having hsp as not a recognized neurodiversity just like the rest is also pretty complicated for us hsp folks. not being able to fully adapt to society and not having the mechanism to get your life adapted to your needs just because "it's not a disorder" is very frustrating. i'm still suffering, it's still making me unable to keep a typical job and it's still making it impossible to live by myself. wish it was that cute and quirky and not such a complication.
Yes, completely agree. And that's partially because the people who are the "main representatives" of the whole hsp theory are apparently against HSP being considered a neurodiversity, which just doesn't make sense to me. Though it seems they are very adamant about it just because they are so afraid not to be put in the same box with autism and adhd. So they keep ignoring the bad part and only emphasising the good part about HSP which actually hurt many of us HSPs.
I agree. As an HSP going to High School, I’m unable to fit in with boys in my class, especially in sports. I get so emotional and it’s hard for me to keep focus with everything going on around me. I’ve met with so many teachers and they tell me that theres something that I’m doing wrong, and (in going to a small private Christian school) tell me that I “don’t have enough scripture in me”. I just want to tell them that I can’t control any of it, and I wish that I could have the help I want, but it’s not classified as a disorder or what not. People like my teachers just decide to look over it. It’s stupid, and I wish for all our HSP’s sakes that people can be more aware of what we go through.
@@Julie-xg5iuwatch the psychologist Kim Sage video about how the research for HSP was based on later discovered autistic children who they didn’t realize were undiagnosed because they had hyper empathy.
I remember hsps saying in despair 'I can't live. I can't live'. It is terrible life when you are given genes like this. It made my life disaster. Complete failure. Still at the age of 52 I don't know how to carry on. Those people who say it is normal and colorize being hsp instead of giving full picture of the problem are terrible. It is not normal. Normal people can adapt to society. Normal people can have happy job life. I never had any of those two. I was always suicidal because of the trait. I can't imagine going further in life with this trait. I just can't do it. I don't want my future to be like my past but unfortunately I can't expect anything better.
But I’m frustrated because I am an HSP who is not autistic, and the autistic community doing its push back on people like me actually does a disservice to us and all HSPs being seen as legit and needing accommodations & understanding just as all other neurodivergents receive.
Im a hyposensitive autistic, emotionally and sensory. I know a HSP who is very popular and has exceptionally strong social skills and no fixed repetative behaviors or special interests in the autistic sense. Glad you walked your conclusion back.
Thank you so much for this video! I have identified as an HSP for many years but I'm not autistic. My son is autistic, however, and as I watch videos about autism because I want to help him, I'm seeing videos about how HSP is basically misunderstood or undiagnosed autism. Now there are clear differences between my traits of Neuro divergence and my son's autism traits. Thank you for validating what I believe about the overlap between HSP and autism. It is a Venn diagram with a great deal of intersection, absolutely, but it is not a circle.
Hsp and Autism are not the same. In psychology many disorders have overlapping traits but what is important is to look into the differences because this is what defines them. It is so scary to see all these tik tokers and youtubers playing doctors and misleading people because they lack deeper knowledge.
Watch the psychologist Kim Sage video about how the research for HSP was based on later discovered autistic children who they didn’t realize were undiagnosed because they had hyper empathy.
This does not negate my message. Autism, can be overlooked (especially in girls). However, at the same time it is also too often diagnosed these days. Autism became the diagnosis for everything while often this diagnosis is wrong also. So, one has to have excellent doctors and not ones that just diagnose what you tell them you think you have:)@@DanniBby
@@vkar1907 the many things autism has been misdiagnosed as for all of the years, I don’t think it’s now over diagnosed, I think now that it’s just being discovered more because only now people know what it really is, most times the only reason autism is recognized is when the person is showing distress, just like adhd gets recognized when someone is having a problem in life or being an inconvenience to others.. they could go their whole lives without knowing if by chance they didn’t have very stressful situations happen or if they just never showed the stress externally, many autistic people are able to tolerate higher stress levels while not showing it on the outside which was even found out in a study.. the cortisol levels that they were tested for did not match their appearance. I do agree that doctors can be wrong in diagnosis so you need one that doesn’t just assess by asking the person questions. There’s a video on this woman’s TH-cam channel that tells the process for how she finally got professionally diagnosed with autism. It’s still even a misconception by doctors that you have to not have empathy or be an introvert with no ability to be social to be autistic, that’s not true.. higher empathy is a trait that gets overlooked often and it’s possible to be an extroverted autistic who is interested in people, not just things. Autism was not what the doctors were told it was in the first place. So I think the spectrum is just larger than they thought and more people have been autistic since always because it’s really just another neurotype that makes the brain process stimuli differently. ADHD also is incredibly similar to autism, they both can have sensory issues, yet before they thought you can’t have both ADHD and Autism so even if they saw signs of autism they wouldn’t diagnose them with it if it wasn’t enough signs to really bother their life.
I too am a non-autistic HSP and for a long time I thought I was autistic because I could relate to a lot of things that autistic people describe about their experience and did a lot of research into autism (I did get an assessment as a child but I did not meet the criteria but I always felt like autism didn't accurately describe things for me, even when I educated myself on masking, as I didn't experience any of the social issues and had no problem empathizing with neurotypical people and unlike what high masking autistic people often describe, it was intuitive for me rather than learned through observation, so I didn't think it was fair to claim the autism label for myself. I also got bored by routine easily and - unfortunately - lied frequently to protect peoples feelings ...however, while I am highly sensitive to the emotions of those around me and also to a lot of sensory stimuli, I had difficulty identifying with the label "highly sensitive Person" because it was marketed as this kind of "gift" or "special superpower" and "definitely not autism" (which is just ableist bullshit as there is a ton of overlap between HSP and other neurodivergencies like autism and ADHD) and I didn't feel like I was special in any way, it's just that I notice more things than others, which can be awesome in some situations and disabling in others because I get drained a lot more quickly. I wish we could see all neurodivergencies the way we see HSP - different, not deficient. That is not to say that autistic people don't struggle to varying degrees, after all, the world is made for neurotypical people but if we simply acknowledge that not all brains work the same way and none of that is better or worse, we just need to find a way to work with it, not against it, that might reduce some of the stigma associated with autism
mikado, did you manage to navigate your job life well as an hsp ? Many hsps struggle with it. Do you know how to approach job life as an hsp so that your life can be a bit better ? My life as an hsp has always been despair and still is . I am 52. I am suicidal because I don't want my future be like my past. I doubt my future can be different because I will have different nervous system forever.
