I understand that on social media the question keeps arising about various health issues to which HSPs seem to be more prone–illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and migraines. The short answer: It may be an HSP also has an illness that they see as related to their sensitivity. But there is no clear research evidence that being an HSP directly causes any physical illness.
That was the short answer. Now the long answer. A shortened version of this will be on Psychology Today. This may be the longest blog I have written. I thought of dividing it into two parts, but I feel it all belongs together. So please be patient if I did not proof read it perfectly.
What Is SPS, Really?
In a moment I will discuss the six actual research studies done so far that found an association between SPS (sensory processing sensitivity, another term for the trait) with health problems. But remember, an association or correlation, another term for the same thing, does not mean causation. (By the way, if you are poking around on the internet looking at illnesses, don’t get our “HSP” confused with the initials for Henoch-Schönlein purpura!)
So let’s be clear about what SPS actually is, because it is literally hard to see. SPS is one of two largely invisible survival strategies found in many species. One strategy, employed by the majority, does not involve paying attention to the details of situations, and they do fine as long as these details do not matter very much, which is true most of the time. They dash into situations or ignore them, always without a great deal of consideration. (See Max Wolf and others on “Evolutionary emergence of responsive and unresponsive personalities,” published in 2008, although I warn you it is difficult reading.)
A substantial minority, in humans those we call HSPs, are using a different survival strategy. They do pay attention to the details, and sometimes that pays off. There is not much to see, however. when people are just paying attention and thinking about what they are observing. That is why the trait can seem almost invisible. HSPs simply soak up their environments and adapt.
Usually we are adapting to a social environment. All animals need to find food and reproduce, and in humans most of this occurs in a highly social world–jobs, dating, family life, friendships, support groups, etcetera. I am going to argue that when all goes well, HSPs are largely invisible within most social environments. Other people may notice that they think deeply, notice details others miss, or have a great deal of empathy for others. Sometimes they are noticed for preferring quiet or avoiding noisy, chaotic situations. But most HSPs usually learn how to tolerate some over stimulation if is brief and generally to fit in and not make a “big deal” of their needs, even if they do feel a bit different than others.
Of course, HSPs do feel different, always being a minority. Why always a minority? Not because this strategy of observing is not as good as one of ignoring details. Its usefulness depends on the situation. The example I like to use is a traffic jam (rather than famines or fires). If only a few people know their city well enough to find a short cut around a traffic jam, the short cuts remains a short cut. When everyone figures out the short cut, it fills up with traffic and ends up taking just as long. But generally, HSPs fit in well enough with others.
Differential Susceptibility Determines Our Visibility–The Visible HSP is the Stressed HSP
HSPs are not always invisible, however. The only problem with this strategy of learning to adapt to the people around us is that, for all humans, much of that learning occurs in childhood, and humans tend to be conservative—the safest strategy is to expect people to keep treating us in the way they did in the past. (Remember that for later.) However, if what a person learned in childhood about how to behave and what to expect from others is not working in adulthood, that person may become more visible, whether an HSPs or not, until they make a better adaptation. For example, if someone grew up thinking everyone is always honest, the people around them will probably hear about the first time they are victims of a scam. But since HSPs in particular absorb the details of childhood, if it was a difficult childhood. that can result in their being, very very visible.
This characteristic of HSPs that we are more affected than others by our childhood is an example of “differential susceptibility,” the concept developed and well researched by Jay Belsky and Michael Pluess. Sticking to what we learned in childhood through noticing all the details gives us a huge advantage if the people around us loved us, made us feel secure, were reasonable when conflicts arose, and taught us behaviors that would help us adapt as we grew up. We absorb this good stuff better than other children in the same good environment. Naturally we grow up expecting to be liked and to like others.
Under these good-enough conditions, our trait is, as I said, mostly invisible, in that we fit in nicely into a “nice” social world. Sure, we may feel different, get easily overstimulated, and have trouble setting firm boundaries. But mostly we hide all that and enjoy ourselves. We are curious, processing everything deeply, and feel deep empathy, which tends to make others enjoy our company.
The problems arise if we had a different sort of childhood. Maybe we felt threatened by the people around us and had to learn to adapt to that. Maybe we learned as children not to trust people, or that getting our needs met required being extra nice or clever. As a result, even as adults we may doubt that people really care about us, and we think we must work hard to get a bit of love and respect. We are anxious, shy, or crazy overachievers. Or maybe we were harshly punished or bullied, so even now we are always watching out for trouble, ready to defend ourselves. Or we expect to be defeated, leaving us feeling hopeless and depressed.
