What is a "Highly Sensitive Person?"?

Question

I've heard this term recently and wonder exactly what it means -- is it only about moods? Does it have to do with environmental toxins? An interplay of both?

Is this an "official" term recognized by the medical community, or is it sort of a shortcut term people use to describe a certain personality type?

Thanks for any answers you have!

Answer 1

Hi there,

It basically is what it sounds like: someone who is highly sensitive, easily overwhelmed, affected by others' moods.... "The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) has a sensitive nervous system, is aware of subtleties in his/her surroundings, and is more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment."

Is it an "official" term? Well, no, not in the sense that it's a diagnosable issue, but most people in mental health would recognize it.

You might consider taking a look at Elaine Aron's book, "The Highly Sensitive Person" if interested about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Highly-Sensitive-Person-Thrive-Overwhelms/dp/073510073X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-6095412-1945738?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178488947&sr=8-1

A self-test to see if you are a highly sensitive person:
http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm

Here's a link to Elaine's website for more info:
http://www.hsperson.com/index.html
Good luck!

Answer 2

Highly sensitive

Answer 3

A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a condition hypothesized by Elaine Aron in her book, The Highly Sensitive Person. It claims that highly sensitive people process sensory data exceptionally deeply and thoroughly due to a biological difference in their nervous systems. This is a specific trait with key consequences that in the past has often been confused with innate shyness, inhibitedness, innate fearfulness, introversion, and so on. [1] Although the term is primarily used to describe humans, the trait is present in nearly all higher animals.

The term highly sensitive person was coined by Dr. Elaine N. Aron in 1996, and the name is gaining popularity because it presents the trait in a positive light. Other names used to describe the trait in literature include 'introverted emotional temperament', 'chronic cortical/cortisol arousal', 'hypervigilance', and 'innate shyness'.

Dr. Aron describes the opposite end of the spectrum, "the opposite of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is a person who takes many risks, that is acts without reflecting very much. An HSP who is an HSS (High Sensation Seeker) also will find ways to have lots of new experiences, but won't take a lot of unreflected upon risks."[2] She also cites studies involving other animals ranging from mammals to houseflies and goldfish

Answer 4

A highly sensitive person (HSP) is easily overwhelmed. They react very emotionally to people's moods. Things that don't get most emotional, get this group of people emotional.

Answer 5

Highly Sensitive Persons are sometimes also called Empaths.
They tend to pick up on the "energy" and feelings of those around them. They tend to be very intuitive.
To the best of my knowledge, it is not an official term nor one recognized by the medical community.
Here are a few links you may find interesting:
http://www.sensitiveperson.com/article.htm
http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fhome.earthlink.net%2F%7Elightwrk11%2Fempathy.html
http://www.geocities.com/hspecology/Circle.html
http://lightnews.org/9911/empath.htm