Book: The Highly Sensitive Person
December 20th, 2014
The Highly Sensitive Person
0. Introduction
1. The Facts About Being Highly Sensitive: A (Wrong) Sense of Being Flawed
2. Digging Deeper: Understand Your Trait for All That It Is
3. General Health and Lifestyle for HSPs: Loving and Learning From Your Infant/Body Self
4. Reframing Your Childhood and Adolescence: Learning to Parent Yourself
5. Social Relationships: The Slide Into "Shy"
6. Thriving at Work: Follow Your Bliss and Let Your Light Shine Through
7. Close Relationships: The Challenge of Sensitive Love
8. Healing the Deeper Wounds: A Different Process for HSPs
9. Medics, Medications, and HSPs: "Shall I Listen to Prozac or Talk Temperament With My Doctor?"
10. Soul and Spirit: Where True Treasure Lies
x. References
0. Introduction
4 steps:
self knowledge - aka Body
reframing past => higher self-esteem, lower over-arousal
healing past
help with feeling ok when out in the world - aka Balance
label
+ feel normal
+ benefit from research of others
- misses uniqueness
1. The Facts About Being Highly Sensitive: A (Wrong) Sense of Being Flawed
facts
everyone feels best when neither too bored or too aroused
people differ in arousal (15-20% h)
arousal (!= fear)
trans-marginal-inhibition: shutdown point
causes:
fear
joy
newness
stress
fruits
better at spotting errors and avoid making errors
(highlyconscientious)
concentrate deeply (best without distractions)
vigilance, accuracy, speed, detect minor differences
processmaterialto deeper levels (semantic memory)
think about own thinking
learn without being aware we learned
affected by other people's moods & emotions
- when watched
- deeper processing -> slower
culture ideal
China shy/sensitive (Sweden, Japan)
Canada !=
"think about all the possible effects of an idea"
(E) think of 3 major changes in your life
loss or ending seemed bad
neutral
good
for each:
think about your response
consider response with what you know
think if there is anything to be done now
write down old&new views of the experience
2. Digging Deeper: Understand Your Trait for All That It Is
2 systems
Behavioral activation
move towards (new) things
curious, bold, impulsive
Behavioral inhibition (withdrawal) "automatic pause-to-check-system"
move away from things
alert, cautious, watchful
compare everything with past
normal -> OK
abnormal
pause
understand
OK
2 types of HSP
Low 1, Lower 2 calm, quiet, content with simple life
High 1, Higher 2 curious & cautious, easy bored, easyover-aroused=>narrowoptimal arousal
development according to Rothbard
birth
-> negative
HSP more irritable aka"highly reactive"
2M
-> behavioral activation system (1) -> active
- interest in new things
- anger & frustration when not getting what you want
high: easily angered
low: placid/good
6M
-> automatic pause-check-system active
- compare present vs past
- more subtle differences
- good experiences very important
10M
-> shift attention
-> decide how to experience something
-> stop a behavior
handle conflicts between the 2 systems:override
-imitation
-re-categorizing
-others'social help' (cf loving system)
-> trust others to help/rely on
cortisol
bad sleep <-> high cortisol <-> fear
lower long term stress reaction:
well attached caretakers
timely naps
uninterrupted sleep
lower cortisol => lower short-term alarms
3. General Health and Lifestyle for HSPs: Loving and Learning From Your Infant/Body Self
rest
sleep
need more sleep
regular sleep "respect naturalrhythm"(!night-shift/mixed-shift)
jet-lagrecovery
rest with eyes closed
"write off worries"
play (conscientious&perfectionist=> details != play)
fun != defined by non-hsp's
book, quiet dinner
vacation: cost ofcoming
downtime
transcendence (meditation, contemplation, prayer)
pure (!= physical, effort,concentration) -> most deep rest
consciousness
being
unity
oneness with god
eat
exercise
minerals
strategies -> over-arousal
re-frame
music
close eyes
walk
water (drink, listen, bath, look)
posture
nature
breath
smile
reposition
4. Reframing Your Childhood and Adolescence: Learning to Parent Yourself
steps for entering new situations
don'tgo alone
talk about the situation, focus on what is familiar & safe
allow yourself to go home if you need to
expect to be OK after adjusting
respondwith no more anxiety than the braver part thinks justified
"There sure is a lot going on here, it makes your heart pound with excitement doesn't it?"