HSPs with childhoods that left them with these outdated rules—outdated in the sense that most people around them are not intending to criticize, reject, or attack them–are often very noticeable for their anxiety, depression, defensiveness, or their fear of defeat or rejection. They may feel victimized, even for being HSPs. Plus, all this expecting the worst means even ordinary interactions can feel stressful for them. (At least until they unlearn those conservative strategies in therapy or in healthier relationships or through enough success to make them feel socially secure.)
These HSPs who had difficult childhoods are visible above all for being stressed. Of course, “high functioning” HSPs with good childhoods can be stressed, too, if their current environment is stressful. But again, with their good-enough childhood, they can often avoid or at least manage brief stressful situations.
But It’s Not That We Must Have Good Childhoods–It’s That Our Sensitivity Prepares us for an Expectable Future
What most fascinates me, however, is that the trait is not about needing to have a good childhood in order to function well as an adult, but it is, again, learning so well from what we observe. In particular it is about learning from our childhood environment what we need in order to survive in the assumed-to-be-the-same environment as an adult. If ever in doubt what SPS refers to, remember this study:
In a paper titled “Role of childhood adversities and environmental sensitivity in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in war-exposed Syrian refugee children and adolescents” (rather than full citations, I am giving you what you need to find an article in Google Scholar), data from 549 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon was collected. There were data on childhood adversities (neglect, abuse, fighting in the family, etc.) plus their exposure to war traumas (unable to leave home due to bullets and bombs, seeing people die or be tortured, etc.), the Highly Sensitive Child Scale, and an assessment of their degree of PTSD.
Although childhood adversities, war events, and sensitivity were all significantly related to PTSD, previous childhood adversities before the war were the most important variable in predicting PTSD. But look at this: HSCs who had experienced lower childhood adversities had the highest level of PTSD. Those HSCs with high childhood adversity experienced the least PTSD. Here is the essence of SPS. It seems that high childhood adversity prepared sensitive children in particular for the adversities of war, while a “good” childhood least prepared them. So it was not having a good upbringing, but the match between earlier childhood and later events that led to the least stress and the best outcome, if we can call it that. The trait does not make us fragile or stress-prone. It is designed to prepare us for the life we will live in the future.
Research on Health Outcomes for HSPs
I promised to tell you about the actual research on health and SPS. There are six studies that I know of.
- In 2006 Benham found an association between SPS and physical symptoms—including back pain, diarrhea, heartburn, and sore throat—in American university students.
- In contrast, in 2016 Grimen and Diseth found in their study of Norwegian university students that there was no clear correlation between SPS and “subjective health complaints.” When they looked at the three factors found in the HSP Scale (more on that later) individually, they did find a relationship for two of the three, but the personality trait of neuroticism was a better predictor of having such complaints.
- Takahashi and others, in a 2020 study of SPS and “dispositional mindfulness” (the personality trait of being less reactive or judging of emotions, being able to describe feelings, and acting with awareness in the present) found that HSPs also having this trait reported fewer physical symptoms. Like Grimen and Diserth, they found the association with physical complaints only with two of the HSP subscales.
- Imura and Tagasugi (2022) used a large adult sample and tried to control for more socioeconomic variables (but not degree of stress) and found a low but statistically significant correlation between SPS and gastrointestinal symptoms, although they are very clear that correlation does not mean they know the cause of this connection.
- These four studies only looked at symptom checklists, not diagnosed illness. A 2017 study by Goldberg and associates did consider a genuine illness and found an association between SPS and Type I diabetes in adolescence. However, this type of diabetes often begins when a youth is under stress. So we are back to studying stress, and HSPs only indirectly.
- Finally, Benham (who did the first study above, in 2006) and his colleagues published in 2023 “The pathway from sensory processing sensitivity to physical health: Stress as a mediator.” Looking for and finding a mediator is how you try to get at the causation, the source of a correlation, this time between SPS and health, and stress was the clear mediator. It is what lies between SPS and health.
(In 2010 in Iran Ahad and Basharpoor found a relationship between individual factors of the HSP Scale and a variety of measures, including measures of health, but they never looked at the trait as a whole.)
Medical research is clear that stress is the biggest contributor to all health problems. Because HSPs are affected more by their environment than others, including stressful situations, often made more stressful by lessons learned from stressful childhoods, in that sense HSPs are definitely more prone to any health problem that is increased by stress, including catching a virus because of a weakened immune system or spraining an ankle because of being too stressed to notice where they are walking! But from the research so far, stress is the problem, not a direct connection between highly sensitive any particular illness.
The Difficulties in Studying SPS and Physical Health
HSPs whose health is severely compromised are sometimes surprised that there is not more research on how much more HSPs suffer from specific illnesses or general poor health compared to others. Alas, it is a frustratingly big step from personal experience to research confirmation, but let’s understand it so you can understand future articles on the subject.
