Have you ever wondered if you are an anxious person? It could be that you are just a highly sensitive person without anxiety, or vice versa.
This article will help you understand if you suffer from high sensitivity or anxiety.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is a state of uneasiness, restlessness, and worry. Sometimes, anxiety helps us get work done. The fear of the unknown makes us want to know.
However, an anxiety disorder is a constant state of worry and uneasiness. It can leave a person always nervous and unable to do a number of activities. Anxiety disorders come with a number of other attached disorders.
These disorders can include OCD, general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic/anxiety attacks.
Understanding High Sensitivity
High sensitivity is a genetic trait that makes individuals super responsive to their environment. Highly sensitive people can be affected by their environment by sounds, light, and people.
This constant overstimulation gets them fatigued and in need of recharge time. Highly sensitive people are prone to anxiety disorders.
HSPs are empathetic which means that they don’t just feel their emotions but the emotions of people around them. They are sensitive to sharp sounds, loud noises, and bright lights. They feel the things most people only see.
*For the sake of this article, we will focuse on regular anxiety and not the disorder.
Differences Between Anxiety and HSP
Unlike HSPs, anxiety helps you get work done as mentioned above. With anxiety, your flight or fight mode gets activated and this defense mechanism has helped in human evolution.
Anxiety helps you detect and fight of danger. Although humans have progressed from hunting animals and most fight or flight mood in us can be triggers and false alarms, it helps us in other ways.
Anxiety is what aids you do to get your job done and take care of your health. As long as it isn’t a disorder, your brain picking up a fight or flight response is completely normal.
It is safe to say everyone suffers from bouts of anxiety from time to time. However it is important to seek medical help if it persists and prevents you from living freely. You could be having a disorder and talking to a mental health professional can go a long way.
HS on the other hand is a trait which although may not be considered a disorder, can take a toll on the mental health of a person. Highly sensitive people tend to be more than what meets the eye.
Traits of a Highly Sensitive Person
Here are some traits of a Highly Sensitive Person
1. They Are Empathetic
The highly sensitive person feels the emotions of people around them and wants to make things better for them. This isn’t exactly exclusive to sad emotions because they can feel other people’s happiness too.
It means that their minds can constantly be at work. This is why a lot of HSPs are introverted. Feeling the emotions of other people can be a nightmare.
2. They Process Things Deeply
The highly sensitive person tends to process things faster and deeper than the average person. They have the ability to reflect and overthink. This is a reason why they could develop anxiety.
HSPs have no problem figuring things and people out and more often times than not, they are usually right. Their empathetic nature also gives them an edge for seeing things in other shades than black and/or white.
3. They Are Detail Oriented
The HSP notices the tiniest of detail in people and their environment. Although it gives them an edge at work, it often leaves them overstimulated which is bad for their mental health.
They pay close attention to details and work towards making things right. From details as subtle as a change in facial expressions to the weather. A HSP absorbs it all.
4. They Are Very Responsive
HSPs are very responsive individuals who feel everything with all their senses. They are affected by light, smell, sound, and even texture. Although it might seem like a super power, it can be incredibly draining.
They perceive crowds, sharp and loud sounds, and bright lights as negative energy which activates their flight or fight response. Their responsive nature makes them very prone to anxiety.
Anxiety and HSP: How They Intersect
There are more chances of a HSP having anxiety due to their ability to be overstimulated. However, anxiety doesn’t make a person a highly sensitive person. It is a flight or fight response to something else.
A HSP can feel anxiety due to their nature and this can make them introverted and even prone to an anxiety disorder.
If you’re wondering where you fall into (maybe a HSP or you just have anxiety), I hope this article paints a clearer picture of their differences and similarities.
You can check out my other articles relating to highly sensitive individuals for more info.