Thank you so much for addressing this, I agree 1000%. I've also come across this "hsp is autism" theme, actually fairly recently, and threw myself into researching about autism, because I have been identifying as HSP, I definitely am but I still feel it's not enough. I've also been through a lot mental health-wise and a lot of labels. I really respect Elaine Aron for her work, but I completely agree with you that the way she marketed HSP as some great superpower (or just another personality trait), is not really doing many of us a favor.. But then again, with every concept, there are the ones who put down the bases, and others who build upon it, or even modify the understanding of it in time. Like how we understand psychology now is far from what Freud has theorised (and many of his ideas seem absurd to us now). With that said, I have to confess, I secretly hope that it would turn out that I'm actually autistic, because then I would have a label that is accepted as being neurodivergent (which is definitely how I experience that my brain functions). Being an HSP is something that is still debated, which is again frustrating, because all those traits describe me, so when I read that someone says "HSP doesn't exist", I feel invalidated and that it painful. But in the same time maybe the solution is to accept HSP as a neurodivergence by the wider neurodivergent community and maybe scientists...It feels like a long run and it can definitely feel alienating, alone and discouraging.
I am both hypersensitive and hyposensitive. A good example of that is fabrics. Some fabrics I can't stand, but other fabrics give me great pleasure to feel. I'm also very clumsy because of my hyposensitivity, but at the same time I can't handle people standing too close to me because I'm hypersensitive. I have places on my body where I can't bear to be touched, but at the same time places where I can be clawed to the point of blood without me noticing. It is hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity at the same time. You are not necessarily either or, many autistics are both at the same time. And this is something that can vary from day to day, and at periods in life. Also affected by stress and masking. I myself was not aware of these things until I found out that I am autistic. I thought it was completely normal to feel this way.
Such a good pint. We are so quick to assume either or, but hypersensitive and hyposenstive can co-exist! Isn’t this also partially what might be beyond the old lack of empathy problem autistic people apparently have because they can go between extreme empathy that gets so overwhelming they need to shut down or shut off (hypo) and then get labelled as narcissists coz they are just trying to regulate their emotions.
You make some interesting points. And I am an HSP and I tend to be on the extreme high end of the scale and I recently had a therapist say that they want me to take a psych eval because she thought I was on the autism spectrum. I kind of doubt it myself but we'll see. I think alot of the confusin comes from the similarities between HSPs and autism and people wanting to lump it all together into one neat easy package and I don't believe that serves anyone. Additionally I think what you said about Dr. Aron wanting to classify the trait as neutral as being interesting because it made me wonder if all neurodivergent catagories are neutral and none of them are "conditions" are something that needs to be "cured. But that they are all neutral and just a different way of viewing and existing in the world. AND YES and AMEN to the idea that we need accomidations in this world. I just wonder if we should stop waitng for the neurotypical to give them to and for us to go out there and create them for ourselves.
I agree that lumping people into one neat and tidy box is rarely the answer, I just see so many similarities between hsp and autism, I wonder if they really are the same, at least in some cases. Good luck with your evaluation, I know those can be stressful, but it will be whatever it will be.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub Thank you. I have seen it where Elaine Aron refers to Autism and HSP as being cousins and she uses the example of the venn diagram where you have two separate circles that overlap at a point. They are two different things that just have similarities that overlap.
Oh! In my initial research on HSP, I somehow filtered out or didn't pick up on the repudiation of similarities with autism and ADHD. I think I i've just spent so much time around family, friends, and teaching kids with autism that it was very clear how I was similar and also extremely different. soon after I learned about HSP, I kind of felt like the missing link between people on the autism spectrum and neurotypicals. and I understood why I was able to understand and translate the needs and behavior patterns of autistic people for neurotypical people who just weren't getting it.
I just commented on your other video about being a neurodivergent person while being a HSP. I struggle a lot with my emotional regulation and dealing with external stimuli like large crowds or a long period of time with a lot of people. I don't even know if I am just an extremely anxious person haha... God this is so hard to experience.
It's so hard to determine the difference between overstimulation and anxiety bc overstimulation often causes anxiety. I hope you find the answers you're looking for soon, sending love 💜
I am one of those autistics that are hyposensitive to most stimuli. My son is the same way. We are emotionally sensitive and we can get overstimulated.
Thank you so much for this comment! I didn't meant to imply that hyposensitive folks aren't emotionally sensitive, I'm sorry if that was the implication in this video. Sounds like I have more research to do!
I have listened to a very wide variety of content on autism and here is what I have come to believe is really autism. First of all I want to say that autism is not the many comorbid disorders that tend to go along with it. Autism is not a learning disability although it often comes comorbid with learning disabilities. I believe that autistics have different values and a different perspective on the world because of one simple fact. The social programming of our world, to use a metaphor, is in Mac. But autistics are PC. So we cannot intuitively understand social programming. This has a wide amount of effects on the on the type of people that we are. We do not intuit social hierarchy. We can learn about it the way that one can learn how to do math but we do not intuitively understand. Autistic people value honest communication and the accurate exchange of information more highly than emotional safety. Neurotypical people value emotional safety over the accurate exchange of information. Both still value the other thing but one holds one value higher than the other and this causes a lot of the social issues. This is why autistic people think neurotypicals are non empathetic and vice versa. This is also why autistic people are immune to peer pressure. And why we don't understand the value of Saving Face without having to learn it. This is also why autistic people automatically understand that social constructs are not real
this is a very insightful comment. I have seen a pattern on which there is a high level of conscientiousness, awareness, that translates to being overstimulated from all that we are aware of, and needing to find ways to reach the goals of what we hold to be important/ things like truth and justice etc. They can only be reached through accuracy.
I think i am HSP. My young song got diagnosed with autism, it is very clear in him. I knew from the beginning that it was from my side right away. My son is also HSP but also autistic. For me Im pretty convinced that im HSP but I can see how it is really different from my son his autism because it really does impact his life in a much stronger way. Thanks for the video!!
