HSPs & Empaths

According to psychologist Elaine Aron, Highly Sensitive People comprise about 15-20% of the population. HSPs..." are high in a personality trait known as Sensory-Processing Sensitivity, which displays increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to external and internal stimuli (pain, hunger, light, and noise), and complex inner life."

All people experience the world through their senses. However, when you're highly sensitive, your senses are magnified. You're more aware of subtleties than others, making you more prone to stress and stress-related symptoms.

HSPs & Empaths: What's the Diffrence?

When you're a Highly Sensitive Person (an HSP), too much stimulation of the senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell) can overwhelm you, and you need alone time to recuperate. HSPs are born with this trait, which is NOT a disorder.

Being an Empath is a complex experience. You share HSP traits (as mentioned below), but you also can absorb subtle energies from people, places, and things, including animals and nature. For example, Empaths energetically internalize the feelings and pain of others, making it challenging to distinguish other's discomforts from their own. HSPs don't share this trait of absorbing energies unless they are also highly empathic, which can be both uplifting when positive and draining when negative. It's important to note that the opposite of empathy is narcissism.

You can be one or the other or both. HSPs are likelier to be introverted, whereas Empaths can be introverted or extroverted. If you are both, you are likely to be introverted with the ability to be extroverted when moved to be.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity

According to Wikipedia, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a temperamental or personality trait involving "an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system and a deeper cognitive processing of physical, social and emotional stimuli". The trait is characterized by "a tendency to pause to check in novel situations, greater sensitivity to subtle stimuli, and the engagement of deeper cognitive processing strategies for employing coping actions, all of which are driven by heightened emotional reactivity, both positive and negative".

HSP & Empath Traits

While not all Highly Sensitive People and Empaths share the same traits, the following twenty-four traits are commonly shared among HSPs and Empaths. 

• HSPs genuinely care about people, the earth, and all life forms and find it difficult to witness violence and abuse.

• Confrontation, criticism, and conflict can make the HSP physically ill, so HSPs often become people-pleasing.

• HSPs are detail-oriented and apply their very best to everything they attempt. 

• The Highly Sensitive Person is moved by beauty and art. 

• The HSP needs to live a life of meaning and purpose.

• As an HSP, you may find noisy environments unpleasant. Equally unpleasant are repetitive noises. 

• HSPs commonly pick up on the underlying emotions of others.

• It's easy for the HSP to discern the truth behind mixed messages. You have a built-in radar that lets you know when someone is lying. 

• Most HSPs are polite, considerate, and mannerly and do not need laws as they would not break them, to begin with.  

• Most Highly Sensitive People communicate with animals without realizing it and form deep connections. 

• An HSP can be upset for days after seeing a road-kill. 

• All HSPs need downtime to recharge their batteries. 

• Most HSPs have a lower pain threshold than non-HSPs.

• Some HSPs are extremely sensitive to time-related pressures (real or perceived), such as deadlines at work or doctor appointments, and will feel anxious days or weeks ahead of the event.

• HSPs easily see how to rectify a problem from point A to point B, often with a backup plan.

• The Highly Sensitive Person is naturally curious and asks "Why?" about EVERYTHING.

• HSPs have vivid imaginations and often use them to escape (meditate) stressful situations and feelings. 

• Most HSPs struggle with change. They need time to process things, and adjusting (when there's no time available) isn't easy.

• HSPs often feel misunderstood because they don't realize they are highly sensitive and that not everyone shares the same gifts, which confuses the HSP, who doesn't understand why others can't feel them out.

• HSPS are often labeled (as early as their toddler years) as being shy, introverted, or cold when really they are showing signs of sensory overload.  

• HSPs are self-aware, quick-learning, resourceful, and creative.

• Some HSPs are Empathic and have psychic abilities, which is why many HSPs have an interest in metaphysical or occult topics.

• HSPs know the true meaning of love and how to do it (love is a verb).

• Many HSPs admit to having 24/7 conversations with God. It's as natural as breathing. 

HSPs, Empaths & Stress

Highly Sensitive People and Empaths can spend a lot of time, money, and energy sitting in a doctor's office looking for cures and are told their symptoms don't appear to have any origin other than stress, which is disheartening.  

Walking out of a doctor's office with no more than vague instructions on reducing stress can feel unhelpful and insulting. Even worse is being waved off with a prescription for something you're not entirely sure you need, like an antidepressant when you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Doctors treat stress-related conditions with drugs like antidepressants, which can have severe and long-lasting side effects, especially in Highly Sensitive People. HSPs often feel "off" or have severe side effects from medications. 

