Highly Sensitive Person Test

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
No.
I thought I might of been.
I wasn’t even that close.
I personally would say I am at least somewhat sensitive. Perhaps not usually“highly.”

And you?
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I scored 20. So yes. No surprise.

However being highly sensitive is not an empath. Few are real empaths.An empath is almost psychic in that they don't just understand how somebody feels...they FEEL it. They actually feel another's pain without being told the person is on pain Just
clearing that up :) as I understand it.

I have always been extremely sensitive to my own body symptoms, to the environment, to the pain or joy of others, to the needs of the suffering and I have a special knowing about animals....hard to explain. I just get animals and they are drawn to me. As for people, I have had strangers feel safe sharing their pain withe since as far back as I can rember.

Anyone else?
 
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recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
23 for me. I'm exceedingly sensitive in all ways....

Here's an article which explains the difference between HSP and empaths.

As a psychiatrist and an empath, I often get asked, "What is the difference between empaths and highly sensitive people?" Following are the similarities and areas of overlap. (I also devote a section of The Empath’s Survival Guide to this important distinction.)

Empaths share all the traits of what Dr. Elaine Aron has called “Highly Sensitive People,” or HSPs. These include: a low threshold for stimulation; the need for alone time; sensitivity to light, sound, and smell; and an aversion to large groups. It also takes highly sensitive people longer to wind down after a busy day, since their ability to transition from high stimulation to being quiet is slower. Highly sensitive people are typically introverts, while empaths can be introverts or extroverts (although most are introverts). Empaths share a highly sensitive person’s love of nature and quiet environments, their desire to help others, and their rich inner life.

However, empaths take the experience of the highly sensitive person much further: We can sense subtle energy (called shakti or prana in Eastern healing traditions) and actually absorb it from other people and different environments into our own bodies. Highly sensitive people don’t typically do that. This capacity allows us to experience the energy around us, including emotions and physical sensations, in extremely deep ways. And so we energetically internalize the feelings and pain of others — and often have trouble distinguishing someone else’s discomfort from our own. Also, some empaths have profound spiritual and intuitive experiences — with animals, nature, or their inner guides — which aren’t usually associated with highly sensitive people.

Being a highly sensitive person and an empath are not mutually exclusive: One can be both, and many highly sensitive people are also empaths. If you think about this distinction in terms of an empathic spectrum, empaths are on the far end; highly sensitive people are a little further in; people with strong empathy who are not HSPs or empaths are in the middle; and narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths who have “empath-deficient disorders” are at the far opposite end.

The Empathic Spectrum

Narcissists Loving empathic people HSPs Empaths
___i____________________i____________________i______________i__

The gifts of sensitivity and empathy are precious. We want to keep opening our hearts and break through to new heights in the empathic spectrum. We need these gifts now more than ever.

Author- Judith Orloff, M.D.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
That's so perfect RE. I thought that if I explained the energy bit I would explain it wrong and nobody would understand.

I have a few traits that keep me out of total empath range. Large crowds of people don't bother me as long as it's not a party and I am not having to engage with tons of people. THAT party/personal crowd is very stressful to me, but not a crowd I don't have to talk to. I can sense feelings and moods too, but don't actually feel another's pain. Have an eerie connection to animals and do feel energy from nature. I have always felt energy off of certain inademate objects, as odd as that sounds.

24 is a perfect score, isn't it?
 
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recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Yikes SWOT, it's NOT a "perfect" score, I did say no to a couple!
In this arena, seriously, I would rather have a lower score.....I don't need to cry anymore than I do!!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
8

This does not surprise me. I tend to be rather oblivious. I used to think I was just thick-skinned when things didn't bother me. As I've gotten older I've decided that I just don't notice a lot of things that other people do.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Lol. I know. I really like being just with family or alone with dogs. And every sad thing makes me cry. I didn't think of you as a crier. Are you?
 
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