Empaths

[Pennylane]

Is anyone else here an empath or highly sensitive individual? I am and am curious how you deal with this gift  ?

Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? Should You Change? 

A sensitive person's brain is different: Research points to some advantages.

But what does highly sensitive really mean? Is "Highly Sensitive Person" a scientific term?

As it turns out, there is research on this innate trait of high sensitivity. The scientific term is “Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS). Highly sensitive people are born that way; it is not something they learned.

As children, they might be described by teachers as shy or inhibited, especially in Western countries. As adults, they might be described as introverts.  It is important to note that not all sensitive people are shy or introverts. In fact, 30 percent of HSPs are thought to be extroverts.

HSP scales for adults and childrenhave been developed and used in research (1). A commonly used scale contains 27 diverse but strongly interrelated items.

An HSP ...

has a rich and complex inner life

is deeply moved by the arts and music

gets easily overwhelmed

has difficulty performing a task when being observed

easily startles

is sensitive to pain, and hunger

is attuned to inner bodily sensations

readily notices sensory changes

Researchers linked this trait to positive qualities but also to mental illnesses

It is not surprising that this trait is found in artists, poets and is linked to giftedness, creativity and empathy, At the same time, an HSP is at a higher risk of depression and other mental illnesses. They are also at a higher risk of burnout because they get easily overwhelmed. This is why it is critical to know if you are an HSP, so you can seek out relationships and environments that make you shine (see the last section).

The brain of an HSP is different

There are biological reasons for all the components of this trait. An HSP’s brain is wired differently and the nervous system is highly sensitive with a lower threshold for action (2). This hyper-excitability contributes to increased emotional reactivity, a lower threshold for sensory information (e.g. bothered by noise, or too much light), and increased awareness of subtleties (e.g. quick to notice odors).

 

There are also changes at the macro brain level. The areas associated with this trait greatly overlap with the brain areas that support empathy! Also, they have a hyperactive Ursula which explains their heightened awareness of their inner emotional states and bodily sensations. This hyperactivity explains their sensitivity to pain, hunger, and caffeine.

There is also some recent evidence that this trait is related to the infamous 5-HTLPR gene (serotonin gene), implicated in many psychological conditions, such as depression (3).

How to make the most of your high sensitivity

Reduce the number of intense stimuli in your environment.

Limit the number of tasks when multi-tasking.

Avoid burnout by noticing early warning signs, such as feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

Get your thoughts and deep emotions on paper so that they won’t cloud your brain.

Try mindfulness meditation especially to deal with high sensitivity to pain. This will teach you to acknowledge pain as the sum of sensations suspended from the label of pain.

Take advantage of your creativity: Draw, color or write.

Take advantage of your predisposition for higher empathy to strengthen relationships—to become a better co-worker, and to assure your self worth.

Be comfortable in your sensitive skin. Own it and never be ashamed of it.

Be honest about your predisposition to be an HSP, especially in close relationships. But don't forget to highlight the positive aspects: more empathy, deep thinker, able to see things from a different perspective, appreciation of arts and music, and others' positive qualities.

 

 

[Lizzie]

Thank you for sharing this!
When I first heard about HSP I realised one of my sisters fits that description perfectly, and it made so much sense to me. I shared it with her and she felt it made so much sense. She's very sensitive to any physical pain, struggles to watch certain movies and TV series because she feels everything that happens there in a way kind of as if it happened to her or someone close to her. If something does happen to a person close to her, she gets very affected by it and has a hard time getting over it. She works as a teacher in a primary school and although she from time to time get very overwhelmed from the stress, she is extremely appreciated there and I think that's partly to do with her being an HSP ?

[Pennylane]

It is both a blessing and a curse. As empaths we are very attuned to the world and people around us, which makes us good friends, good listeners and sensitive to others needs/problems. On the other hand, we can get too involved by taking on the emotions and negative vibes from those same people. It can be physically and emotionally draining so self care and setting boundaries are very important. Carrying stones for protection against negative energy is very important. Amethyst, hematite and selenite are great options. Lots of rest, meditation, grounding and creating a “bubble” of protective positivity around you will help to repel the negative energy from attaching itself to you. Being an empath/HSP is a gift but you have to practice self preservation so that you don’t deplete your own needs and emotional well being. ❤️

Edited March 9, 2020 by Pennylane

[xenspirit]

I'm an artist and also an empath. I also am kind of asperger-ish so even though I'm extremely sensitive to emotions, I also have a kind of disability sometimes with interpreting people's emotions when they don't jive with my intuition. I'm better at interpreting non verbals than words. Sometimes the words that people say throw me for a loop because they don't match the person's non verbals. That can really mess with my head at times. You want to give people the benefit of the doubt, but people often don't say what they really feel, I am thinking. At any rate, I have a tendency to overanalyze and with that comes a somewhat dysfunctional tendency to jump to conclusions without asking people how they feel. It is not particularly constructive or sane sometimes. I think that because my perceptions differ so much from other people's I just feel like people are gaslighting me all the time. And frankly, sometimes I just have to be by myself or I don't feel well. People's true feelings will always come out in time, and if someone's manner of not being true to their non verbals gets to me, it is just better to withdraw from them. The need for alone time also comes with being an introvert. I have to have an adequate amount of time by myself to process things. I think introvert level is on a continuum though because I am by far not the most introverted introvert. I am kind of in the middle. I can actually be very social when I want to be. I just have to have an adequate amount of down time afterwards.

Edited March 9, 2020 by xenspirit
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[MarkMc]

Yep me too and I am a musician and this helps greatly. I need a lot of me time as I absorb other people's negativity or try to help out too much. I also write about peace and love in my  music as an escape or opportunity for greater understanding. If interested you can check it all out at https://linktr.ee/markhamiltonmccaffer.  There is a really interesting website in relation to personalities where you can take a wee test at https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. It's really an eye opener. Stay well everybody, Mark x

[dreamstarannie44]

I am an empath AND an infj.  Before learning about this I thought I was crazy, and so did my family and people around me. I was diagnosed with bipolar, anxiety, depression, etc.  it was like stepping in the sun after being in the cold darkness of an endless night.  I finally experienced freedom.  Today I can say with confidence that there is nothing wrong with me.  I am an empath and I have to maneuver throughout my life a bit different than others, but it’s not a disorder- it’s just me.  I have realized that there will always be a small lingering sadness that trickles through me even during happy times.  There’s no pill for it.  It’s just there and I appreciate my gift of sensitivity and how I can use it to help others and show them the beauty in this cruel world. So I take the negative emotions that I feel and learn to co-exist with them- while doing my best to keep them from devouring me.  I look forward to hearing more from other empaths and their experiences.

thank you