First, HSPs with a long history of stress are a subgroup of HSPs, so a good study must measure stress and see if HSPs are more prone to illnesses whatever their stress. But that brings us to a second problem, even if you could know a person’s stress level, to establish that all HSPs are prone to a particular physical problem, one would have to get a nearly perfect sample of all types of HSPs from all over the world, all ages, all socioeconomic and education levels, and above all, the quality of childhood and general life adversities and advantages, in order to compare them to the incidence of the particular problem in the general population. (Getting that is also difficult, but for some illnesses there would be data.) It seems that in North America and Northern Europe, white males with advanced educations and loving parents who supported them in whatever interests they wanted to pursue, are quite different from HSPs not enjoying these advantages, and no doubt healthier than most of the population. But it would be difficult to include them in a survey given that they may not even know they are HSPs. Indeed, sensitive men generally score lower on the HSP Scale, even though there is evidence that they are as frequent at birth as HS girls. A thorough sampling of HSPs would also have to include those who are illiterate or can read but do not have internet access.
Instead, you may find studies on the internet, probably not published in any reputable scientific journal, that only looked at the percentage of HSPs having an illness or chronic problem. Perhaps they were the percentage coming to a clinic or subscribing to a newsletter for those with the problem. The results were probably that some large percentage of those with the problem are HSPs. With no comparison group, that means less than nothing—except that perhaps someone who is selling a treatment is trying to convince HSPs in particular that they need it.
Third, asking people about their health complaints or even lack of complaints fails to measure superior health. But given differential susceptibility, to understand health and SPS one has to look at the vantage sensitivity side–for example, lower than average blood pressure or better sleep. Many HSPs will not just lack problems, but be healthier than others, having been more attentive to prevention or to what is especially health-promoting for them personally. They may even indicate the same number of problems or even more, being very attentive to their health, but also, overall, be healthier. A study of HSPs and health must have a measure of better than average health.
Fourth, there is the problem of the measurement of SPS. As I have said elsewhere, the HSP Scale is being revised. It is good enough for many purposes, and was designed to measure only one thing, high sensitivity. But if you force a questionnaire with many diverse items into a factor analysis (a statistical process of identifying clusters of items), multiple subfactors have to emerge, in this case Ease of Excitation, Low Sensory Threshold, and Aesthetic Sensitivity. But a factor analysis does not work very well in this case. The first two factors are almost identical and focus entirely on the problem of overstimulation. The third, constituting only 7 of the 25 items, is not really about aesthetic sensitivity so much as that 6 of the 7 are the only items worded positively! (A recent study looked only at the Aesthetic Sensitivity factor and health-related quality of life, but that is not really a study of SPS.)
In short, the current HSP Scale only minimally measures our response to positive stimuli, empathy, and depth of processing. With this bias towards the negative, people who are having a negative experience of being overstimulated will naturally score higher on the measure used in these studies, and these same HSPs are more likely to be under stress and report physical complaints, greatly adding to the association between SPS and physical problems.
Finally, but perhaps most important, being more sensitive to physical stimuli, HSPs are more likely to notice a physical sensation and register it as a complaint on checklists like those used in all but one of these studies. Indeed, one of the items on the HSP Scale is about being more sensitive to pain. Those who are not HSPs may not consider the same level of problem as something to list as a complaint. (“Yeah, my feet hurt. No big deal.”) Thus, from the perspective of a health professional deciding on a diagnosis, HSPs may not have more health diagnoses, but suffer more from the ones they have.
What About the Medication Study?
You may be wondering now about the problems that might be lurking in the study I mentioned in the newsletter on sensitivity to medication. Of course, it is actually unrelated to health problems, since a person might be very healthy but still have noticed such a sensitivity. But it is worth looking at the steps we took to avoid some of the actual problems. About the issue of trying to get a representative sample of all HSPs, that was helped a tiny bit by using three separate samples—two of university students and one online. In each case these were selected from a general population, not those thought to be HSPs, so the full range of SPS in at least those populations was hopefully included.
The HSP Scale’s limitations were still there. But one would not expect stress and being overstimulated to affect very much being sensitive to medications, which is probably a more fundamental attribute. A person might be very healthy and not stressed, but still know they are sensitive to medications. Further, all subjects took a separate measure of negative affect so that being anxious, depressed, feeling stressed and so forth could be “partialled out” or “controlled for” statistically, and sensitivity to medications remained when that was done. HSPs being more sensitive to physical stimuli and pain is probably a major contributor to sensitivity to medication, but linking that sensitivity to medication was a reason for the study, not a flaw in it
Finally, a limit of this study is that it relies on self-report. Still, it is a valuable step in deepening our knowledge of SPS, and HSPs can now cite research evidence when they explained to their medical professionals that they are more sensitive to medications.