I'm definetly an HSP but i more and more feel like there is more to it. Because i have more troubles besides being very sensitive to sensory stuff. I've been in and out of therapy and never felt like the therapist got to the core of all my problems.... I think i might be just on the edge of the autism spectrum. But i'm very scared of talking about it with my current therapist... Because what if thats not it? Then i just know i'm hsp and have to live like that, expected to live like someone who is neurotypical? And thats insanely hard to process for me :( i dont know what to do
Hey there, thank you so much for this comment, because I was actually in the EXACT same position about a year and a half ago. Here's what I'd recommend: remember that labels are meant to serve you. Maybe try living your life as if you are autistic, implement autistic accommodations, think of yourself through that lens, all that, and see if your life gets easier. That's what I'm doing right now and it's really helping! But let's say you're not autistic. You aren't "just" an HSP. You are an HSP, and that is valid and your struggles are real, no matter what label best fits you.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub Your message really helped me a lot! I wasn't thinking of it that way before... Thank you so much for these kind words :) i will definetly try to gather more information and experiment with things. I think i should also try to get more resources on how to deal with challenges as an HSP. Until now all people told me "you're an HSP and thats a gift" but never told me how to properly take care of the downsides
In the end, except for people who need official labels specifically for some kind of support in school or work or something, labels mean very little. To me the only thing that’s important is recognizing what specific challenges I have/tools to help them and what good abilities I have to/tools & advice to grow them! MTBI is also a neurodivergent thing… but it’s really hard to talk about it because having a brain injury isn’t understood by most people and further, it’ can be looked down upon. Brain injury in popular media is pretty much a joke. Neurodivergent people need to stick together, I agree! Lots of adhd tips work for brain injury and I think for sure I was add before the brain injury as well… injury made what I was dealing with 100x worse. Also, very definitely HSP and always have been. Everyone has gifts and challenges and it will be so great when we have a world that can receive gifts/input from all kinds of people! ❤️ Loving your videos! 🥰
Thank you. I appreciate your video and the compassion you’ve shown re. the different dimensions of this ongoing debate. I’m grappling with this exact thing right now and currently think I am HSP but also open to being autistic, I just don’t have a clear picture on that right now, so I’m doing more research. 😊
I think that what is key is not that different areas of neurodivergence push back & forth with each other (& I agree that there can be a lot of areas of overlap between different ones- Think of your video on Neurodivergent Traits, for instance), but seeing the importance in all of them for respect, not being pathologized, & for support/accomodation. The 'label' one chooses is perhaps not the issue. Yes, it helps to clarify those categories, but we can still allow for others to select those identities for themselves the same way they would with pronouns. I also see a lot of overlap with some of the neurodivergent traits & MBTI. I like that that system doesn't pathologize, & in fact, both the concept of high sensitivity & cognitive functions, came from Carl Jung (100+ years ago now, if you can believe that, & still- sadly- not very commonly known). Edited to add: I do think even psychiatrists/therapists need to clarify some of the diagnostic criteria they use because there can be such murkyness & overlap. Some theories are being proven wrong, & neuroscience is rising in prominence. These two things need to very much be taken into account so that diagnoses (or the lack of) become more reflective of/aligned with the times & changing technology.
Most autistic people tend to have a mix. They will be hypersensitive to some things and hyposensitive to other things. I'm extremely sensitive to piercing sounds but I can pick up a hot pan and not notice it's burning me right away
I was told years ago by my mom I may have autism and some people told her that I may have Asperger’s (I know that the terminology has since changed). I denied it for years up until two years ago and then it turned into one of my new hyper focuses. My therapist suggested I may be a highly sensitive person. Your video helped me discern some new conversation points with my therapist. Thank you so much this video was very informative and helpful I hope you have a good day 💝😁
I am so annoyed cause I 'm diagnosed with Adhd ,HP and Hsp but I fit the criteria for autism. Also I may look like I'm Good with People but really It's just masking and I have sooo many examples/proof of My autistic traits and I even fot stereotypes like being very literal and logical etc. I also have problems like co ordination and I i've Always had an easy time with Numbers and remembering Them but not names for eg. Also social rules don't come naturally so it isn't just that i'm sensitive and can't do certain things because of anxiety ,It's that I don't understand them etc
Difficulty recognizing emotions, also called alexithymia is characteristic in autism, but as far as I have come with reading Alaine Aron, it us not a part of being a HSP.
HSP and Autism are very different things, the traits aren't even similar, in fact they are often the opposite. HSP is a neurological trait, it's not a scale, you either have it or you don't and it can exist alongside any other trait that you can also have. The stereotype of the HSP is someone who is introverted and overwhelmed by other people, but HSP's can also be extroverted and High Sensation Seeking, which shows how different it is to something like Autism and other neurodivergencies. I think the encouragement to see the HSP trait as neutral or even positive it because it is something that can and should be managed within yourself. HSP's don't need special treatment or understanding from other people, they just need to understand themselves and live in a way that honours the trait, rather than try to ignore it or, at the other end, being at the mercy of it.
i cant live with this trait. my job life was disaster because of nervois system i was given. i am 52 and i am scared to live on my own. my parents always supported me because I just cant live
I’m going through the exact same process, figuring out what I have out of the surprisingly similar diagnoses of autism, HSP, adhd, and complex trauma. Could you do a video covering the differences/similarities between CPTSD and autism?
So people are complicated and not all same. Who knew? 4:11 Yeh, marketing. Im convinced that all this splitting hairs and obsezsive need to pidgeon hole traits and identify unique dx and treatments is a defining characteristic of neurotypical egos.
I am HSP. I specially have issues with some smells and sounds. I may have an anxiety crisis by being exposed to House music, for example. And I don't look to people in the eyes when they talk. But maybe because of a hearing condition that I have. I have also some difficulties socialising with peers and don't like the gregarious mindset of most people. But maybe because I was bullied a few times and have always been weird. I have subjects of special interest that last for several months during which I research all possible information on it and distract me a lot from my PhD project. I also hyperfocus. And I have a couple of cousins who look like bright aspergers. Despite all that, I guess I am just HSP and probably nothing else. I am not like my cousins. And have no trouble guessing people's emotions.
This is sooo confusing. I am highly sensitive in some ways but I don’t think to touch, but my mother who has her own issues, is highly, ridiculously sensitive to touch. We actually can’t buy her anything that feels good on her skin. She thinks it is just not quality fabric as in the past but I’m not convinced.
Don't they say that the HSP brain is different from a non-HSP brain? Or am I confused? If so, how can a difference in brain structure be a character trait? Then again, I wonder how the studies were done and whether the high sensitivity brought on the physical changes in the brain. Do you discuss neuroplasticity? Bringing the brain back to the way it should be if we allowed it's structure to change through our responses to life experiences?
Ooooohhh, this is absolutely something I want to address when it comes to acquired forms of neurodivergence, like trauma. Because trauma is an injury, one that can absolutely be healed. Video coming in the future!
