Highly sensitive person

This spring I discovered that I am a highly sensitive person. I had heard the term before, but once I read a book about it this spring I realised that it described me perfectly and that it gave a lot of a-ha moments as to why I am the way I am.

After reading it I notice more and more why this is so right for me. I very easily get affected by heath, bright light and being hungry. But the most important discoveries is on my mental health. How I'm so "over sensitive" to emotions. Sometimes I can look at a beautiful view, and just the pure beauty of it can shake me up so much that I feel like my whole world is caving in. I always seem to get easily sad or excited for things most people get over in an instant.
I was a sensitive, introverted child, so that bullying and loneliness made me prone to depression and low self esteem for the rest of my life. It really does make sense to me.

Whats your thoughts on the term HSP? And Does someone on else consider themselves a HSP?

Oh I totally think I'm a highly sensitive person .... I am affected emotionally by so many things in so many different ways and it doesn't take a lot to set these emotions off, daily, even hourly, sometimes too

I saw a book on this too - think it was in a blog here on psych central - might be worth my while reading it

Link to the book if it's the right one:

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron ? Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

I'm highly sensitive when it comes to certain things, but also extremely numb in other ways. When I'm around friends and family, I'm almost emotionless, I'm like an android, but when I'm alone, my emotions just pour out.

I'm definitely a HSP, and it can be a very good and very bad. I've been told I'm overemotional and get upset for irrelevant reasons, but I think it also gives you a greater appreciation for the human spirit and it's definitely a spark for my creative process. So I wouldn't say it's an affliction, it's just my personality, and I'm not really ashamed of it at all.

I can relate to you.

Orkidebarn, sometimes I think I also am an HSP. I'm quite an introvert too.

The thing is, we may not really know our "condition" until we read something that would seem to talk about us. I remember an article I read about the "stigma" on mental illnesses. It's sad many people don't discover they have some illness, right away.

Anyway, just sharing.

I think I'm gonna grab some book about it (HSP) later. I've been interested to learn about it, actually.

Thanks, everyone.

I think that most people are HSP. Yep. Most people. For me, I try my best to desensitize so I don't react to every tiny thing. I also accept that certain aspects of being a HSP are not likely to change. For example, I am very sensitive to light. So I give myself permission to live in a low-light environment ( mostly by hanging black paper shades, or partially covering large windows in an attractive way).