Bottom Line: A huge amount of research indicates that the key to good health for everyone is reducing stress as much as possible. That means that you as an HSP, by giving stress reduction your attention, can be healthier than others. Yes, you get stressed by being overstimulated. But you can figure out how to avoid that. You can meditate, make rest a priority, eat right, exercise, and set boundaries. Stop listening to the news. Change jobs if you have to. Hire help. Find a way.
If something is stopping you from reducing your stress level, it is probable that you had a difficult childhood. Maybe you learned some bad habits as a child or, worse, you got the message from your caregivers that your physical well-being was not very important. So do what you have to do to get over all that!
Maybe you are thinking of those Syrian refugees and that any adversity you suffered as a child should only make it easier to handle stress in adulthood. But who wants to grow up prepared to deal with living in a war zone? Most of us live in a very mixed world in which there is very little violence and ample opportunity to find meaning and some happiness if we can stay rested.
You cannot eliminate stress. It is part of life. But look around you at what stresses other people, and what stresses you in particular. As an HSP it is your nature to observe your world and then use what you have seen to find a better way. You can do that!
I have an HSP child. Now an adult. I wish I knew about this when she was growing up. I would have done a few things differently. Trying my best to make up for it now. Is it too late?
KNG, it’s not too late. You did the best you could at the time. I have 2 HSP children (ages 36 and 38) now and I am also HSP (age 65). There are many things I wish I could have done differently when I was a younger mom but I didn’t have the knowledge or tools as I didn’t even understand my own sensitivity. I am learning to forgive myself for my past choices as I did the best I could at that time and now I am focusing on living my life in the present moment with more wisdom and selfcare. I have a good relationship with my adult children as we all now understand about being HSP.
I am a HSP and was emotionally neglected due to my father being extremely demanding and controlling, my mother was terrified of the repercussions if she didn’t cater to him.. it took 3 decades but my mother has taken full accountability and acknowledged her regrets and apologized, she lets me explain my wounds and struggles and has repeatedly said how she wishes she knew and realized what was happening showing remorse and regret (which I remind her I understand how she was stuck and caught up and did the best she could). We are extremely close now and build each other up, influence each other for the better and can resolve any fights or misunderstandings. I am still wounded however my mother has shown through actions and conversations that it wasn’t neglect on purpose and the support we have for each other has helped us start to feel our feelings freely without judgment or repercussions, allowing both of us to breath and fully be ourselves and accepting and respecting each other. My mom has acknowledged it is difficult to hear my feelings and perspective but she also knows that when I’m angry/hurt about it, it is really aimed at my father and not meant to hurt her… so please keep in mind it may be difficult to hear but your child may need that acknowledgment it may make all the difference! A parent that is self aware like you seem to is a parent who cares and is open to learn to continue to be a better parent, not many parents are willing to do this and it makes a world of difference. I would of ended my life a long time ago if my mother wasn’t capable of learning and growing and bettering herself. Good luck and good for you for being aware and caring regarding this. I am so sorry for the rambling and repetition.
Hi Nikki,
Thank you for your post. It got me reflecting on my own parents. Your first sentence matches my own situation: “…was emotionally neglected due to my father being extremely demanding and controlling, my mother was terrified of the repercussions if she didn’t cater to him.” I am so very thankful to learn there are people in the world like your mother, who eventually came to have and express compassion and understanding for her HSP child.
I grew up in a similar setting. My mother had here hands full, working full time and raising six kids, all one year apart — plus all the put downs and disrespectful treatment at the hands of her husband, my father, the man we all feared.
I am 72. Both parents are now passed away, but I never received any apologies, regret discussions, or even compassion….I believe that’s because they were both very emotionally immature people (and perhaps ‘young spirits’). We didn’t know anything about HSP, but I have always known I was different from others.
I treasure coming to understand my mother over the past couple decades, not because of anything she or my father said or did, but because of my HSP traits.
I came to see she did the best she could. Looking back at certain periods, I now see she was near mental collapse, exhausted to her core, and had nothing more to give anybody — she was barely hanging on, trying to survive. I hate recognizing that, but grateful at the same time for that insight.
More recently, I’m working on trying to understand my father. There’s progress, but it’s proving much harder. I don’t yet believe he did the best he could, and maybe that’s what’s holding me back.
Thanks to being HSP, just maybe I’ll get there still.
I am HSP and I think it is possible that our bodies are wired differently. The Body Keeps the Score (book) concept is taken next level for the body of someone that is a HSP. The research will eventually catch up to what we know through our lived experience. Thanks for the great blog post. It is helpful for me to recognize this attribute.
