Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

I would like a friend to slouch around, and eat toast, and do nothing in particular with.

Gransnet fits that bill.

Yes, it does.

Thanks Fanny just completed the quiz… borderline 12 .

Thank you for this thread Aussiegran and the link to the quiz Fanny.I scored 17.

My autistic g.son has always had these sort of high sensitivities. Noises would send him into a tantrum (one of his younger siblings would deliberately wind him up by hissing through her teeth. He can only wear certain materials, and even bedclothes have to be carefully selected.

audiotory, sensory as well as sight sensitivities are very much part of the autistic spectrum. Learning how to cope with and manage these are important.

AussieGran59

Anyone out there a Highly Sensitive Person? This means you have an increased Central Nervous System sensitivity to physical, social and emotional stimuli.
My own example?
I cannot watch violent TV shows, I avoid crowds and need time alone more often than most.
For others it's certain fabrics against the skin or even the colour scheme of a room. Both can be intolerable.
Being an HSP is not a medical condition but a personality trait and it can be difficult for less sensitive people to understand. We are labelled as 'overthinkers' or 'nervous types'.

Yes, I identify fully! A lot of the traits are also those of extreme introverts.

highlysensitiverefuge.com

Lots to read on here about managing being an HSP.

Oh hey, yes - I have a pair of Loops (ear defenders) in their case on an elastic band round my wrist for use in shops, while gardening in busy front garden etc. Loved lockdown etc. Get on better now I have really accepted that some people just have more 'capacity' than I do. It does mean we notice much more than many - good and bad. Have a quiet husband but his family were SO loud - took me a long time to learn that just 'saying' something had no effect on them!

I scored 12 but some of the questions I was not sure how to answer.
I was concerned that some people on here said they were startled by loud sneezing. I sneeze loudly and have laughed at some people’s startled ? reaction. I must be more sensitive in future.?

I scored 23 in the test. No surprise there then as so many of the things in the test read true.
I take time to adjust to the heat but then resent the changing season as I know I will have to adjust back. I will happily sit in a darkened room to avoid any glare which can drive DH mad.
When we first had a physiotherapist visit the house, as I tried to explain that she was using too much pressure she calmly said “So you’re sensitive then.” It was the first time that I accepted that being sensitive wasn’t necessarily a slur.

I’d never heard of HSP before, but now realise that it describes me and my DD! The test confirmed it for me - 21. Thank you AussieGran59 and Fanny.

Philippa111 Thank you for the link. Lots of very helpful information to explore.

I'm an introvert, shy, and have many HSP sensitivities. I also have dyslexia, dyscalcula, and need to burn off energy (8-10 miles a day).

It's difficult, I do what I need to get by.

The only thing I recognised was I respond very sensitively to music It makes me very emotional. I do need regular time on my own I like solitude. In general though I only scored 6 so not sensitive in general

I become quite melancholic with some classical music and remember as a young child being in tears over some.

I often find that people try to tell me that the after effects of my brain injury are all in my imagination, or caused by some other condition.

Sadly not so, there is not a lot of understanding of brain injuries.

constanttherapyhealth.com/brainwire/18-tips-for-survivors-strategies-for-reducing-sensory-overload-in-social-settings/

StillLearning ‘recruitment’ is related to hearing loss, which I don’t have

I can't imagine saying "I'm a highly sensitive person" to anybody, I have to say.
My mum would have told me not to be so stupid, and to stop showing off.

Yes that’s right Blossoming. I do have hearing loss snd thought it was such a strange name when I was first told.

What does recruitment mean?
When I had my aids done, I ended up crouched over in the street, overwhelmed by all the sounds!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ah, yes, I see what you mean.

Strangely enough, a man with down syndrome who I met at work, stared me straight in the face when were introduced, and said "you're sensitive, aren't you?"
I'm more "bull in a china shop" I would imagine, and he is the only person to ever say that to me.
Humans are fascinating, i think.

I scored 16, low end of HSP. Cannot watch extremely violent, horror movies or clinical operations on tv. Watched a black and white movie called ‘Rape of Nanking’ a while ago and felt physically sick afterwards.

Dread having to go to places like London, London is just too ‘maniac’ for me. Mediation made things worse for me. I started picking up on other people’s emotions eg., their depression and some people simply drain the energy from me.

When attending meetings or funerals, I always sat near the door, so if things get too overwhelmed for me, I know I can leave the room. I am also sensitive to certain types of fabric and always choose 100% cotton.

Nice to know I am not odd and there are others like me and it is only my nervous system that is in overdrive. My daughter is not as sensitive as me but she also needs alone time away from other people

I can't answer a lot of the questions, as I have no idea what is 'normal' for other people.

I do know that I startle easily, and can't process two different sounds at once (eg the TV and the radio both on), but what does 'I have a rich and complex inner life' mean in comparison to others?

Are you supposed to measure it against others?
Or just decide that you have or haven't?
I've not done the quiz.