In the DSM sensory processing sensitivity (the formal name for HSP) it is not associated with autism at all. Another major difference is that HSP don't struggle with 'social' issues like eye contact, recognizing faces, social cues, and knowing the intentions of others.
You might be wondering, “Is HSP neurodivergent?” HSPs are also neurodivergent, their brains being wired differently. HSPs are highly sensitive to their environment and react with heightened emotional and behavioural responses. In this guide, we'll explore the world of Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) and neurodiversity.
And it's important to know that being a highly sensitive person isn't considered a mental health disorder — and that there's no official way to diagnose someone as HSP and there's no official highly sensitive person test (though there's this quiz from the doctor who coined the term “highly sensitive person.”)
HSPs are typically highly intelligent, and seek out opportunities to do deep work. Many HSPs are academics, artists, researchers, scientists and technicians with high level proficiency.
“The results of our study indicate that in most cases, the sensitivity to pain of people with autism is actually higher than that of most of the population, while at the same time they are unsuccessful at effectively suppressing painful stimuli.
According to Elaine N. Aron, the trait of high sensitivity, found in 20-30% of the population is likely to have nothing to do with a child/person on the autistic spectrum. In the DSM sensory processing sensitivity (the formal name for HSP) it is not associated with autism at all.
Differences Between HSPs and ADHD
HSPs tend to think before they act, while people with ADHD tend to be a little more impulsive and can act before thinking things through. In calm environments, HSPs can be well-focused. Those with ADHD can have trouble focusing and may even appear bored in calm environments.
#1 Most Sensitive Type: INFJ
INFJs usually exhibit high levels of sensitivity and have a deep affinity for other people's feelings. INFJs have strong emotional connections to both their own feelings and the feelings of others.
It is therefore not surprising that many highly gifted contemporaries recognize themselves in the characteristics of (high) sensitivity (reference bogg). However, this does not mean that all (high) sensitive people are also highly gifted while most highly gifted people seem to be high sensitive.
Being an HSP can be tough sometimes because the world can feel really loud, really intense, and just… really a lot. It's like the volume's turned up to max all the time. But don't worry, you're not alone.
Sights, sounds, smells, and other forms of sensory input may cause a heightened experience for HSPs. A sound that is barely perceptible to most people may be very noticeable, and possibly even painful, to an HSP. There's more to being a highly sensitive person than just being sensitive to stimuli.
Many good qualities come with being a highly sensitive person. And as it turns out, those who identify as highly sensitive are not rare at all – they make up about 15-20 percent of the population!
They're more empathic: Sensitive in general, HSPs are particularly perceptive to emotions. They feel emotions more acutely, both for themselves and on the behalf of others, and notice more emotional subtleties. Not surprisingly, they are more attentive and show more concern for others.
Such individuals could represent the first occurrence of a genetic mutation (“de novo mutation”). Depending on the genetic type of HSP (dominant, recessive, X-linked, or maternal transmission), there may be a possibility that the disorder could be transmitted to the offspring of these individuals.
It might be best to start with a specialist in high sensitivity, since the characteristics of high sensitivity are generally less severe than that of SPD. Indeed, high sensitivity is a normal personality trait of 1 out of every 5 people, whereas SPD is considered a disorder.
S stands for sensory sensitivity:
HSPs are anxiety prone because they process thoughts and feelings deeply. Because of how deeply they experience the world, they're more easily and quickly overstimulated.
We speak of giftedness if the IQ is 130 or above, while that is not a condition for being called highly sensitive. However, it takes more than an IQ test to measure giftedness, because we now know that gifted individuals are more than their above-average intelligence.
Most highly sensitive people display rare strengths in key areas of emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient (EQ) — the ability to recognize and understand emotions in themselves and others. These strengths including self-awareness and social-awareness.
Bjelland noted a belief that all empaths are HSPs, but not all HSPs are empaths. Dr. Orloff said that an empath indeed carries all of the attributes of an HSP but with more developed intuition and a sponge-like ability for absorbing emotions.
HSP struggle to witness arguments, hear raised voices or see any form of physical violence because they are highly attuned to the emotions and energy of other people. They also tend to avoid conflict because they don't like the thought of upsetting others, or other people being upset with them.
INFJ is the rarest personality type across the population, occurring in just 2% of the population. It is also the rarest personality type among men. INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging.
The three subtypes of highly sensitive people include Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Ease of Excitation (EOE). Before we explain what each of these means, it's important to note that HSPs can fit into more than one subtype, each subtype has its own characteristics.
Hypersensitivity disorder is common among people with ADHD, which impacts individuals' emotional, psychological, and physical sensitivity.
HSPs, and those with anxiety, experience feelings more deeply than others. While HSPs may mull over emotion, making them tear up with joy or feel sad for days afterward, those with anxiety may hyperfocus on emotions, leading to an increase in anxiety symptoms or even a panic attack.