I’ve been in therapy most of my life. I have a dozen triggers ranging from physical triggers such as glare, Led and artificial lighting, fragrances, tobacco smoke, synthetic fabrics, tags on clothing, visually observing any living organism suffering and in pain, sunlight if it causes flickering or strobing, sun glare, food aversions to taste or even just smelling (onions, garlic, bacon etc.) So many other triggers as well..cannot/ will not watch violence or films depicting horror. I’ve suffered from migraines forever as a young child and now. I have autoimmune issues that are potentially quite serious, neurocardiogenic reflex syncope (fainting/ blacking out/ loss of consciousness) which occurs when confronted with physical pain or witnessing others in pain. My life has been spent working with medically fragile orthopedically involved children with intense special needs. I am certain this has been my calling and my reason for being born. I cannot tolerate and choose not to be around those who have little or no empathy to others suffering….( humans or animals). A psychoanalyst I once saw told me that our bodies remember and store any invasive trauma or memories of those experiences. Even under anesthesia during surgery ..we cannot feel the pain and don’t recall the procedures, but our body remembers everything..as in the book Our Bodies Keep the Score. Thank you for all that you are doing Dr. Aron
Yes!! I consider myself an HSP. I had two procedures that required a light anaesthetic and two surgeries (a full hysterectomy and 3 months later an emergency appendectomy – talk about the body keeping the score!) all in the space of one year (2017). I developed chronic pain that I still deal with today to a certain degree. I felt like I went from being a 57 yr old to an 87 year old at the speed of light. The doctors, specialists and surgeons have always dismissed the connection I’ve made between the anaesthetic, the surgeries and the chronic pain, but i know my body better than they ever could. Hopefully one day they will listen to us.
Agree!
Kristin..I feel the same way..that we are neurologically wired differently …
Yes, exactly! Plus, it appears, that our HSP brains can be “rewired” more easily than non-HSPs. I had a very difficult childhood that included abandonment, which became my biggest fear. When I was, eventually, abandoned by my husband of 25 years, the worst had been realized. Then what? Like they say, when you hit bottom the only place to go is up! Through a lot of hard work, I have recovered from my life as it was and have been making more of the person I want to be, not the person I was raised to be. I love that being HSP is full of possibilities along with all the sensitivities.
Hi Sheryl, I have experienced rewiring of my brain the way you describe. It is a revelation to me and truly hard work sometimes (to balance understanding the past, comforting self, and to regularly / consciously relax.) I fit half the criteria for HSP, and had about equal parts being loved as a child, and having difficulties happening around me. I know people who have had awful childhoods who are doing their chosen ‘work’ and are seeing rewiring occur also.
I found that after I did the ‘work’ and then learned to deeply relax through mediation and hypnotherapy with a PhD trained therapist, that the rewiring started to take effect more effortlessly. The ‘work’ became habit, which encouraged more self-comforting, which allowed more ‘work’. Plus knowing when to pause and enjoy new and wonderful things in life/ nature.
I’m 68 yrs old and have had therapy off and on for 40 yrs – now I’m so grateful for the new research such as the Drs. Aron and many others.
Thank you, Dr. Aron, for your lucid and useful report of the research. The message of resilience is much appreciated.
Fantastic and thorough description of the challenges of research in this area. You’ve managed to point out important pitfalls while still encouraging us to keep at it! And you’re clearly modifying your own tools and methods … the process of good science!
Dear dr Aron,
Thank you very much for what you’ve been doing for years.
I have discovered this phenomenon just several months ago by trying to understand my HS child that is now 5 years old.
I discovered you through the work of Zana Erdeljan, who brought this knowledge to this part of the world.
By reading some of her content made for parents about the HS children, I couldn’t help but cry. For the first time in my life (I am 32) I felt that I am not the only one that feels a bit “different” and that there is someone who understands me. It helped me understand myself better and stop blaming myself for being too sensitive.
As for the physical issues, whole my life I had migraines, very often sore throat, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto syndrome. I have intestinal problems, like Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
I intuitively knew that this is related to my sensitivity. I am very sensitive to the noise, light, and so much to the hair pulling.
For the psychological symptoms, I have all or almost all of them described above.
But I have managed to have a healthy life, I am surrounded by the loving people and I feel I handle it more or less successfully now.
I am about to read your book Sensitivity and how to overcome it (not sure about the original title as it is translated to the Serbian).
Once again, thank you for helping us know how to get the most out of this trait and be thankful for it.
Best,
Nina
I’ve been following your work since your first book, which I found very helpful. Then, seven years ago, I was diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein Purpura. How ironic, I thought at the time, but I’ve been wondering lately if there is a link more than coincidental. Autoimmune disorders are a new frontier for medical investigation, in my opinion. Thanks for summarizing this recent research.
