Do highly sensitive people need a diagnosis and treatment?

A highly sensitive person is someone who displays increased sensitivity to physical, emotional or social stimuli.

Before understanding where it stems from or the potential ways to manage it, it's important to note that being highly sensitive is not a disorder. Rather, it's a personality trait. The term was first coined by Dr. Elaine Aron to describe individuals who experience intense emotions.

Highly sensitive person traits often include feeling deeply both positive and negative emotions. They are more vulnerable to feeling emotions than others in a highly stimulating environment.

Additionally, they are people with a strong sense of empathy and compassion. While being sensitive is not a problem in itself, individuals with this trait are often considered 'too needy' or 'too touchy.'

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Highly sensitive person diagnosis

Being sensitive is not an issue. (Image via Freepik/)

As high sensitivity is not a condition in itself, there are no diagnostic tests available for it.

However, there are some inventories that mental health professionals may use to gauge your level of sensitivity. Reaching out to a therapist is also at your discretion. If you feel that your sensitivity is affecting your life, it makes sense to reach out to a professional.

Professionals generally observe your life experiences, personality traits and past history before assessing how being sensitive affects you. You can also learn to regulate how you feel, especially in professional settings.

Avoid searching for online tests for emotional sensitivity. Rather, reach out to a professional who can help you identify emotional and thought patterns.

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What causes HSP?

What causes us to feel sensitive? (Image via Vecteezy/Andrii Shevchuk)

The reasons for being a highly sensitive person can be multi-layered. Some may have sensory sensitvity concerns.

It's not only their mind that feels for others but also their bodies. Naturally, that can be a very overwhelming experience. You end up experiencing emotions so intensely and feel affected by everything around you.

It's also possible that there are some internal changes that make your brain more sensitive than others. Your brain potentially sees twice emotionally than what it is.

One potential reason for that is you may have grown up in a highly stimulating environment. It means that you grew up feeling extremely emotional and didn't have the resources to cope with it. Emotional sensitivity is also linked to past traumatic experiences.

Being a highly sensitive person is generally a blend of personality traits. Our personal life evolve over time, so reflecting on our past patterns may be helpful to understand their origin.

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That naturally brings our attention to the question: Is there a highly sensitive person treatment?

That largely depends on how disruptive your sensitivity is. Would you want to be in therapy because your functioning is disrupted or because you see it as potentially 'uncool'? In any case, therapy can help manage stress when you are a highly sensitive person.

Being an emotionally sensitive person in an invalidating and cognitively driven culture can be difficult. By recognising that this trait is a part of your personality, you can learn to self-regulate and also see it as a strength.

Remember, being emotionally sensitive is often beneficial not only to you, but also to others around you.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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