By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-07 16:36:47 | Updated at 2025-01-08 14:50:40
22 hours ago
An expert has revealed 10 signs you may be a highly sensitive person - from needing regular alone time to experiencing an intense reaction to criticism.
Dr Lalitaa Suglani is a Birmingham-based clinical psychologist and the author of High-Functioning Anxiety A 5-step Guide To Calming The Inner Panic and Thriving.
She is also a content creator, often sharing posts about mental health topics on Instagram, where she has some 164,000 followers.
A recent post Dr Suglani shared online was titled Signs of a highly sensitive person (HSP).
In it, she listed the 10 signs, over video footage of herself drinking a cup of tea.
Being a highly sensitive person is not a clinical diagnosis, but rather considered a personality trait.
According to the American Psychological Association: 'The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale is a measure of sensory-processing sensitivity, which is conceptualised as involving both high levels of sensitivity to subtle stimuli and being easily overaroused by external stimuli.'
Dr Lalitaa Suglani (pictured) is a chartered psychologist based in Birmingham and the author of High-Functioning Anxiety A 5-step Guide To Calming The Inner Panic and Thriving
The term was coined by psychologist Elaine Aron in the mid-90s, and she has been researching the topic for decades.
According to the psychologist, HSP are a subset of the population, with some estimates saying that they make up around 15-20 per cent.
Those who are highly sensitive are high in a personality trait called sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS), Aron says.
Having high levels of SPS results in an individual displaying higher levels of emotional sensitivity.
They are also more reactive to stimuli - internal and external - like light, noise, and pain. Their inner life is described as 'complex'.
While not all HSP are introverts - ie, those who feel more energised after spending time alone - it is thought the majority, around 70 per cent, are.
Accompanying her Instagram post about the topic, Dr Suglani wrote a caption which said: 'Ever feel like you experience the world more deeply than others? It’s time you fully understood what this means!
'This year, embrace it and start learning to understand it more fully - it’s the key to thriving.'
Signs of being a HSP include experiencing heightened emotional responses and feeling overwhelmed by violent or negative media among others (stock image)
Her list of 10 items included:
1. Having a need for regular alone time
2. Experiencing intense reaction to criticism
3. Being easily overwhelmed by stimuli
4. Having a rich inner life and imagination
5. Having strong intuition and gut feelings
6. Having seep empathy and compassion
7. Experiencing heightened emotional responses
8. Having a sensitivity to noise, light, or texture
9. Feeling overwhelmed by violent or negative media
10. Experiencing discomfort in crowded or busy environments
Dr Suglani is not the only psychologist who has written about being a HSP.
Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Hampshire, boasts 4.8million followers on TikTok.
In a video shared last year, she listed five signs you may be a HSP, including being affected deeply by other people's moods and pain, saying these people often tend to be 'deeply affected' by violent films and seeing others in distress.
She continued by saying: 'Number two, when you're in a busy environment, you often feel the need to withdraw and be alone to get relief from the stimulation of those surroundings.'
Moving onto the third point, Dr Smith says when others try to overload you too many things at once, 'you quickly become overwhelmed by all the demands.'
'Number four, you hate change and avoid having a lot going on because of all the strong emotions that come with it,' she continued.
Dr Smith then revealed the last sign, which is when asked to compete or perform in front of others, you get bad nerves.
This nervousness then ends up meaning that you do a lot worse than you otherwise would've done.
Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Hampshire, has also shared information on the signs that you may be a HSP
However, Dr Smith noted, there are positive aspects to being a HSP.
She said that that if you are one, you are likely to be highly conscientious and able to concentrate deeply.
In addition, you might be especially good at tasks that demand accuracy and speed and detection of error.
Furthermore, you are more likely to be able to process material at a much deeper level.
And, she added, you might benefit from an ability to reflect on your own thinking and experience and developing self-awareness.
