Sensitivity To Sensory Processing Doesn’t Have To Be A Problem
Sensory Processing Sensitivity is a relatively new psychological construct developed primarily by psychologists Elaine and Arthur Aron, who began writing about it during the 1990s.
Since then, we have been studying the implications that this phenomenon has on people’s lives, which today we understand as a characteristic halfway between a personality trait and a neurological predisposition.
Highly sensitive people, who are those with a marked Sensitivity to Sensory Processing have a nervous system with a greater intensity of reaction to stimuli and processing of emotions, which means that although they do not have to suffer from a disorder, they experience a series of recurring and characteristic needs and problems.
As we have seen, Sensitivity to Sensory Processing It is not an illness or a mental health disorder but rather it is something more similar to a personality trait that is shared, possibly, by about 15% of the population.
On the other hand, it has been observed that people with high scores in Sensitivity to Sensory Processing tend to have more activated brain regions associated with the regulation of attention and the integration of sensory information, as well as empathy and event planning. tasks.
All of this fits with the behavioral and psychological aspects that have been observed in highly sensitive people; Let’s see what they are.
As indicated, highly sensitive people They are able to perceive with greater intensity a wide variety of sensations and stimuli coming from their environment, as well as capturing a greater number of differential nuances between them.
2. They are more affected by intense stimuli
In addition to experiencing emotions intensely, highly sensitive people are also affected by intense stimuli, such as strong lights, smells or intense noise.
3. Strong emotionality
Another characteristic of this psychological predisposition is the intensity with which people with high sensitivity experience any type of alteration related to their own or another person’s emotional environment with which you interact, especially if it affects a close friend, family member or loved one.
Being very empathetic people, they are able to put themselves in the other person’s shoes at all times, they can perceive small emotional changes in the other person and they experience any type of emotion more intensely (both positive and negative).
4. Predisposition to seek calm and solitude
It is relatively common for social situations that others find normal to generate anxiety and stress due to the amount of information they receive, especially if they are in a place where there are many people around them.
In addition to that, these people have a harder time concentrating when they are in the company of others, so they generally prefer to work alone. However, this does not necessarily imply that they tend to be shy, since in this case what is characteristic is the fear of looking bad in front of others, not sensitivity to emotions and stimuli.
This It is due to the torrent of information and sensations they receive daily through their environment and also to the intensity with which they experience these sensations or emotions. This can lead to problems concentrating, as well as anxiety.
6. Ease of artistic expression
There are studies that suggest a probable greater predisposition to art and craft work on the part of highly sensitive people This fits with the idea that these are individuals with a sensitive, creative, contemplative and strongly emotional nature, which would make art an area in which they feel comfortable and in which they can express everything they feel according to their own rhythms and norms.
Likewise, creative and artistic professions require solitude and withdrawal that is ideal for people with high sensitivity.
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Sensitivity to Sensory Processing Doesn’t Have to Be a Problem
Many people with Sensory Processing Sensitivity do not even consider that they have a distinctive psychological trait that merits satisfying a series of needs that others easily cover. Others are overwhelmed by their daily experiences, but even in these circumstances, it is possible to lead a perfectly normal life.
The cases of people with high sensitivity who experience this phenomenon with a very high intensity They can overcome these kinds of difficulties through psychological support In therapy, they can “train” emotional processing and attentional focus management skills such as the following:
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