Hypersensitivity, also known as being a “highly sensitive person” (HSP), is not a disorder. It is an attribute common in people with ADHD.
HSPs are also neurodivergent, their brains being wired differently. HSPs are highly sensitive to their environment and react with heightened emotional and behavioural responses.
While highly sensitive individuals tend to experience hyper-reactivity to sensory information, autistic individuals may have either a hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory information, a combination of both, or neither.
People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can experience sensory overload. Sensory issues occur when one or more of the senses becomes overstimulated in some way.
Research suggests that hypersensitivity is common in people living with ADHD, similar to those who live with autism spectrum disorder. If you have hypersensitivity, you may be reactive to: loud and sudden noises.
They are, however, inherently different. ADHD is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. Sensory processing sensitivity, meanwhile, is proposed to be a biological temperament trait observed in people who are more sensitive to environmental and social stimuli.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
As we've discussed, unfortunately, many people with ADHD tend to have a lack of empathy. This can be addressed, though, through identifying and communicating about each other's feelings.
What Does Overstimulation Feel Like? Overstimulation is a state of feeling overwhelmed by the situation you are in. This might take the form of physical or emotional discomfort and feeling like your brain is frozen or you're unable to think or process anything that's happening.
The opposite of being highly sensitive is actually being very impulsive, as that is the opposite of processing deeply and pausing before acting. (Although, sometimes HSPs are quick to act because they already know from past experience what's going to happen.)
No, being a highly sensitive person (HSP) is not a disorder.
An HSP is a perfectly normal and healthy thing to be, and roughly 15 to 20 percent of the population are HSP. This trait has a number of advantages, and can be a strength — especially in the arts and the caring professions.
How common are highly sensitive people? Since Aron conceived the concept of what it means to be an HSP, more and more people have been identifying themselves as highly sensitive. It is believed that HSPs are not rare, and that about 15-20% of the population are thought to be an HSP.
Do highly sensitive people have higher emotional intelligence than other people? Not necessarily. HSPs tend to have very strong emotions, which is a challenge when learning how to manage our emotions rather than being overwhelmed by them.
Because HSPs' brains are wired differently, the way they process information and come to a decision is different from people who don't have high SPS. They take more time making decisions, and can feel overwhelmed when asked to make a particularly tough one.
There is often a misconception that highly sensitive people have low self-esteem, as if the two are one and the same. But high sensitivity does not cause low self-esteem, nor are highly sensitive people born feeling insecure.
If you hide your adult ADHD symptoms from other people, that's called masking. Basically, you're trying to seem more “normal” or “regular.” ADHD causes some people to act hyperactive or impulsive. It makes other folks have trouble paying attention. And still other adults have a combination of those symptoms.
Lack of consistency. Toxic communication — such as contempt, criticism, and sarcasm. Controlling behavior and distrust. Abusive — this is also inclusive of emotionally abusive behaviors, such as gaslighting, love bombing, breadcrumbing etc.
Distractibility, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity
People with ADHD have a hard time staying in the moment, predicting the outcomes of their current actions, and learning from past experiences. Their impulsive behavior often makes them risk without thinking. Their hyperactive minds keep switching from one task to another.
In an older study from 2006, researchers noted that adults with childhood ADHD had an increased risk of receiving certain personality disorders in later life. These include antisocial personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
Trauma can make children feel agitated, troubled, nervous, and on high alert — symptoms that can be mistaken for ADHD. Inattention in children with trauma may also make them disassociate, which can look like a lack of focus — another hallmark symptom of ADHD.