interesting to find out more about the brain imaging research in relationship to this to see if it sets it apart as a specific, unique issue. My first impression of HSP is that it is an umbrella term that encompasses known and unknown causes of hypersensitivity much like defining "chronic pain" as a new condition. Based on the quiz alone, people with existing classifications of high functioning autism, aspbergers, narcissism, borderline personality disorder, hormonal imbalances, and anxiety disorders could all score high enough to fit into the HSP classification. I wonder if the brain imaging is demonstrating a new condition that would fit under HSP, but not any of the other ones I listed or that already exist, but are not included in this post.
HSP is not a disorder. Hope that helps.
 

InvisibleJim

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Thanks for sharing more of your emotional constipation with the group. Very enlightening I'm sure. :rolleyes:

I can see we must be in good agreement with my conclusions as you have failed to bring up any technical points or even questions regarding those that I made. I don't think I'll take any more questions on them from you as you are in acceptance of my position.

I'm happy to be of service by posting this to give the vaunted privilege of sharing your paranoid vitriol with the group again. Any time you want to try to be civil, do let me know; otherwise I have more important things to do than to preach to the converted.
 

Tiltyred

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It would be useful if the constellation of stuff that HSP describes were known to, for example, HR professionals, so you could say you have HSP and for that reason request a desk that is not on the sunniest side of the building in a high traffic area where the people are boisterous when there is a space available on the shady side with a quieter group.
 

Salomé

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I can see we must be in good agreement with my conclusions as you have failed to bring up any technical points or even questions regarding those that I made. I don't think I'll take any more questions on them from you as you are in acceptance of my position.
Wut?
I'm sorry. Did you want me to explain the concept to you? I thought you just wanted to dogmatically assert opinions that no one is interested in. You know, like you usually do.
 
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