By school-age, most
HSP-boys are introverts
HSP-girls don't have to put on the armor
"giftedness"
+ permits deviation from the norm
- pressured by adults
- self-worth -> achievements
appreciate yourself for being <-> doing
praise yourself for taking risks and learning new things <-> success
don't constantly compare <-> competition
give yourself opportunities to interact with other gifted people
don'tover-schedule: daydream, think
realistic expectations
don't hide abilities
be your own advocate, support your right to be yourself
accept narrow/broad interests
-> ch 6
5. Social Relationships: The Slide Into "Shy"
worry -> over-aroused
shyness:
fear others won't like us
state, not permanent
inaccurate
self-fulfilling
negative
social discomfort:
-> over-arousal
-> fear of over-arousal => over-arousal
leave
change atmosphere/ask others to
put up with it
put on your persona
5 ways to handle over-arousal in social situations
over-arousal != fear
1-on-1 with other HSP's
use arousal-reducing skills
develop a good persona (~= mask)
explain your trait to others -> 2 stereotypes
passive victim, weak, troubled
gifted, deep, powerful presence
"mystery" <-> sympathy
pity
royal adviser class
persona: choosing the level of openness
remember names
say them in the next sentence
say them in the minute
present an idea
practice
complain
practice
energy goes towards the quiet people
public speaking
prepare
practice
notes -> teach
recap
shyness is not your trait, it's a state everyone can feel
introverted social style is as valuable as the extroverted style
6. Thriving at Work: Follow Your Bliss and Let Your Light Shine Through
vocation ~= purpose/mission
-> choose : keep hsp in mind
sensitivity is the key in successful parenting
7. Close Relationships: The Challenge of Sensitive Love
hard, unrealistic crush -> after period of isolation
2 ingredients of normal love
liking certain things about the other
be declared to that she loves me
-> LOVE
High arousal
attributearousal to something
high level of arousal -> self expansion, excitement ->attractedto someone
Low self-esteem
after breakup
fear of being alone
over-arousal
faced with newfrightingsituations
work through something together
Finding HSP's
ask extravert
soft activities
-> noise/stimulation
2 HSP's
safe harbor
boring
HSP + non-HSP
differences grow
dummy area's <=> expert area's
take charge and decide you will stay home when fatigued
daily time alone
explain why you need the break
state when you'll be available again -> keep promise
resistance-> explain more deeply
HSP != excuse -> over-arousal is possible
fear of honest communication
over-arousal -> insensitive
!-> communicate
HSP's dread negative feelings
change
intuition ->imagine
becomes conscious
ground rules
name calling
muddling in past
abusiveconfidences
time-out (postpone)
positive meta-communication
reflective listening: say the feelings back
feelings are never wrong nor right
rejected parts
strength, power, toughness, insensible parts
irresponsibleunloving parts
need for others
need to be alone
anger
8. Healing the Deeper Wounds: A Different Process for HSPs
4 approaches
long - short
self - professional
individual - group therapy
self - family
cognitive-behavioral
interpersonal
physical
spiritual
(1)cognitive-behavioral
cognitive: how you think
behavioral: how you behave
ignores: feelings, unconscious motive
practical, rational, clear
(2)interpersonal psychotherapy
Freudian
Jungian
object-relations
gestalt
Rogerian
transactional analysis
existential
most electric therapies
talk
relationship -> counselor
group
(3)physical
exercise
improving nutrition
acupressure
herbal supplements
massage
ThaiChi
yoga
...
drugs
body changes mind
(4)spiritual
purpose
9. Medics, Medications, and HSPs: "Shall I Listen to Prozac or Talk Temperament With My Doctor?"
HSP's that are not stressed or shy are more healthy
more false alarms
sensitive to medication
-> over-arousal with medication
explain sensitivity
HSP's experience more pain
calmness -> less pain
role-play
decide ahead of time
instant arousal blocking drugs
anti-anxiety -> addictive
- librium (sleepy)
- valium (sleepy)
- zanex
relaxants: alcohol,opiates
stimulants:caffeine, amphetamines
herbal (tea) less
chamomile
lavender
passion flower
hobs
oat
Minerals
Ca
Mg
anti depressive
3 weeks to kick-in
long high stress => lessserotonin
highserotonin => high dominance
(?) youngest child => HSP?
very highserotonin= dangerous!
"quick fix does not exist" => "hard work in psychotherapy"
10. Soul and Spirit: Where True Treasure Lies
soul: more subtle
dreams
imagination
(very interested in ideas) silence
supportive, considerate
breaks accepted
talked about
half: soul spirit life that defined them
half: inner life, philosophy, religion, spiritual practices => new energy
organized religion: strongopinion
"priest class" 'sacred places'
-> creating & attending
introverted intuitive type: seer, prophet <->art
"we can only trust science" but science doesn'tanswerthe big questions
beliefs are not unchanging
poet -> rhilea
"HSP's lead in the search for wholeness
shadow: unethical impulseswechoose not to do
pursuit of wholeness balance = ambiguity
sensing dreams (unconscious)
intuiting active imagination(unconscious)
thinking
feeling
(E) Spiritual journey for a month
(E) experience weak points
x. References
Source URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highly_Sensitive_Person_%28book%29
(Concerning thedistinction between sensitivity and introversion, Aron and her husband Arthur Aron published a 1997 paper "Sensory-Processing Sensitivity and its Relation to Introversion and Emotionality."
Aron, Elaine M., and Aron, Arthur,"Sensory-Processing Sensitivity and its Relation to Introversion and Emotionality"(WebCite archive),Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,vol. 73, no. 2 (1997): 345–68.