I found this article very measured and helpful.
I struggle with protecting myself and being overly forgiving of other people’s bad behaviour. Unfortunately this has meant that I was being hurt repeatedly.
Hopefully I will be aware of this now.
Than you.
Muchas gracias Elaine, valiosa información. Puedo decir que siendo PAS son tan intensos los pensamientos que a veces le doy calidad de “verdaderos” a suposiciones. Hasta que encontramos la respuesta, seguimos rumiando. Si podemos observarnos y ver qué impacto emocional ocasionó tal o cual enfermedad. Ni bien detectamos que es, los remedios funcionan porque también lo vivimos intensamente. Mi infancia fue difícil, solitaria y aprendí a observarme. Si me cargo de emociones y me estreso. Pido excelencia y altruismo en todo y eso me exige mucha observación. Hoy sabemos de que se trata el rasgo PAS y podemos investigar, así calmamos nuestros pensamientos. Lo que yo utilizo como herramienta es darle “stop” al pensamiento cuando veo que sigo rumiando con supuestos. Sí, nos sorprende que nos quieran, si, vemos reacciones en los demás que no comprendemos, pero lo más importante, es aceptar nuestro rasgo PAS, saber de qué se trata y ni bien nuestros pensamientos intensifican la realidad, podemos abrazarnos ó pedir a alguien cercano nos abrace, nos diga, está todo bien. Despreocúpate te protejo. Tenemos que aceptar nuestra intensidad, todo pensamiento es a fondo y esto la sociedad no le interesa. Uno está con uno mismo, luego si tenemos personas que nos comprenden mejor y las enfermedades las podemos observar, el organismo responde si llevamos una vida sana.
Thank you so very much once again for enlightening me. I am in my final chapter and still have so much intellectual curiosity. This piece gave me so much clarity on why I have had so many health issues throughout my life.
I am resilient and grateful to be alive.
Thank you for this long blog on HSPs and chronic illness. Let me respectfully offer a correction.
You mention an illness called “chronic fatigue”. Chronic fatigue is not an illness, but is a symptom of many chronic diseases. I believe what you want to refer to is myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. “Chronic fatigue” is not an abbreviation for ME/CFS. That would be analogous to calling fibromyalgia or migraine simply “chronic pain”, since that is one of their prominent symptoms.
Sufferers of ME/CFS have long been dismissed as malingerers and the disease misdiagnosed as psychosomatic. I know you don’t intend to do that. Naming the disease correctly helps combat it. It’s especially important in a publication like Psychology Today that reaches a large lay audience.
Neither CDC nor NIH recommend calling ME/CFS “chronic fatigue”. The ICD code for ME/CFS is: G93.32. The ICD for chronic fatigue, unspecified is R53.82.
CDC explains the importance of differentiating ME/CFS from ‘chronic fatigue” here: https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/healthcare-providers/diagnosis/icd-10.html#:~:text=The%20ICD%2D10%2DCM%20codes,32.
You may find CDC info on ME/CFS here: https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/healthcare-providers/index.html
And the latest NIH research conference on ME/CFS and long COVID here: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=52738
Thank you for your care and attention for ME/CFS patients.
This is a beautifully written article. Articulate, unbiased, research descried with meticulous caveats, refreshingly free of blame for or victimhood of SPS, cogent, informative, and fascinating. Thank you.
I am writing from a rehabilitation facility where I just spent a hellish night. I need quiet to sleep – and they put me in a room with a (very nice) woman who needs a television, at full volume, on constantly! Apparently many people are like this and the facility did their best by putting me with someone with normal hearing rather than partially deaf! (= louder tv. You can hear them in the halls.)
It seems as if most of the patients are demented to some degree so any older person is *assumed* to be. (I am 83.) Just try explaining ‘overstimulation’ in such circumstances! I have twice been told “It isn’t loud. I can’t hear it.” (in the hall!)
The doctor was somewhat understanding – she strictly limits her children’s screen time – but the best she could do was prescribe melatonin for sleep. That, my regular medication, and ear plugs 24/7 and I fell asleep at 2 or 3 am. Not so good for regaining strength after an illness!
Be warned. If you can’t get a single room think seriously about home care rather than inpatient.
Note: these are ordinary televisions with the audio in the monitor. Hospital televisions have the audio *in the remote control* so it can be right next to the ear, indeed must be for channel changing, bed and light controls.
Now that I’m home I can think more clearly so want to add to my previous comment.
