Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?

Are you a Highly Sensitive Person? If so, you might be wondering what an HSP is. This video is designed to help you understand what HSP are and how they differ from other people. Did you know that 30% of the population is made up of Highly Sensitive People?

A highly sensitive person is someone whose brain processes all information very deeply, including emotions, thoughts, and sensory input. This makes them more physically sensitive and emotionally sensitive than other people. High sensitivity is considered a normal, healthy personality trait, although one that — like all personality traits — comes with its own advantages and drawbacks.

HSPs are often negatively described as “too sensitive.” But being an HSP isn’t a bad thing. Continue watching the video to understand the traits HSP people experience

Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes. If you have questions about the topics discussed in this video, reach out to a medical health professional.

Writer: Sara Del Villar
Script editor: Denise Ding
Script manager: Kelly Soong
Animator: Kzanng
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

REFERENCES

Acevedo, Bianca et al. “The functional highly sensitive brain: a review of the brain circuits underlying sensory processing sensitivity and seemingly related disorders.” Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences vol. 373,1744 (2018): 20170161. doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0161

[eeveescrown]

i am a hsp and i clicked right away. first i thought it was autistic, got it tested and everything, but i’m not. now i embrace being highly sensitive. ofc it has it’s down parts but i remind myself that there are so many good things about it. we are special and unique and we belong <3

[Aftsov]

HSPs make the best detectives and romantic partners for the same reasons — They notice the changes, details, and emotional shifts in the people they interact with!

[quest_]

I always thought I was weak and over dramatic for crying so easily under even light stress. Then I finally learned this term, and almost always every single said side affect has checked out for me.

[CannedMoss]

I’m an HSP with anxiety, and it feels so validating to see you talk about us on such a widely viewed channel. I have a really hard time taking criticism, am empathetic to extremes, overthink everything, and react to pretty much any changes, stimuli or strong emotions with crying. I don’t see HSP rep very often, especially not in a neutral or positive light, so thank you! ❤

[sevamelnikov]

I'm an INFJ and HSP with some inattentive ADD thrown in. Can totally relate!
I often feel like I can sense a person's energy field when I interact with them.
Thank you for the videos 😊♥️

[Aan]

Timestamps
1). Notice change easily 0:47
2). Sound sensitivity 1:35
3). Your environment 3:18

Hope this helps you out.💙💙💙💙

[alternant.]

I'm an HSP and I often cannot handle seeing someone experiencing negative emotions. Whenever I see someone experiencing them, I just cry because I'm basically feeling what they are feeling, and it just hurts deeply to see someone experience what they are. I've thought I've cared too much about a lot of stuff, and I personally still believe that, but now I know that there's some reason behind it.

[Inkspired.Sweets]

this really heavily describes me. it makes me really self conscious and i very often feel weak because of it. i constantly find myself googling about how to be less sensitive, but nothing seems to work. therapy isn’t an option for me, so for now i will try to figure it out on my own.

[BoogieBoy_]

as a guy who’s an HSP, a lot of the time I stay super quiet, because society usually portrays men as dominant and cold (I’m 6’2, have some broad shoulders and a deep voice). People assume I’m just cold and intimidating, when I’m not. It’s hard to accept that you’re unique, but that’s okay! You are perfect in your own way <3 ❤️

[SoloMotivation]

*ONE OF THE BEST QUOTES*

“Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change” – Gautama Buddha

I love you ❤️

[HarpSealLover]

I'm very sensitive to sound and I'm still a minor so I can't really have it checked out without asking my parents. This video strongly applies to what I've been having feeling. I'm very sensitive about a handful of things and My family believes it's just stress but I feel like this video doesn't make me feel bad about myself like I've been told high sensitive ears can be. Thank You so much for making this video

[dabestpsycho]

