What Is A Highly Sensitive Person? 9 Signs, Symptoms + How To Cope

If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive" or perhaps felt seriously overwhelmed when others did not, you may have wondered why you're more acutely sensitive to things than others. There's nothing wrong with you—you may in fact be a highly sensitive person (HSP).

A highly sensitive person is someone whose nervous system is believed to be, well, literally more sensitive1 (and subsequently reactive) to things.

As psychologist and relationship counselor Margaret Paul, Ph.D., tells mbg, much of what we now understand about HSPs comes from the work of clinical research psychologist Elaine Aron, Ph.D., who authored both The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Child. Aron's research found that about 15 to 20% of the population are born with a nervous system that's different from the rest of the population, says Paul. "It's a nervous system that is more reactive to stimuli—it's a nervous system that can feel things more deeply."

More research has expanded on these findings, showing that these reactions in the nervous system are actually due to increased blood flow in the areas of the brain that process emotion, awareness, and empathy. So what causes a person to be highly sensitive, then, does indeed lie in the nervous system and the brain.

If you're not an HSP yourself, odds are you know one. According to Paul, a highly sensitive person is someone who may find themselves overstimulated, overwhelmed, or otherwise unsettled while others seem unfazed. This can result in a tendency to withdraw or recharge after intense situations. (That said, HSPs aren't necessarily introverted. Extroverts can be HSPs too, but they often are introverts, according to Paul.)

Because of their keen sensitivity, they also tend to be empathic, noticing the moods or energy of others and even the energy of physical spaces. This can make them very caring and nurturing, which Paul notes narcissist types may take advantage of.

In her experience, she has found HSPs are less likely to display narcissistic tendencies or anger issues but rather a soft and compassionate approach to others. Many HSPs may not even be able to watch violent movies, for instance, because their sensitivity is so strong.

Ahead are some signs of a highly sensitive person, according to Paul and other experts.

As psychiatrist Judith Orloff, M.D., previously wrote for mbg, "Highly sensitive people are particularly vulnerable to other people's stress and emotions. This can result in panic attacks, depression, exhaustion, and a range of physical ailments."

Paul echoes this point, adding, "There are many things that affect health problems, but one of them is self-rejection, which a lot of highly sensitive people feel." As she explains, "They're rejecting themselves rather than loving themselves. They're creating a lot of stress, and that can lead to illness. And so it's hard to say, but I think that anytime people don't accept themselves in any way, and they're not loving themselves—emotionally, spiritually, physically—then they're going to be more prone to illness."

Being an HSP is not easy, especially if other people in your life don't understand or appreciate the way your biology operates. This can not only be isolating but can also leave you feeling ungrounded.

Last but not least, as an HSP you may find you struggle to set and/or maintain boundaries. The high sensitivity lends itself to empathy, but this can make it hard to detach from toxic people or situations. "Highly sensitive people tend to be the ones to be the caretaker for a narcissist," for example, Paul explains.

While on the surface, being highly sensitive may seem like a downfall, it can actually be a gift when someone knows how to work with what they've got.

For instance, Paul explains, the highly sensitive people of Indigenous cultures in the past were often the shamans and healers of their communities. "But we live in a very left brain culture now, and so highly sensitive people have not been revered—but I think that's just starting to happen," she adds.

Highly sensitive people do, after all, generally have an easier time accessing their intuition than the rest of the population. "They have an easier time tuning in to other people's feelings and feeling that empathy and that compassion," she adds.

You're probably getting a sense of the particular challenges faced by HSPs at this point. They can get easily overwhelmed, overstimulated, and emotional, which can ripple out into virtually any aspect of their life.

Let's make it clear, though, that being an HSP is not classified as a mental illness, and it will only hinder the sensitive person to think of it as such.

HSPs are, however, potentially more prone to being traumatized. According to Paul, "They're more easily traumatized because the nervous system is getting activated more, when for [non-HSPs], things can roll off their back easier."

Then, of course, there's the aforementioned research about adverse physical and mental health outcomes—but take these with a grain of salt. Being an HSP isn't a curse or an ill-health prophecy, and learning how to take care of yourself as an HSP is key.

As Paul says, "The main challenge is to accept this as a gift, because it is not an easy gift, especially if you're a child who doesn't have highly sensitive parents or they don't understand it," adding, "Once they accept it as a gift, and they do their own research, and they understand what it is, then it becomes much easier to take loving care of themselves."

One of the best things for an HSP to do, especially if they have suppressed or ignored their sensitivity for a long time, is to learn to be present in the body, according to Paul. She suggests learning how to be embodied in your feelings, and recognize them as a source of inner guidance. It's about "learning from your feelings rather than avoid them," she says, and further, "learning to take responsibility for your feelings and not be a victim of them."

And as psychotherapist Annette Nuñez, Ph.D., LMFT, previously told mbg, inner child work can be particularly helpful for intuitive empaths in order to start unpacking and understanding the experiences you've had in your life and how they could be contributing to current issues (i.e., trauma, suppressing your sensitivity, etc.).

Of course, finding a therapist is always a good idea if you're struggling, and it would be particularly beneficial to find one who specializes in HSPs. If there aren't any specialists near you, there are plenty of online therapy options available today to help you find exactly what you need.

And in terms of feeling ungrounded or overstimulated, it's very important for HSPs to have an arsenal of relaxation techniques in their toolbox to lean on whenever they do feel their nervous systems lighting up and, further, to know when they've reached their limit and need to rest and recover.

If you fall within the 15 to 20% of the population that is said to be highly sensitive, hopefully this information gave you some much-needed answers. Being an HSP can certainly be confusing, isolating, and frustrating in a culture that, by and large, does not understand or appreciate your unique sensitivity.