I am concerned about High Sensitivity being equated to Autism. Some people are lumping all highly sensitive people under autism. I am seeing people doing it on youtube. I don't agree with this. This type of thinking is endangered of getting people misdiagnosed. I know what it's like to be misdiagnosed. Please be careful about lumping all Highly Sensitive People under Autism. Not all nor most Highly Sensitive People are autistic nor having any type of neurodivergent condition. I am a highly sensitive person, but I am not autistic. I am a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD which are neurodivergent conditions that have high co-morbidity and overlap with Autism. I had auditory therapy, speech therapy, phonics training, and motor skills therapy to correct my Dyslexic and Dyspraxic weaknesses. Now they're mild now. Many neurodivergents have sensory processing issues, but not all of them are autistic. Many neurodivergents that are highly sensitive are not autistic. I know a lot of people that are highly sensitive people that are into metaphysical subjects and healing arts, and most of them aren't autistic. Some are neurodivergent. I am into metaphysical subjects including especially Astrology. Many neurodivergents are into metaphysical subjects and refer to themselves as Indigos and Crystals. Elaine Aron's book The Highly Sensitive Child seems to be very similar to books written about the Indigo Children and Crystal Children. I have a couple of books about the Indigo Children and Crystal Children by Doreen Virtue. I did an amazon review of Doreen Virtue's The Care And Feeding Of The Indigo Child, and I pointed that much of what she describes fits with neurodivergence. The neurodivergent conditions do have significant co-morbidity with Autism. That needs to be considered. Some people might mistake Dyspraxia for Autism because of the overlap in regards speech problems, sensory processing issues, and problems with coordination. They are not the same though. The hallmark of Dyspraxia is problems with planning and coordination. I don't have problems perceiving/understanding emotional/social cues which is the hallmark of autism. I was reading facial expressions as a baby. At 2 years old, I was creating my own sign language to communicate because people had hard time understanding me. I am quite expressive with my feelings with tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, and I am easily affected and can be perceptive of tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions.I can be hypersensitive to emotional/social cues. A person standing up close to me with a mean look on his face could easily make me feel threatened. I will have a strong 'fight or flight' response. I always liked playing with others and was quick to befriend others. I was very clingy with my mother as a little kid.I liked hugging with others when I was a little kid. I didn't have the social impairments that would define me as autistic. Neurologists that examined me noted that I wasn't autistic. They confirmed my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. You can be both autistic and highly sensitive, but being highly sensitive doesn't mean being autistic. I learned that I was an HSP back in 1999 before I learned that I was a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD in 2003. I actually created The Highly Sensitive People MSN group back in 1999 after getting Elaine Aron's book The Highly Sensitive Person and going to a Highly Sensitive Person seminar class. In 2010, I created Developmental Neurodiversity Association (DNA) facebook group. I am a male that doesn't fit male stereotypes, and I have been mistook for being gay. I just recently found out that I have a rare missense mutation involving Androgen Receptor (AR) gene on Chromosome X. I have index fingers longer than ring fingers which supposedly indicate very feminine finger ratios. I do have high estrogen levels and low testosterone levels. According to Myers Briggs Personality Test, I am an Intuitive Feeling Perceiver (INFP)
To determine if HSP and autism are related, further investigation could be conducted to study the likelihood of individuals with HSP/ autism having children with varying degrees of autism. However, I have concerns about the ethics of such a study, as it might exacerbate the stigma surrounding high-functioning autism by highlighting their potential risk of having children with low-functioning autism.
I'm not sure she ever uses the word "neurodivergence" because it's closely associated with autism and she has spent a good portion of her career trying to distance HSP from autism, but she identified HSP as a biological trait, a difference in how the brain works, which means it qualifies as a type of neurodivergence.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub In her book The Highly Sensitive Child, she tried to distance HSP from Aspergers Syndrome and ADHD. I got the impression that she was trying to distance HSP from neurodivegent conditions I have am a highly sensitive person with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD. I learned about being a highly sensitive person in 1999, and then I learned that have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD in 2003. I have a history of being in special education and was mistook for being intellectually disabled, and so I knew that I was different from most. I just didn't know what was.
For years I’ve related to a lot of things people with autism talk about, but not everything, and so I figured I couldn’t be autistic. Its just generalized anxiety and social anxiety and I just don’t like change or unfamiliarity or too much socializing because I’m just an introvert. But it feels like something else is going on still. But it’s not autism. I don’t think it is. I don’t think I struggle to mask. I know what it feels like to be “on” and I tell people about that, but it’s more I’m trying to make people like me and make them happy, not jus trying to be seen as normal. Yes I want to blend, but I think it’s different from how people with autism want to blend. I understand sarcasm, I’m pretty sure I can read people’s nonverbal cues, I’m pretty sure I’m pretty okay at socializing, I just also find it tiring. Idk. Maybe I’m a HSP. My mom has said I am for years. I deal with emotional meltdowns, especially during times of change or when I’ve been going (social wise) for too long without alone time, do-nothing breaks. I just do feel like it’s got to be something but I’ve taken the online tests and its not autism. So maybe it’s this.
Also, iirc, there's a major difference between the two regarding communication and socio-emotional receptivity, which is necessary for an Autism diagnosis, but not for HSP
Im an HSP & not sure if Im autistic. It is confusing & a bit frustrating. I do need accommodations because we are forced to live in a neurotypical fast paced world that burns us out!
I'm in the semi-frustrating spot where I'm not autistic but have loooooads of autistic friends and adopt-a-family and have done loads of research (and self-testing, SO MUCH self-testing, up to and including the RAADS-R) so I know what autism can look like and how varied it is, but thanks to three out of four of my forms of neurodivergence (allistic hyperlexia, HSP, CPTSD) I come off as very autistic-/like/ in some of my behavior. So though I see autism as a neutral trait and nothing I would be bothered about if I actually was autisitic, it's primarily frustrating for me because of how many people refuse to believe I'm not lying to myself when I say that I'm not (in no small part because one of my own personal triggers is centered around the fact that I've had just about every part of my identity in my life doubted and called into question-- not a fun experience to say the least). After a lifetime of erasure, sometimes I just want to scream. It's in that vein that I really appreciate it being said that HSP and autism are separate things _with a lot of overlap_. Because erasing those of us who are only one or the other by insisting they're the same thing is, to my mind, no different than erasing the line between autistics and those of us with cptsd, or autistics and hyperlexics as a whole, or-- if I go even further-- saying that everyone who's ace or nonbinary is autistic. It erases a lot of people who exist and ignores a lot of the nuance of lived experiences that /don't/ fit that narrow box of "If you're this, then you're /also/ this." So a video like this that DOES acknowledge there's overlap without one automatically implying the other? I genuinely appreciate seeing it.
We should be pushing for inclusivity and acceptance for all, 100%, and I totally understand where autistic people would feel frustrated given how hsp has been "marketed" compared to autism in an ableist way. However, its important to remember that in the process of pushing for acceptance to not make others feel unwelcome. I've read a coupe of articles recently that had frankly offensive click bait titles that took shots at hsp. That isn't productive. In my own research, when self diagnosing per the dsm 5 I don't qualify for autism. Going further than the dsm 5, whenever I watch videos on autism I often go "I identify with x, but not y". It would be cool to talk it out with a professional, but I'm pretty confident in my own experiences. However, *everything* I have ever read or watched about hsp/sps resonates very deeply for me. Yes there are similarities with autism, but as another commenter pointed out it is the differences that set things apart. And honestly? From my lived experience I think the two overlap a lot less than some may think. I saw someone once describe the differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent as being the differences between Android and iOS. Taking that analogy further, as a hsp it feels less like everyone is using iOS and I'm using Android and more like I'm using a jail-broken and extremely customized version of either os. Neurodivergence is a broad category. It is absolutely okay for multiple labels to exist within it. We should be allies, not enemies.
hey! i have a kind of related but kind of off topic question. if anyone can give their opinion i’d appreciate it:) so, i know i was highly sensitive (hsp) when i was younger. i didn’t show all the signs, but i was easily scared/disturbed/emotionally upset, i hated loud noises and itchy clothes, i hated being startled, i had a deep thought life and imagination, i sometimes had nightmares, i showed OCD type behaviors, i got very frazzled in stressful situations, etc. however, now as an older teen, i don’t experience these things much anymore. i’m a little sensitive, but i don’t think i’m highly sensitive anymore. is it possible to stop being an hsp? or is it always a permanent trait and have i just adapted to it?
