what is HSP?
A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is a term coined by psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron in 1996 to describe individuals who possess a innate temperament trait known scientifically as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS).
HSP’s have nervous system’s that processes physical, emotional, and sensory information more deeply than the average person. It is an inherent personality trait, found in roughly 15% to 20% of the population across all genders, and is not a mental health disorder, diagnosis, or condition to be cured.
Core Characteristics (The D.O.E.S. Model)
Dr. Aron outlined four primary indicators that define sensory processing sensitivity, often remembered by the acronym D.O.E.S.:
Depth of Processing: HSPs naturally reflect deeply on experiences, analyze decisions thoroughly, and connect new information to past memories. They tend to have strong intuition and prefer deep conversation over small talk.
Overstimulation: Because the brain absorbs more details from the environment, HSPs can become quickly overwhelmed or exhausted by high, stimulation settings like loud crowds, bright fluorescent lights, busy schedules, or chaotic environments.
Emotional Empathy & Responsiveness: HSPs feel both positive and negative emotions vividly. They often have active mirror neurons, allowing them to absorb and mirror the moods, emotions, and subtle non-verbal cues of people around them.
Sensitivity to Subtleties: They pick up on micro-details that others easily miss, such as minor changes in someone’s tone of voice, slight shifts in room lighting, faint smells, or small textures in fabrics.