Thank you so much for this! At first, I thought I was just a weird person since I get offended easily, and find myself crying at school or an event often. A few times when my taekwondo master is yelling at me and others, I feel like he’s directing it toward me, and find tears coming down my face. It is extremely embarrassing! This has also happened to me at school a few times as well. Whenever kids around me are talking in class, I tend to get highly stressed and angry, and unable to focus. This video helped me realize that HSP can also be a strength at times, and I feel so much better about life. Thank you so much again ❤❤❤

[catsupy]

I'm an HSP! My mum thought I was autistic, but after going to 4 therapists (one in my adulthood) they all confirmed I was just a Highly Sensitive Person. It's a blessing and a curse. Not only can I read subtle changes in body language, I can also pick people out of crowds and read how their feeling regardless if I talk to them or not. It's saved me in a lot of situations, but has also prevented me from doing traditional work, because I am so hypervigilant about....everything.

TL;DR

I'm a sponge

[ennon.]

for those who are in a rush to know:
0:47 notice changes easily
1:35 sound sensitivity
3:17 your environment

[Tiara_Ariel]

Thank you for highlighting the overlap and differences of HSPs and those on the autism spectrum. I get questions on my social media platforms about the difference, and a lot of skepticism around whether the HSP trait is real, or if it's just another term for autism. I always respond with the science! I hope this provides more people with clarity and understanding ❤

[itspri]

Even a little bit of loud noises give me such a strong headache, which is unbearable. Sometimes I feel like my nerves are gonna burst out. Being a highly sensitive person small things makes me emotional. Plus I have anxiety, I'm an overthinker, and on the top of it I'm dealing with mild depression . My anxiety and overthinking problems have literally destroyed my dreams of becoming a doctor . I was once a topper, a very hard working person, but now I feel like my mind is giving up along with my body . But I'm very grateful to my parents for giving me chances to accomplish my dream, even though we belong to a middle class family in India . I'll definitely enter a medical college next year. Gonna make my parents and my siblings

[derpyfrog]

I first clicked on this video feeling a bit nervous, sad, and upset. My therapist and I had agreed that I was an HSP long before I watched this video. Crowded areas make me feel stressed, I noticed change is easily and I have a low pain and stress tolerance. When I told my friends about it they said I was weak, pathetic, and that I should get help immediately because that's "clearly not normal". I began to think being an HSP was a very bad thing and I never told anyone else about it ever again. After watching this video I feel a lot better about myself knowing that it's not a disorder or something that needs to be fixed. It's not a great thing in some scenarios, but it's helped me a lot in understanding other people's feelings and I can more easily gauge when something is wrong. Thank you again for this wonderful video. To all fellow HSPs, you have been given a gift. It may not seem like it, but if you can overcome it's challenges you can see how great it can really be.

[blooms]

I sincerely in the last few days thought I had autism or something for real. I was always told that I’m highly sensitive but I forgot until this video and when you said there was an overlap, I was like, “ohhhh that’s why I thought I was autistic.”

I will say being highly sensitive does come with a lot of benefits, especially if you pick a career that requires that skill and it pushes you constantly to improve and never settle in extracurriculars. But honestly I’ve found that it can be more exhausting and emotionally draining than rewarding a lot of times.

I will say, for those of you who are suffering, it can and does get better with age, therapy, and practice. I highly recommend DBT. It’s still really hard for me but I deal with it a lot better now than in my teens and I’m only 25. Y’all got this ❤

[androgynouslibra]

I am a HSP as I never heard of the term until my mother showed me this one movie that helped explain it call sensitivity. Honestly before I heard the term I did have a negative impression of being called sensitive 🥺 but I'm glad to see that it's recognized more today :)

[TDG]

"High maintenance" hehe. Many people believed I am an autistic person, and although I always knew I was different, I never considered myself autistic. I discovered the trait almost two years ago thanks to you, and since then I have learned to take care of myself and handle myself way better than before. Even considering the downsides, being HSP is great! A gift given to few, and I'm so grateful 😊