“My way of feeling and perceiving things has always been different from that of most people around me. I was seen as an exaggerated or very intense, very idealistic person. Events affected me a lot and I asked myself very deep questions at this age. I was expected to be on the street with my friends,” she says. Clara Ramiro Guzmán from Seville.
dir-dir psychologist specializing in hypersensitivity and president of the Spanish Association of Highly Sensitive Persons (aPASe) He knows firsthand what it means to sometimes feel different from others. After a second stay abroad and a search for answers about his way of being, he discovered that he belonged to that small group. Highly Sensitive Persons (PAS). “Such a discovery allowed me to find the missing piece for the remaining pieces to come together. This event motivated me to deepen my knowledge of the personality trait in question and specialize in it professionally. It is for sensitive people,” he elaborates.
A PAS captures more detail and finesse in the environment; they are more receptive and reactive on an emotional level; they process information more deeply and their systems are more easily overstimulated
However,What exactly does it mean to be PAS??
According to the Institute of High Sensitivity Professionals, “it is a trait found in approximately 20-30% of the population and It assumes greater emotional sensitivity and greater reactivity in the person’s central nervous system.”. In Ramiro’s words, “high sensitivity is a personality trait, and that means there is a set of traits in the person that remain constant over time and make their behavior somewhat predictable”.
A sensitive person is someone who has personality traits that make their behavior predictable, stable over time. It is sensitivity to sensory processing determined by a genetic component.“.
Thus, the person with the PAS trait, who is neither good nor bad, “has a greater capacity for capturing details and subtleties in the environment; they are more receptive and reactive at the emotional and empathetic level; they process information more deeply.” level and your system is more easily overstimulated.
4 MAIN FEATURES OF PAS
- Intense sensory perception accompanied by the ability to capture numerous nuances and details of the environment.
- Excessive sensory information that can produce physical or emotional saturation.
- Deep processing and in-depth reflection of the received information.
- Great empathetic capacity and strong emotionality.
And although there were many from the field of psychology researching this neurological trait, it was in the ’90s. psychologist Elaine Aron He coined the term PAS and identified the key traits that make a highly sensitive individual. The doctor summarized this trait as “highly sensitive people think and feel things more deeply because of their genetics, not because they’re weak or flawed.” Moreover created a test accessible to anyone who suspects that he may belong to this population group.
According to Ramiro, starting from the four pillars of Aron, “many tangible properties are displayed ascribed to them, such as crying easily, being disturbed by noises…” and adds: “There is a rather negative view of what it means to be PAS in general, though not always. It’s spoken as if it’s a punishment, and it’s really biological. a scientifically proven neurophysiological basis, inherited and it is present equally in men and women“.
“I have problems with daily tasks and I feel misunderstood”
Her fictitious name, Marta, is 37 years old and She Discovered Online That She Is A Very Sensitive Person. He had always noticed something, it wasn’t working like the others. On Elaine Aron’s website, she discovered that this particular 20% belongs to she. “One of the things that caught my attention the most, excessive empathy with othersI also get fed up with noise and when I’m surrounded by lots of people (at a concert, in a city centre, in a mall). in these cases I’m overwhelmed and then I need a lot of time for myselffor detox. I also realized that I desperately need to be alone. without stimulito get better,” he explains.
He also admits that he has “problems with”. everyday tasks that others have no trouble doingsuch as editing, replying to messages or answering calls, or prioritizing tasks”.
With a great sensitivity towards art and creativity – another feature – “I think a lot, I think a lot, I analyze everything no matter what the situation I am in. I perceive how people are feeling all the time and it bothers me. If someone is bad, I’ll be bad too.”
Marta admits that her biggest problem with being PAS is feeling misunderstood. “A lot of information is missing. We know that we rely on search, you don’t understand what’s wrong, you think you have some kind of ailment but it’s not that, it’s a quality that needs to be worked on to know how to manage, Manage it and it doesn’t condition your life”.
it all depends on the content
Thus, Ramiro argues that having the property of being PAS is not bad or good, the environment is very important where a person is brought up to be free from problems such as depression or anxiety. “Context is key. If your context accompanies you in your sensitivity a constructive and positive way where nothing happens, you develop and grow with confidence and security. You learn to regulate the sources of hyper-stimulation that exist at the sensory level, you learn to know yourself and regulate yourself,” she says.The problem arises when sensitivity is not well accompanied and feels misunderstood, creating self-esteem issues… At some point it makes you feel bad and develop an ailment”.
Despite admitting thatmost seek support at some point, but just because they’re looking for it doesn’t mean they’re in a serious crisis, they just like to understand who they are and what they’re up to. Many approach them willingly to find answers. Not all PASs get to that point because they have gone through a bad period or have had a depressive development, nor do they have to”.
The psychologist believes that all people who discover the trait “give them something.” “It does lighten things up a lot if you use it constructively, not as a label that justifies everything to learn and put yourself in the shape of your shoe.. It helps you accept yourself and value who you are, who you are, and therefore helps you contribute in the best possible way”.