According to various investigations, there are at least 8 types of highly sensitive people, which are categorized according to the sensory experience that prevails in each individual. Highly sensitive people, also known as PAS, have as their main characteristic that they experience everyday situations with greater intensity than ordinary people.
Do you think you are a highly sensitive person? Do you know someone who you think is? For you to identify the highly sensitive types of people and its characteristics, in this Psychology-Online article, we will give you all the information you need. In this way, you will be able to know if any of these types corresponds to you or to someone in your environment.
Index
- What it means to be a highly sensitive person
- Characteristics of PAS people
- empathic people
- orchid children
- Sensitive to sensory stimulation
- defensive sensory
- thin limit PAS
- Fanciful highly sensitive people
- excitable PAS
- People highly sensitive to electricity
What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person.
A highly sensitive person is someone who has a unique ability to process sensory and emotional information of his environment with great intensity and depth. That is to say, he perceives in a more intense and profound way the situations and feelings of others, which allows, among other things, to have a great empathy and understanding of the needs and emotions of the people who surround.
From a psychological point of view, the medical term "PAS" was coined for the first time in 1996 by the American psychologist and researcher Elaine Aron, who is herself an HSP or PAS person for short English. PAS people are often very detail-aware, noticing nuances and subtleties that others may miss.
In addition, they are very perceptive people and can easily become overwhelmed in situations that involve a lot of sensory stimulation, such as noisy crowds or places with a lot of movement because Your central nervous system is very sensitive. However, this does not mean that it is a condition, much less a pathology, but that each individual is different and unique in terms of their way of perceiving emotions and stimuli.
Characteristics of PAS people.
These are the main characteristics of highly sensitive people, regardless of their type:
- They have deep perception and a unique ability to perceive sensory and emotional information from your environment in profound and intense ways.
- Their empathy is sincere and they can understand the emotions of others, allowing them to connect with people in authentic and deep ways.
- They experience great emotional sensitivity, so they are very aware of their own emotions and can be very sensitive to the emotions of others.
- They tend to have great intuition and they can instinctively feel what is right and what is not.
- they are very perceptive to sensory stimuli such as sounds, lights, smells, tastes, textures, and may feel overwhelmed in noisy environments, with many people or visual stimulation.
In addition, they are also very creative and may have a great ability to find innovative solutions to problems. Next we will explain each of the types of highly sensitive people and how they are identified, taking take into account the classification developed by Dr. Elaine Aron, author of the book "The Highly Sensitive Person". In the following article you will find more information about the Characteristics of Highly Sensitive People (PAS).
Empathic people.
This is the type of highly sensitive people best known because they are individuals who they are very empathic with others and they identify in an exceptional way with the emotional and mood states of those around them.
These types of PAS people are very sensitive to images and facial expressions, since their amygdala is more sensitive to external activities.
Orchid children.
Orchid children are those who show increased biological and psychological sensitivity to stressors and emotions. These boys or girls are more prone to developing mental and physical health problems, such as anxiety, depression, behavior problems, sleep disorders, and chronic illnesses.
However, if they develop in a suitable environment, they can be people with great qualities and abilities that benefit their environment.
Sensitive to sensory stimulation.
People sensitive to sensory stimulation feel overwhelmed by sensory stimulation, such as loud noises, strong odors, or bright lights. These types of people may prefer quiet environments and have a low tolerance for sensory stimulation.
In addition, their mental processes are deeper, so they usually experience pain, pleasure, passion, and sensory stimuli with a high depth.
Defensive Sensory.
These people may be more sensitive to stimuli such as noise, bright lights, textures, strong odors, crowds, among others. They can also react with irritability, discomfort, pain, anxiety or even with a sensory overload in situations that involve these stimuli.
Defensive sensory people also experience a great discomfort or discomfort in noisy environments, with a lot of visual stimulation, in places with a lot of people, with bright lights or with extreme temperatures. They may also have great difficulty adjusting to sudden changes in their environment or daily routine.
thin border PAS.
A highly sensitive borderline thin person is someone who has a very high emotional sensitivity and at the same time presents Characteristics of Borderline Reality Disorderd with what fantasy or dreams are, so it is very difficult for him to make that differentiation.
Fanciful highly sensitive people.
This is one of the more complicated types of PAS because can be confused with a mental disorder due to the characteristics. For example, they are people who live in a fantasy world, they may have imaginary friends or even idealize scenarios that are not real.
excitable PAS.
They are highly sensitive people who are easily overwhelmed by their own emotions and the emotions of others. They tend to be very aware of their feelings and they may feel anxious or stressed in intense emotional situations.
People highly sensitive to electricity.
Finally, this kind of highly sensitive person get uncomfortable with bright lights and They avoid all kinds of electrical storm. In addition, they often experience psychic episodes and react strongly to stress and pressure. They can be very perfectionist and self-demanding, and they can feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks and responsibilities they have.
It's important to put attention on these categories are not exclusive and that a highly sensitive person can identify with several of these types. Also, each person is unique, so you may not identify with any of these categories.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of highly sensitive people, we recommend that you enter our category of Emotions.
Bibliography
- Aaron, E. (1996). The Highly Sensitive Person. Broadway Books.
- deBeijl, K. Z. (2016). Highly Sensitive People: Find out if you are and learn to manage the day to day in your relationships, work, with your children.... The Sphere of Books.
- Pardo, R. (2018). highly sensitive people. Editorial Desclee de Brouwer.
