There is not only a history of stigma associated with sensitivity but also a tendency for social media to spread misinformation about highly sensitive people (HSPs). It can be challenging to decipher the facts from fiction.
As an HSP therapist, I am writing this post to provide clarity about what possessing the trait of high sensitivity looks like and to reduce the stigma surrounding being an HSP through evidence-based research.
Myth 1: High sensitivity is a mental disorder.
“High sensitivity” has been known by various names over the past four decades. According to Dr. Elaine Aron, different researchers have called the trait “sensory processing sensitivity” (SPS), “low sensory threshold,” “affect negativity,” and “biological sensitivity to context.” No matter the label, high sensitivity—the innate condition where sensory info is processed especially deeply—is a real, experimentally consistent genetic variation. And it is found not just in humans but in over 100 animal species as well, ranging from “fruit flies to primates” (Aron, 2010). Aron and her colleagues posit that high sensitivity is not a disorder; it is a unique neurological wiring that allows HSPs to be more perceptive of and responsive to their environment.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the standard classification system for mental health conditions in the United States, seems to agree. That said, the manual does not include a diagnosis for Highly Sensitive Person. One reason the DSM may refrain from including HSPs is that inclusion in the manual requires that the “disorder” cause significant distress or dysfunction across multiple domains of an individual’s life. Many HSPs report that their sensitivity is life-enhancing rather than life-disrupting.
While high sensitivity is not a mental disorder, research does show that HSPs are more negatively impacted by criticism, chaotic environments, and emotional neglect than non-HSPs. HSPs process those situations more intensely, leading to a deeper emotional response and increased rumination.
This makes intuitive sense. If you respond more strongly to a difficult event, you will feel an increased emotional toll. It is important to note, however, that HSPs who grew up in supportive environments experience what Granneman and Sólo (2003) call the Sensitive Boost Effect, which “allows sensitive people to springboard far beyond others when they are given basic support.”
In summary, HSP is not a disorder in itself; however, HSPs who grew up in invalidating or traumatizing environments are unfortunately more inclined to develop specific mental health challenges like major depressive disorder than non-HSPs who grew up in those same environments.
Myth 2: You have to be introverted to be highly sensitive.
Not all HSPs are introverted. Elaine and Arthur Aron (1997) first made this assertion in an article that presented sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) as a distinct construct that cannot be fully explained by introversion or neuroticism alone. Later, Kamila Smolewska and colleagues (2006) demonstrated that approximately 30 percent of HSPs identified as extroverted. So, while the majority of HSPs lean introverted, a significant minority—nearly one in three—do not.
One common reason introversion became equivocated with high sensitivity is that HSPs frequently interact with their environment in ways that mirror behaviors commonly associated with introverted people.
All HSPs have nervous systems that are working in overdrive. As a result, both introverted and extroverted HSPs will often leave a social setting early to get extra sleep, choose to socialize in settings with less sensory input to avoid overstimulation, or complete a task in solitude to concentrate better.
Yes, these kinds of behaviors are typically associated with introversion, but they do not tell the whole story. The fact is, many HSPs are outgoing types energized by social interactions, despite sometimes needing to make modifications.
Myth 3: Sensitivity is a weakness.
High sensitivity is not a disadvantage; it is beneficial to our survival.
Think about it: Your ancestor who more deeply processed stimuli before barging into a cave was less likely to end up as a bear’s breakfast. High sensitivity has other desirable advantages, including enhanced compassion and creativity.
One study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the neural basis of SPS and found increased activity in brain regions associated with empathy (e.g., the insula and anterior cingulate cortex) among HSPs viewing emotional facial expressions, highlighting greater social awareness. Empathy and social awareness are advantageous traits—who do you want as a better friend, partner, or parent?
Additionally, as employees, HSPs are more likely to be leaders and more proactive. A 2024 study of art students found that high sensitivity was positively linked to the desire for leadership roles. Similarly, a 2022 study reported that employees high in aesthetic sensitivity (awareness of subtleties and positive stimuli) were more likely to take initiative at work than others.
So, if sensitive people have so many great capabilities, where did the pervasive idea of their being “weak” originate? Well, in our culture (particularly in the West), people tend to wrongly associate “strength” with heartlessness. Growing up, we all hear a version of that message over and over, whether explicitly or implicitly. HSPs are constantly reminded of our cultural fears that only the callous can survive, that they will not be taken seriously if they are emotional, and that empathetic people naturally get taken advantage of.
The reality is that while being sensitive can certainly lead to some challenges, sensitivity is a net strength, one that can facilitate success interpersonally and professionally.
psychologytoday.com
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