Hey, this is an awesome question! Odds are, you've simply learned to adapt to it and have found ways to accommodate yourself to decrease overstimulation! Though there's always a chance that your actual sensitivity has shifted as well.
Unfortunately, one can have ticks, lice and fleas all at the same time. That's the truth. I really understand and accept that HSP's are neutral, because the social side is ok. Whatever disturbs the social fabric seems to be classified as a disorder. ADHD's have up to 10 years less to live than neurotypicals for example, so, yes, I would say it is worth treating. Autism is definitely neutral, but the social side is the real problem. There's been an autistic revolution as of late, this might change the way we see it too. I came to the same conclusion as you, I was like: I'm HSP, or no, I'm Autistic, no HSP, no, both. And ADHD, and PTSD, and CPTSD, and OCD, and Depression, and anxiety. :-( Shit.
All HSP's are Sensitive to taking in information from the Five Senses, but those that are "Extroverted" are Naturally going to have an easier time with it...
See the reason I have such a problem with HSP is that Elaine Aron completely disregarded the whole autism spectrum when claiming HSP’s are different from autistics. It’s true if you look at FAQs people have asked her. She defended her points comparing HSPs to “severe” autism and only discussing traits that male autistics would exhibit, so of course there is a difference there. She failed to even consider that her definition of HSP is almost exactly the criteria for those with “high functioning” autism (Im aware these are outdated terms I am using them for clarity). So yes I understand not wanting to lump everyone together but we have to remember that we are letting this ONE doctor determine which traits means what when she simply does not know the full extent of what she is talking about. I used to trust her knowledge but since finding out how much crucial information she missed, it ruined it for me.
Okay, yes, yes to all of this. One doctor isn't in charge of everything. Her research is interesting, and somewhat helpful, but it isn't the end all, be all.
I never thought of a HSP and autism as one in the same before until I saw your previous video. I have to say, I agree more with your previous video! Though, I do think a HSP is just one possible presentation of autism out of many more, because things like stimming and hyposensitivities aren’t taken into account. I am diagnosed with autism, adhd and anxiety, and I highly identify with the HSP… I also have hyposensitivities, but my hypersensitivities affect me more in my daily life. I partly wonder if the person who discovered the HSP just didn’t take into account hyposensitivities and stimming, which would make me think even further that they are exactly the same thing. Thanks for making these videos! It got me thinking!
So I am an HSP, and am in the process of receiving an ASD diagnosis. For reference I'm 31, was a "gifted" student growing up, and chose not to pursue a diagnosis when I was a teenager as I was doing well enough socially that it didn't seem necessary (self ignorance lol) I agree with Venn diagram idea, although realistically the circle for ASD would be much smaller than that of the HSP as well. The part of me that is suspected to be Autistic I would describe as being interpretative and reactive to the feelings I get as an HSP. Like when I'm experiencing negative emotions through someone else, I just feel "bad" or "wrong" and cannot understand the why or the what the other person is feeling only that it's hurting them and thus me. Or like setting a room to a very specific rhythm and level of stimulation to maximize focus, and being totally unable to focus at times and getting overwhelmed and frustrated if it's not at that level.
@@mstewie08 Thank you so much for sharing! Every time someone shares their experience with autism and HSP, I learn so much more! Good luck with your autism diagnosis process!
What people don't seem to realize, is that the autism spectrum doesn't start at autism. It starts at allistic. It's actually quite common for allistic people to have one or two autistic traits. There is no hard cut of point between allistic and autistic. And I think HSP falls into that grey area. An HSP might have enough autistic traits to fall on the autism side of said grey area, but they can also be closer to the allistic side. I understand the impulse to want to draw a clear line in the sand and say HSP is just autism, but the grey area exists and we need to except that.
If a person with a very sensitive nervous system is closing down because of the overwhelming stimuli and/or traumatic events, then they can get hyposensitive. Being dissociative is also a spectrum 😊 I believe that every autistic person is born very sensitive, but can shut down and then seem like hyposensitive.
I believe there are many incongruences in your discourse. First of, to talk about "accomodations" already implies there is a need to bend the norm to your favor. Which implies there is a poignant difference between you and most people. Some differences between people are evident, yet will not disrupt their day to day lives. Someone having a bigger nose than most people will not hinder day to day activities the same way being in a wheelchair will. And there is nothing wrong with needing a wheelchair, yet people must accommodate to them. It is a small inconvenience to architects but it makes a huge difference in these people's lives. I believe the same should be done with autistic individuals. Because their brain is simply not the same. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I do not think it's wrong to think of it as a disability. My cousin has a severe degree of autism. She cannot speak. She is not interested in just being at the dining table with us. Picky eater... All that jazz. And I feel blessed to live in a country that prepares special places for her to be in. Where I think we must direct our attention to now is to higher functioning autism. People who experience the world in a unique way, yet are not met with sufficient understanding. I'm thinking about a quiet place in an office, for example. With dimmed lighting, no music allowed, so as to not overstimulate the highly sensitive people in the room. There could be relational guidelines in place for autistic-neurotypical relationships in the workplace... There are SO many things we could do. BUT we must recognize it as the disability and inconvenience it is to most people. It's just the way it is. I believe we must think differently about disabilities in order to overcome this. And for the record I do consider myself disabled in some ways. My sensitive nature is nothing to be ashamed about and it has made my life SO much harder than it had to. It has also brought me great pleasure and joy. But goodness I WOULD like to tolerate a pungent smelling perfume or bright lights after a long day. But ai don't. And I am writing this on my bed, in the dark, unwinding from a hard and hectic day greeting about 300 people. I like to focus on solutions for these things. And we all must explore and try things out and see what works best for us. I can take a day like this, but maybe someone else couldn't. And that's okay. I would not be caught dead in a hostile work environment like in wall street or something. We need to take care of ourselves and help each other out.
