Who are "Highly Sensitive People?"
Alana Barlia, LMHC
Who are Highly Sensitive People? So often I am met with blank stares and crooked faces when I reflect that it sounds like a client is highly sensitive. Perhaps it is the negative perception associated with the term “sensitivity”, or a lack of understanding about the foundational scientific underpinnings of being a Highly Sensitive Person- also known as having a Highly Sensitive Nervous System.
To break down the human nervous system – we have a Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). Our CNS is made up of our brain and spinal cord, while our PNS is made up of mostly nerves. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a division of the PNS that functions to regulate our internal organs. The ANS focuses on autonomic controls such as heart rate, digestion, urination, and is also responsible for our fight-flight-freeze response. The ANS is broken down into the Sympathetic Nervous System, responsible for fight or flight, and the Parasympathetic Nervous System, considered our “rest and digest” system. In essence the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems work oppositely to keep the internal body functioning.
However, for about 20% of the population, these systems do not work in accordance with each other. Approximately 15-20% of the population experiences a Highly Sensitive Nervous System. Having a Highly Sensitive Nervous System means that our nervous system responds longer and more deeply to external stimuli. When faced with excessive physical, sensory, or emotional stimuli, a Highly Sensitive Nervous System will go into over-drive and turn on the fight-flight response. It does this in an attempt to protect the body from what seems like a sensory attack. For example, we take in external stimuli – such as a car honking, somebody yelling, a violent movie, a pungent smell, a coarse fabric - and our nervous system processes these stimuli as more abrasive, aggressive, or assaulting than the average nervous system.
Being highly sensitive in itself is not problematic, and can actually possess many benefits. Being highly sensitive means we are more attuned emotionally in our relationships, and may have more empathy than the average person. However, when we respond to external stimuli outside the bounds of acceptable societal response, we may find ourselves in sticky situations. For example, if we become so overwhelmed by the honking car that we slap the hood of the car and provoke a fight with the driver, this is problematic. If we are so overwhelmed by a violent movie that we throw the remote at the television, this is problematic. And if we are so overwhelmed by our partner raising their voice at us that we physically attack them, this is problematic. This is the response of an overwhelmed fight, flight, or freeze response (SNS).
Having a Highly Sensitive Nervous System is not ‘curable’ in the Western sense of the word, but there are a few pillars of maintaining a regulated nervous system:
Rest and Digest – We need to make sure our Parasympathetic Nervous System is activated in order to respond appropriately to the Sympathetic Nervous System when it becomes overwhelmed. This means getting 8 hours of sleep per night, resting when we can, drinking plenty of water, and eating gut healthy foods optimal for digestive health.
Coherent breathing – Coherent breathing is a type of breath-work that helps to calm the heart rate by taking slow, controlled breaths at a rate of 5 breaths per minute. This means instead of inhaling/exhaling for 2-3 seconds you are elongating the process to about six seconds. This sends signals to the nerves in the ANS to slow down the heart rate, telling the rest of the “rest and digest” system to follow suit. *Begin with 5 minutes per day and work up over time.
Mindfulness – Ten minutes of daily mindful here-and-now practice has been proven to help with concentration, alertness, depression, anxiety, anger, and a traumatized nervous system. Mindfulness includes guided imagery, mindful movement (yoga, walking, running), prayer, meditation, and creative arts.
Substance-free Lifestyle – It’s no surprise that Highly Sensitive People are also highly sensitive to substances. If it is available to you, living a substance-free lifestyle can help to mitigate extreme, heightened emotions.
Balanced Lifestyle – Working 80 hours a week will likely not work for a highly sensitive person. Highly sensitive people need time to rest, be in touch with nature, and practice creativity and physical activity.
For more tips on your Highly Sensitive Nervous System, or to learn more about this approach, check out my therapeutic work at TherapywithAB.com