No one I talked to in the Rehab center could understand that the *content* of the TV shows I was forced to listen to was relevant. My roommate liked emotional dramas (hospital and crime shows) with ominous music and a lot of screaming – exactly the kind of ‘entertainment’ I would pay to avoid!
I agree with your account of a seriously disregarded need for a good night’s sleep, Nancy! I send my sadness for your upset. I am aware of the usual poor outcome of sleeping away from home in a facility where there is so much activity.
I’m 85 and of sound mind too. Yet, our older age alone often results in others making untrue assumptions about our good minds and abilities to speak well and have wonderful friendships still in the world at large.
I go to a weekly play- reading group and just had a book launch at my senior center of my first published book of essays. So, I am doing well, with much gratitude. I wish you future peace and quiet in taking charge of your own choice of “entertainment” and pleasures. Glad you’re back home.
One of your comments in particular made me feel (for the first time in my life) that I can be somewhat grateful for the difficulties I faced in childhood – the dysfunctional family of origin, the absent father, the neglectful, narcissistic mother and the abuse I suffered from her – physical, mental, emotional.
“It seems that high childhood adversity prepared sensitive children in particular for the adversities of war …”
While I wasn’t raised in a literal ‘war zone’, our home was hell on earth. It did include violence on a regular basis, and occasionally even threat of death.
Thank you for your words. They’ve helped me to see how my horrific childhood prepared me for the next 40 years of tragedy and trauma. I have survived it all and I’m still a kind, loving person!
Hi Peg. My childhood was also challenging growing up in a dysfunctional alcoholic home. I am now 65 and have forgiven my parents who passed away many years ago. I absolutely do not condone any abuse and/or violence yet I have needed to forgive for my own peace of mind and heart. I am a licensed caregiver and help others ages 80-100 and have learned so much about their generation. My dad would have been 104 and my mom 94 now and never spoke about their lives growing up in the Depression and my dad fought in WW ll. Plus my dad’s family were immigrants. There is more knowledge now about generational trauma and how that contributes to a dysfunctional homelife. Most of our ancestors probably came from abusive families themselves so the trauma gets passed down thru generations. But now we have the knowledge about being HSPs thanks to Elaine Aron, Dr Judith Orloff, etc., and we have more help now to take care of ourselves.
Thanks Elaine, I found your book when it first came out and it was a revelation. But I do want you to know that I encountered problems when I told my primary doctor that I am an HSP, and am also sensitive to most medications. She wrote in my chart that I was anxious. That followed me for years until I changed clinics. “Oh, I see you’re anxious.” And then none of my medical issues were taken seriously. Unfortunately most medical professionals aren’t familiar with HSP ( at least all that I have seen).
I tried explaining to a (male) specialist I was seeing for the first time that I am highly sensitive. “Yeah, so? We’re all special in one way or another”, said in an angry tone, as though I were claiming a superiority, not a possibly relevant difference!
I’m commenting on the second to the last paragraph ie not wanting to have a difficult childhood preparing for war. The war can be our bodies as well. I’m an abuse survivor and it made my early adult years difficult. When I was 53 I was diagnosed with rectal cancer and in late 2020 acquired PCS. I think all of my difficulties in life prepared me for my illnesses. I think most people are surprised on how I just get on with things. You learn that from a difficult childhood.
So it may not be a literal war, but it is most definitely a war against my body.
Peace,
Kristi Davenport
Thank you for this wonderfully understandable article! It opened my mind to a different perspective on my childhood and adult life.
Thank you Elaine- your books have been a life saver for me, and knowing all you other HSPs are out there make me feel less lonely and misunderstood. Last year challenged me on the deepest level. My grandson had a major health crisis and was misdiagnosed for 10 months and put on dangerous drugs to treat conditions he did’t have, and suffered near fatal drug reactions as a result. Finally a new doctor put the pieces together and correctly diagnosed him with a very rare condition. He is now doing fine. I have never felt such sadness that I felt during those 10 months. At the worst point a friend called and said “This is dark, maybe he is gay or being sexually abused.” I made clear to her how cruel her statement was, but she had no regrets in saying it. I am still healing, but am quite aware of abuse HSPs face, and the overwhelming impact on our health. Elaine, I cannot thank you enough. Blessings to all.
Thank you Elaine- your books have been a life saver for me, and now knowing there are other HSPs out there like me makes me feel less lonely and misunderstood. I am one of those NSP that did not have the love and nurturing as a child so I have faced challenges my entire life. Last year challenged me on the deepest level, and I could not escape being overwhelmed on a daily basis. My grandson had a major health crisis and was misdiagnosed for 10 months. A new doctor finally diagnosed him with a very rare condition and he is now doing fine. I struggle with having compassion for those that were not there with compassionate support during this very difficult time. This crisis and insights from your books made me realize that I have not healed those wounds from childhood. I will continue to work through the books with hopes I can learn to forgive and trust. Thank you again. Blessings to all.
