What Can A Highly Sensitive Person Assessment Reveal About You?

Highly sensitive people (HSP), as revealed in Dr. Elaine N Aron's book, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, display characteristics including sensitivity, keen observation, and depth of feeling. Potentially resulting from hypersensitivity of the nervous system, highly sensitive people may feel overwhelmed by loud or chaotic environments.

Throughout her book, Dr. Aron highlights the need to understand HSP and how these individuals can confront challenges in daily life. A highly sensitive person test may help you identify actionable steps to manage overstimulation. Talking with a therapist may give you additional tools to address your goals.

What to expect from a highly sensitive person assessment?

There are many ways to find a highly sensitive person test available online. However, the original highly sensitive person test is free on Dr. Elaine Aron's website. In addition, Dr. Aron's website offers a child version of the highly sensitive person test, which provides tips for supporting a highly sensitive child. High-quality generic versions of these tests can be found on sites including Loner Wolf and Oprah.com.

A highly sensitive person test often consists of several questions that assess whether you fit the HSP characteristics. They may not be accurate for everyone, so you may want to follow up with a therapist after taking the highly sensitive person test. However, many people have taken a highly sensitive person test and confirmed with a therapist that they are highly sensitive.

With the information from the highly sensitive person test, individuals have improved their quality of life and gained an understanding of advantageous traits associated with being highly sensitive, including potentially higher levels of empathy and greater artistic ability.

Traits of highly sensitive people

As a highly sensitive person, you may have a high sensitivity to the feelings of those around you. You may pick up on details that others often miss. However, less desirable traits may also occur in HSP, such as feeling overwhelmed by your heightened senses thanks to sensory processing sensitivity.

You may possess various positive traits, including creativity, empathy, deep emotional understanding, depth of thinking, and heightened intuition. These traits may make you a good problem-solver and listener.

Why do these characteristics appear in highly sensitive people?

In her book, Dr. Aron discusses new research regarding the connection between being a highly sensitive person and sensory processing sensitivities (SPS). For example, one study found that HSP showed higher-than-average levels of brain activation related to emotions, emotional memories, and emotional processing while looking at emotional pictures. 

Additional research has shown that highly sensitive people, in general, may be more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and stress. However, when HSP had greater mindfulness and acceptance attitudes, they were less anxious overall.

Strategies for highly sensitive people

Traits associated with being highly sensitive may pose challenges for some individuals. As an HSP, you may encounter overstimulation and experience the pain and emotions of the people around you. As a result, it could be valuable for you to find opportunities to relieve sensory overstimulation.

Self-care

Try to get adequate sleep, eat well, and engage in moderate exercise. Self-care may look different for different people. Engaging in something that benefits your body, mind, and soul may reduce stress and improve your ability to challenge overwhelming emotions.

Meditate

Dr. Aron emphasizes that HSP can learn to integrate their qualities better and care for themselves by making time for solitude or silence and setting boundaries with others. Highly sensitive people may need quiet space to prioritize themselves, reflect, decompress from the stress of work and relationships, and honor their inner life. HSP who cultivate inner silence and practice self-care may be more capable of supporting their own growth and those around them.

Identify triggers

Several things may be triggering for HSP. For example, some HSP can have high expectations of themselves, and others may fear rejection. 

Some people may experience physical symptoms caused by emotional stress, have difficulty being in large crowds, or experience high sensitivity to lights, sound, or scents thanks to sensory processing sensitivity. Awareness of your unique sensitivities and triggers may help you minimize stress and exposure to overstimulating events throughout your life.

Careers for sensitive people

Highly sensitive people may prefer work that can be conducted in a pleasing environment that doesn’t overwhelm their sensory processing. Loner Wolf identifies careers that may best support HSP, including massage therapy, counseling, visual arts, music, speech pathology, and writing.

Benefits of therapy for highly sensitive people

According to Dr. Aron, 15-20% of the population have HSP characteristics, which may be relatively common. You could develop a more profound sense of calm by making minor changes to your environment or lifestyle.

If changes do not reduce stress, seeking a licensed therapist specializing in HSP may be an option. A professional can help you understand your strengths and triggers. You may be used to being a listener, but a therapist can be there to listen to you. With a counselor, you can process your thoughts and emotions in a safe environment.

Because a highly sensitive person may take in new information constantly, it could take longer for them to settle into therapy. Therapy from the comfort of your own home and on your schedule might allow you to focus more readily than in unfamiliar surroundings. Studies have found no difference in the development of therapeutic relationships between in-person and online therapy. You can discuss your concerns with an online therapist from sites like BetterHelp. A variety of therapists are available to match with you.