While prescription and over-the-counter drugs undoubtedly have a place in emergencies, they are not the answer to relieving stress, at least not the complete solution. Natural remedies and engaging in sense-based activities often help prevent and relieve stress and its many symptoms, including IBS and depression, with far fewer side effects, especially in the Highly Sensitive Person.

How HSPs Can Be Genetically Hardwired to Anxiety & Fear

Those with anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias can be genetically hardwired for fear more than others, and here is why. Among the genes you inherit from your parents, two specific genes (one from your mother and one from your father) determine how strongly your amygdalae are wired to the rest of your brain. Your amygdalae are two small, prehistoric organs in your brain responsible for managing your emotions. I refer to them as your inner fish. 

On the subject of genes, if you are lucky enough to get two long gene variants (long fishtails), you are hardwired soundly. Long variant genes (long fishtails) help produce more protein, substantially recycling serotonin. Serotonin is a "feel-good" chemical that your body manufactures in the brain and the gut. It is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that keeps your amygdalae calm and makes you feel good about yourself. 

If you get one long and one short gene variant, you have a 50/50 chance of having a phobia. If you have two short variants (shorter fishtails), you come up weakly connected, producing anxiety due to the weak link between your amygdalae and the rest of your brain, which causes heightened senses. 

Having two short gene variants nearly always guarantees developing fatigue, sadness, irritability, and hypersensitivity (FISH) at some point in your life. Pain and anxiety fall under hypersensitivity. Short variant genes (short fishtails) are often called depression genes. Depression genes produce less protein and serotonin and weaken the mood-regulating circuitry in your brain. You don't want less recycling of serotonin. You want more. Serotonin is crucial in setting up emotional wiring during your early childhood development. Hence, with two short fishtails, it isn't likely that your brain will ever be set up correctly. But don't panic. You can still do things to calm your amygdalae, your inner fish.

What Being Highly Sensitive is Not

Being a Highly Sensitive Person is not the same as having Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID), Asperger's Syndrome (AS), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or being neurotic.

Being an HSP is also not the same as having an Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD), typical shyness, or being an introvert, although these conditions may coexist. For example, suffering from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) does not mean you were born sensitive. However, it is certainly understandable that you could end up suffering from GAD as a Highly Sensitive Person.

Whether you develop symptoms related to stress, highly sensitive or not, is often based upon inherited factors and personality. It also depends on whether you have proper coping skills. For HSPs, a considerable part of coping is understanding that you are highly sensitive and why. Most HSPs don't know they're highly sensitive. They think everyone is like them, wanting to pass out behind cars emitting terrible fumes. Some never know, which is a shame because they may never understand their differences or gifts. 

The Gift of Empathy

Everyone, except for sociopaths and narcissists (course link), has empathic abilities. As mentioned earlier, when you have the gift of empathy, you can pick up on the energies of people, animals, places, and things. When you are a Highly Sensitive Person, being empathic can make you feel like you live in outer space somewhere instead of on planet Earth. It's no fun picking up on how others are feeling all the time. It isn't easy feeling their sorrows, pain, and anger as if their feelings are your own. It's all too easy to need clarification about which emotions are yours. Empathy can leave your head spinning, both emotionally and physically. 

Before you decide to heal something ask your gut, " IS THIS MINE?" If not, let it go.

Being an empath can lead to addictions of all kinds to stop feeling so much, which can cause overwhelm in a hurry and lead to ongoing stress. Being empathic can also lead to getting involved with a narcissist. Why's that? Well, narcissists are adept at presenting themselves one way to the world and another to the mirror. As long as it's in their best interest, they come across as exceedingly stable and sound, which can relieve the HSP who is tired of reading everyone. Their energy can be positive and comforting until they show you it's not. 

When you understand that 80% of the population can't read you the way you read them, living on planet Earth becomes much more manageable. You no longer have to worry about whether people are "reading" your every emotion. They aren't. You are hidden, except to other HSPs and those you decide to reveal yourself to. You can finally relax.

If you have the extreme gift of empathy, it means you are meant to do something special in the world—your gift ties to your purpose in life. Don't allow your sensitivities to get in the way of your values or dreams.

You're invited to watch the 7-minute video, Sensitive: The Untold Story. It may help you determine whether you're highly sensitive or not.

Also, see Resources for Highly Sensitive People.