“Are Highly Sensitive People More Prone to Illness?”
High Sensitivity does not of itself alone directly relate to the likelihood of illness.
But one thing DOES directly affect one’s vulnerability to illness and sickness. And that is one’s Belief System. We are conscious beings that manifest our lives through our chosen feelings and beliefs. Thus, you are more vulnerable to illness if you BELIEVE you are vulnerable. And you can literally think and will yourself into sickness.
The Placebo Effect is a well-known proven fact of being able to improve your health solely through your power of your own belief that you are being healed. And the opposite is also true: You can think yourself right into illness and sickness. This is known as Nocebo Effect.
The long-hidden secret that the medical profession has largely worked to hide from us is that we as individuals control a much greater degree of our health and wellness and vulnerability to bodily woes through our own thinking and belief system than we were ever told about.
So as to the question of are HSP persons more prone to illness… the answer is ALL persons whether HSP or not are much more vulnerable to sickness and illness if their thinking and feeling and belief system virtually wills them into illness.
In short… to a very great degree Life will give you what you BELIEVE Life will give you. And the same for your health. For good or for bad. For sickness and for health.
This may not answer for every single instance of body affliction. But it’s becoming more clear every day that this does account for many to most of them. A very large percentage in fact,
And that’s good news for us. For that means that each of us has much greater control over our health and well-being than we may have ever realized before. And we always had this ability. And that is a great blessing both for we who are HSP and for all those who are not.
Your health starts… and largely ends… with your mind. The Mind-Body connection in full and glorious quantum view.
There is much more than can be said about this. But this is the bottom-line reality for us all. And our blessed pathway to great health and wellness and freedom from discomfort and disease.
I just found this article and more about HSP today and I’m sitting in my bathtub crying from relief at the moment. I’ve really been struggling with my boyfriends son for months as is he very loud and rambunctious, will watch tv and his tablet on full volume simultaneously, interrupts constantly while people are having conversations , etc and I always seem to be the only person in the room bothered by it. It’s been driving me absolutely crazy for months and I find that I excuse myself often and go to another room. Now, while I’m not trying to excuse these behaviours as me just being HSP, as I believe manners and respect come hand in hand with not interrupting and not shouting and having outbursts in a room of people… I’m noticing why it bothers me so much now. I feel like I finally have a voice and a reason for what I deal with internally, rather than my boyfriend thinking I just dislike his child and don’t want to be around him. I had an epiphany today reading this and realizing that certain crowds of people stress me out (the type that try and have five conversations at the same time or talk over other people) or why hosting people in my space stresses me out so much but going to other peoples places doesn’t. When I have a lot to do at once I get extremely frazzled and I absolutely loath the feeling of being rushed. I always wondered why people around me didn’t seem bothered by these situations and I really feel like I’ve had a weight lifted off my shoulders in discovering this. My boyfriend could spend every single day with me whereas I often need “alone time” and have a hard time explaining that’s it’s not a night away from him that I need, it’s just a night “with myself”. Knowing is the first step in management. Thank you for this. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone or not just a total b**** in stressful situations!!
Hey Candy , I feel for you! I cannot be with another person all the time, need some alone time, my partner does not really understand this and thinks I am rejecting him. Glad you are taking some time out, we need it!🥰
I also want to add that I was raised by HSP parents as well, only discovering this just now. So, what I thought was always a “respect thing” in the way I was raised, for example, loud children go outside to play, you don’t have two separate conversations going on at the dinner table at the same time, etc, turns out to be that my parents were highly sensitive people also. Over the years I’ve been baffled that so many people seem unbothered by these situations and that maybe they were just “raised differently “. While I agree we were, I’m realizing now it wasn’t a respect vs non respect thing, it was just different tolerances to situations and my parents were stressed out by it also! Mind is a little blown today, not gunna lie.
I’ve been recovering from Long Covid for nearly 3 years – I’m much better than I was and am now able to work 80% of my contracted hours as a structural engineer. Having read Elaine’s wonderfully helpful and well written book, I do identify as a highly sensitive person, and I’’m proud that there are many positives to this character trait. However, I’ve noticed that some parts of Long Covid recovery have been harder because of the HSP trait. It feels like the less helpful HSP attributes have been magnified, and at the same time my natural strengths have been minimised and my weaknesses spotlighted. As I’m recovering, I’m finding that these are reversing to be more positive. I don’t believe that being an HSP made me more likely to get Long Covid, but I do think it has made some parts of the recovery much harder / longer in environments where overstimulation exacerbates the fatigue, eg returning to being in the office regularly.