Photo by Quinten de Graaf on Unsplash
What's Wrong with Me?
As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) myself, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to have strong emotional reactions to things that other people seem to move past quickly, or maybe not even notice at all—it can start to make you feel like there’s something wrong with you! But there is nothing wrong with us as HSPs, we are just wired in such a way that we are more responsive to—and more deeply impacted by—our environment than those who are less sensitive.
The scientific term for high sensitivity is Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS). SPS is not a mental health diagnosis, but rather a temperament trait that is found in 20-30% of the population. In other words, it is a variation of normal; not a malfunction in our system. Researchers believe that Sensory Processing Sensitivity is a survival strategy and has a biological basis—simply put, it benefits animal species to have a small percentage of the population that is more observant and cautious (i.e. highly sensitive). This trait has been found in similar percentages in over 100 different animal species, ranging from fruit flies, to monkeys, to horses.
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