Omg. I just thought of other ways the high sensitivity affects my life personally. I cannot drive at night. The lights on cars coming the other way are literally so glaring they blind me. All I see are 4 lnes on each side of the car instead of two headlights coming at me. I am very prone to anxiety (another reason I won't drive)... I have always been very serious and could not tolerate light teasing. This alongside emotional neglect and abuse gave me bpd and I almost died bc of that... All because people gaslit me into believing I had the problem for being too sensitive instead of trying to be more understanding to a gentler soul and sensitive person... Anyway.... Music is delicious. S3x is glorious. Joy is pure. Love is strong... Beauty is enchanting. There are many things I would miss if I weren't sensitive. It has its perks as well. But sometimes I wonder if the perks are worth it half the time. Maybe it's about finding the right environment where our sensitivities are a superpower. Not debilitating weakness. Some people become wine tasters or perfumers thanks to their heightened sense of smell. I could have become an artist with my sensitivity to light (I see more Grey tones than most)... I hope we all find our place and thrive ❤
I'm just going to assume that HSP's are on the higher spectrum side of autism. At the end of the day, personality types play a role in this. Changing and making up titles helps only to confuse us.
HSP still feels like a condition on the autism spectrum to me. I heavily related to being an HSP when I first heard about it years ago. I am now professionally diagnosed as an autistic with anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. A HSP’s traits are almost the exact same as a masking AFAB autistic’s. It’s important to remember there are/were multiple VERY different conditions on the spectrum before it all got lumped together. I think this may just be a condition that wasn’t identified early enough by mental health professionals before the autism-syndrome-lumping-together began. Just a theory, as a highly sensitive autistic. 🤔
I guess it depends on what one defines neurodivergent. I am a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD. I had auditory therapy, speech therapy, phonics training, and motor skills therapy to correct my Dyslexic and Dyspraxic weaknesses. Now they're mild.. I was mistook for being intellectually handicapped in early childhood. I was misdiagnosed Bipolar with Schizoaffective Disorder. I am definitely not a neurotypical. I am highly sensitive person. A person can be both highly sensitive and neurodivergent. High Sensitivity is not the same autism. Many neurodivergents have sensory processing issues, but they're not the same autism. I don't think how anybody can think that one's autistic because they're highly sensitive. I know a lot of people that are highly sensitive, and most of them aren't autistic. Many of them are in the metaphysical fields and the healing arts.
Neurodivergency means that your brain works different than most brains do. If your brain is more sensitive to basically everything in the world than neurotipical brains are how do you call it then if not neurodivergent?
It actually is a neurodivergence as we are born with a differently wired nervous system. We are no neurotypicals at all. Remember it’s the same for animals: 10-20% will be hsp
No one is all hyposensitive or all hypersensitive. As an autistic person. HSP is simply hypervigilance from trauma .making autistic people able to read and understand some cocisl cues especially emotional ones.andfafial expressions. Also the profile for an ADHD autistic is very different than a strictly autistic person. They have behaviors that are more in step with the neuromajority. For good or bad. I did not believe I had social differences when I first looked into autism, but I absolutely do and some things I did not even realize about myself until after diagnosis for autism. HSP is masked autism with hypervigilance from trauma and ADHD
I am an HSP and neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD. I have no autism, and Veteran Affairs neurologists examined me and noted that I am not autistic. I don't have problems perceiving/understanding emotional/social cues. You can be an HSP without being autistic nor any type of neurodivergent.
Thanks for this video. I believe myself to be autistic after I had to fill out form with qualifying questions for someone close to me who was diagnosed... I know I am hsp... but I'm very passionate about mental health for the autistic community. I'm wondering if that would still be welcome as I don't have 3.5k to get diagnosed. @neurodivergentmagic
having hsp as not a recognized neurodiversity just like the rest is also pretty complicated for us hsp folks. not being able to fully adapt to society and not having the mechanism to get your life adapted to your needs just because "it's not a disorder" is very frustrating. i'm still suffering, it's still making me unable to keep a typical job and it's still making it impossible to live by myself. wish it was that cute and quirky and not such a complication.
@@Julie-xg5iu spot on when you stated that last part!
Yes, completely agree. And that's partially because the people who are the "main representatives" of the whole hsp theory are apparently against HSP being considered a neurodiversity, which just doesn't make sense to me. Though it seems they are very adamant about it just because they are so afraid not to be put in the same box with autism and adhd.
So they keep ignoring the bad part and only emphasising the good part about HSP which actually hurt many of us HSPs.
I agree. As an HSP going to High School, I’m unable to fit in with boys in my class, especially in sports. I get so emotional and it’s hard for me to keep focus with everything going on around me. I’ve met with so many teachers and they tell me that theres something that I’m doing wrong, and (in going to a small private Christian school) tell me that I “don’t have enough scripture in me”. I just want to tell them that I can’t control any of it, and I wish that I could have the help I want, but it’s not classified as a disorder or what not. People like my teachers just decide to look over it. It’s stupid, and I wish for all our HSP’s sakes that people can be more aware of what we go through.
@@Julie-xg5iuwatch the psychologist Kim Sage video about how the research for HSP was based on later discovered autistic children who they didn’t realize were undiagnosed because they had hyper empathy.
I remember hsps saying in despair 'I can't live. I can't live'. It is terrible life when you are given genes like this. It made my life disaster. Complete failure. Still at the age of 52 I don't know how to carry on. Those people who say it is normal and colorize being hsp instead of giving full picture of the problem are terrible. It is not normal. Normal people can adapt to society. Normal people can have happy job life. I never had any of those two. I was always suicidal because of the trait. I can't imagine going further in life with this trait. I just can't do it. I don't want my future to be like my past but unfortunately I can't expect anything better.
@1:30 I love how you put this. "when you learn new information, you should always reassess what you believe."
Thank you! It's just something I believe
I’m HSP and not autistic, and I wish people would be open minded like you and not try to erase HSP people who are not autistic.
But I’m frustrated because I am an HSP who is not autistic, and the autistic community doing its push back on people like me actually does a disservice to us and all HSPs being seen as legit and needing accommodations & understanding just as all other neurodivergents receive.
I would agree, there's space for all of us here, we just have to understand ourselves and each other as best we can
Me too!! THIS!!!!!!!
Im a hyposensitive autistic, emotionally and sensory. I know a HSP who is very popular and has exceptionally strong social skills and no fixed repetative behaviors or special interests in the autistic sense. Glad you walked your conclusion back.
Thank you so much for this video! I have identified as an HSP for many years but I'm not autistic. My son is autistic, however, and as I watch videos about autism because I want to help him, I'm seeing videos about how HSP is basically misunderstood or undiagnosed autism. Now there are clear differences between my traits of Neuro divergence and my son's autism traits. Thank you for validating what I believe about the overlap between HSP and autism. It is a Venn diagram with a great deal of intersection, absolutely, but it is not a circle.
Hsp and Autism are not the same. In psychology many disorders have overlapping traits but what is important is to look into the differences because this is what defines them. It is so scary to see all these tik tokers and youtubers playing doctors and misleading people because they lack deeper knowledge.
Big agree.
EXACTLY. THANK YOU. LOL Tiktok clinicians smh
Watch the psychologist Kim Sage video about how the research for HSP was based on later discovered autistic children who they didn’t realize were undiagnosed because they had hyper empathy.
This does not negate my message. Autism, can be overlooked (especially in girls). However, at the same time it is also too often diagnosed these days. Autism became the diagnosis for everything while often this diagnosis is wrong also. So, one has to have excellent doctors and not ones that just diagnose what you tell them you think you have:)@@DanniBby
@@vkar1907 the many things autism has been misdiagnosed as for all of the years, I don’t think it’s now over diagnosed, I think now that it’s just being discovered more because only now people know what it really is, most times the only reason autism is recognized is when the person is showing distress, just like adhd gets recognized when someone is having a problem in life or being an inconvenience to others.. they could go their whole lives without knowing if by chance they didn’t have very stressful situations happen or if they just never showed the stress externally, many autistic people are able to tolerate higher stress levels while not showing it on the outside which was even found out in a study.. the cortisol levels that they were tested for did not match their appearance. I do agree that doctors can be wrong in diagnosis so you need one that doesn’t just assess by asking the person questions. There’s a video on this woman’s TH-cam channel that tells the process for how she finally got professionally diagnosed with autism.
It’s still even a misconception by doctors that you have to not have empathy or be an introvert with no ability to be social to be autistic, that’s not true.. higher empathy is a trait that gets overlooked often and it’s possible to be an extroverted autistic who is interested in people, not just things. Autism was not what the doctors were told it was in the first place. So I think the spectrum is just larger than they thought and more people have been autistic since always because it’s really just another neurotype that makes the brain process stimuli differently. ADHD also is incredibly similar to autism, they both can have sensory issues, yet before they thought you can’t have both ADHD and Autism so even if they saw signs of autism they wouldn’t diagnose them with it if it wasn’t enough signs to really bother their life.
I too am a non-autistic HSP and for a long time I thought I was autistic because I could relate to a lot of things that autistic people describe about their experience and did a lot of research into autism (I did get an assessment as a child but I did not meet the criteria but I always felt like autism didn't accurately describe things for me, even when I educated myself on masking, as I didn't experience any of the social issues and had no problem empathizing with neurotypical people and unlike what high masking autistic people often describe, it was intuitive for me rather than learned through observation, so I didn't think it was fair to claim the autism label for myself. I also got bored by routine easily and - unfortunately - lied frequently to protect peoples feelings ...however, while I am highly sensitive to the emotions of those around me and also to a lot of sensory stimuli, I had difficulty identifying with the label "highly sensitive Person" because it was marketed as this kind of "gift" or "special superpower" and "definitely not autism" (which is just ableist bullshit as there is a ton of overlap between HSP and other neurodivergencies like autism and ADHD) and I didn't feel like I was special in any way, it's just that I notice more things than others, which can be awesome in some situations and disabling in others because I get drained a lot more quickly. I wish we could see all neurodivergencies the way we see HSP - different, not deficient. That is not to say that autistic people don't struggle to varying degrees, after all, the world is made for neurotypical people but if we simply acknowledge that not all brains work the same way and none of that is better or worse, we just need to find a way to work with it, not against it, that might reduce some of the stigma associated with autism
mikado, did you manage to navigate your job life well as an hsp ? Many hsps struggle with it. Do you know how to approach job life as an hsp so that your life can be a bit better ? My life as an hsp has always been despair and still is . I am 52. I am suicidal because I don't want my future be like my past. I doubt my future can be different because I will have different nervous system forever.
Thank you so much for addressing this, I agree 1000%. I've also come across this "hsp is autism" theme, actually fairly recently, and threw myself into researching about autism, because I have been identifying as HSP, I definitely am but I still feel it's not enough. I've also been through a lot mental health-wise and a lot of labels.
I really respect Elaine Aron for her work, but I completely agree with you that the way she marketed HSP as some great superpower (or just another personality trait), is not really doing many of us a favor.. But then again, with every concept, there are the ones who put down the bases, and others who build upon it, or even modify the understanding of it in time. Like how we understand psychology now is far from what Freud has theorised (and many of his ideas seem absurd to us now).
With that said, I have to confess, I secretly hope that it would turn out that I'm actually autistic, because then I would have a label that is accepted as being neurodivergent (which is definitely how I experience that my brain functions). Being an HSP is something that is still debated, which is again frustrating, because all those traits describe me, so when I read that someone says "HSP doesn't exist", I feel invalidated and that it painful.
But in the same time maybe the solution is to accept HSP as a neurodivergence by the wider neurodivergent community and maybe scientists...It feels like a long run and it can definitely feel alienating, alone and discouraging.
I am both hypersensitive and hyposensitive.
A good example of that is fabrics.
Some fabrics I can't stand, but other fabrics give me great pleasure to feel.
I'm also very clumsy because of my hyposensitivity, but at the same time I can't handle people standing too close to me because I'm hypersensitive.
I have places on my body where I can't bear to be touched, but at the same time places where I can be clawed to the point of blood without me noticing. It is hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity at the same time. You are not necessarily either or, many autistics are both at the same time.
And this is something that can vary from day to day, and at periods in life. Also affected by stress and masking. I myself was not aware of these things until I found out that I am autistic. I thought it was completely normal to feel this way.
Such a good pint. We are so quick to assume either or, but hypersensitive and hyposenstive can co-exist! Isn’t this also partially what might be beyond the old lack of empathy problem autistic people apparently have because they can go between extreme empathy that gets so overwhelming they need to shut down or shut off (hypo) and then get labelled as narcissists coz they are just trying to regulate their emotions.
You make some interesting points. And I am an HSP and I tend to be on the extreme high end of the scale and I recently had a therapist say that they want me to take a psych eval because she thought I was on the autism spectrum. I kind of doubt it myself but we'll see. I think alot of the confusin comes from the similarities between HSPs and autism and people wanting to lump it all together into one neat easy package and I don't believe that serves anyone. Additionally I think what you said about Dr. Aron wanting to classify the trait as neutral as being interesting because it made me wonder if all neurodivergent catagories are neutral and none of them are "conditions" are something that needs to be "cured. But that they are all neutral and just a different way of viewing and existing in the world. AND YES and AMEN to the idea that we need accomidations in this world. I just wonder if we should stop waitng for the neurotypical to give them to and for us to go out there and create them for ourselves.
I agree that lumping people into one neat and tidy box is rarely the answer, I just see so many similarities between hsp and autism, I wonder if they really are the same, at least in some cases. Good luck with your evaluation, I know those can be stressful, but it will be whatever it will be.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub Thank you. I have seen it where Elaine Aron refers to Autism and HSP as being cousins and she uses the example of the venn diagram where you have two separate circles that overlap at a point. They are two different things that just have similarities that overlap.
Spot on.
Oh! In my initial research on HSP, I somehow filtered out or didn't pick up on the repudiation of similarities with autism and ADHD. I think I i've just spent so much time around family, friends, and teaching kids with autism that it was very clear how I was similar and also extremely different. soon after I learned about HSP, I kind of felt like the missing link between people on the autism spectrum and neurotypicals. and I understood why I was able to understand and translate the needs and behavior patterns of autistic people for neurotypical people who just weren't getting it.
I am honored to share traits with all neurodivergent people. /highly sensitive person without other diagnosis or traits
I think that's such a good outlook! Neurodivergent folks have so much in common and can support each other (:
I just commented on your other video about being a neurodivergent person while being a HSP. I struggle a lot with my emotional regulation and dealing with external stimuli like large crowds or a long period of time with a lot of people.
I don't even know if I am just an extremely anxious person haha...
God this is so hard to experience.
It's so hard to determine the difference between overstimulation and anxiety bc overstimulation often causes anxiety. I hope you find the answers you're looking for soon, sending love 💜
Wow, you’re the first person I’ve come across who really gets the whole autism/ HSP/ ND stuff. Great video 💖
Thank you, I'm so glad I can help
I am one of those autistics that are hyposensitive to most stimuli. My son is the same way. We are emotionally sensitive and we can get overstimulated.
Thank you so much for this comment! I didn't meant to imply that hyposensitive folks aren't emotionally sensitive, I'm sorry if that was the implication in this video. Sounds like I have more research to do!
I’m glad you kept learning. That’s important.
I have listened to a very wide variety of content on autism and here is what I have come to believe is really autism. First of all I want to say that autism is not the many comorbid disorders that tend to go along with it. Autism is not a learning disability although it often comes comorbid with learning disabilities. I believe that autistics have different values and a different perspective on the world because of one simple fact. The social programming of our world, to use a metaphor, is in Mac. But autistics are PC. So we cannot intuitively understand social programming. This has a wide amount of effects on the on the type of people that we are. We do not intuit social hierarchy. We can learn about it the way that one can learn how to do math but we do not intuitively understand. Autistic people value honest communication and the accurate exchange of information more highly than emotional safety. Neurotypical people value emotional safety over the accurate exchange of information. Both still value the other thing but one holds one value higher than the other and this causes a lot of the social issues. This is why autistic people think neurotypicals are non empathetic and vice versa. This is also why autistic people are immune to peer pressure. And why we don't understand the value of Saving Face without having to learn it. This is also why autistic people automatically understand that social constructs are not real
this is a very insightful comment. I have seen a pattern on which there is a high level of conscientiousness, awareness, that translates to being overstimulated from all that we are aware of, and needing to find ways to reach the goals of what we hold to be important/ things like truth and justice etc. They can only be reached through accuracy.
I think i am HSP. My young song got diagnosed with autism, it is very clear in him. I knew from the beginning that it was from my side right away. My son is also HSP but also autistic. For me Im pretty convinced that im HSP but I can see how it is really different from my son his autism because it really does impact his life in a much stronger way. Thanks for the video!!
I think I followed you on TikTok, but I don't use TikTok a lot atm, so glad to find you here o/
I'm definetly an HSP but i more and more feel like there is more to it. Because i have more troubles besides being very sensitive to sensory stuff. I've been in and out of therapy and never felt like the therapist got to the core of all my problems.... I think i might be just on the edge of the autism spectrum. But i'm very scared of talking about it with my current therapist... Because what if thats not it? Then i just know i'm hsp and have to live like that, expected to live like someone who is neurotypical? And thats insanely hard to process for me :( i dont know what to do
Hey there, thank you so much for this comment, because I was actually in the EXACT same position about a year and a half ago. Here's what I'd recommend: remember that labels are meant to serve you. Maybe try living your life as if you are autistic, implement autistic accommodations, think of yourself through that lens, all that, and see if your life gets easier. That's what I'm doing right now and it's really helping! But let's say you're not autistic. You aren't "just" an HSP. You are an HSP, and that is valid and your struggles are real, no matter what label best fits you.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub Your message really helped me a lot! I wasn't thinking of it that way before... Thank you so much for these kind words :) i will definetly try to gather more information and experiment with things. I think i should also try to get more resources on how to deal with challenges as an HSP. Until now all people told me "you're an HSP and thats a gift" but never told me how to properly take care of the downsides
@@Leepheon exactly. It's great to see our gifts, but our struggles are real too!
In the end, except for people who need official labels specifically for some kind of support in school or work or something, labels mean very little. To me the only thing that’s important is recognizing what specific challenges I have/tools to help them and what good abilities I have to/tools & advice to grow them! MTBI is also a neurodivergent thing… but it’s really hard to talk about it because having a brain injury isn’t understood by most people and further, it’ can be looked down upon. Brain injury in popular media is pretty much a joke. Neurodivergent people need to stick together, I agree! Lots of adhd tips work for brain injury and I think for sure I was add before the brain injury as well… injury made what I was dealing with 100x worse. Also, very definitely HSP and always have been. Everyone has gifts and challenges and it will be so great when we have a world that can receive gifts/input from all kinds of people! ❤️ Loving your videos! 🥰
Thank you. I appreciate your video and the compassion you’ve shown re. the different dimensions of this ongoing debate. I’m grappling with this exact thing right now and currently think I am HSP but also open to being autistic, I just don’t have a clear picture on that right now, so I’m doing more research. 😊
I appreciate this video because your first video really threw me off. Your so awesome for this🙏
I think that what is key is not that different areas of neurodivergence push back & forth with each other (& I agree that there can be a lot of areas of overlap between different ones- Think of your video on Neurodivergent Traits, for instance), but seeing the importance in all of them for respect, not being pathologized, & for support/accomodation.
The 'label' one chooses is perhaps not the issue. Yes, it helps to clarify those categories, but we can still allow for others to select those identities for themselves the same way they would with pronouns.
I also see a lot of overlap with some of the neurodivergent traits & MBTI. I like that that system doesn't pathologize, & in fact, both the concept of high sensitivity & cognitive functions, came from Carl Jung (100+ years ago now, if you can believe that, & still- sadly- not very commonly known).
Edited to add: I do think even psychiatrists/therapists need to clarify some of the diagnostic criteria they use because there can be such murkyness & overlap. Some theories are being proven wrong, & neuroscience is rising in prominence. These two things need to very much be taken into account so that diagnoses (or the lack of) become more reflective of/aligned with the times & changing technology.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this. Yes, I totally agree we need to focus on de-pathlologizing neurodivergence 💜
Most autistic people tend to have a mix. They will be hypersensitive to some things and hyposensitive to other things. I'm extremely sensitive to piercing sounds but I can pick up a hot pan and not notice it's burning me right away
I was told years ago by my mom I may have autism and some people told her that I may have Asperger’s (I know that the terminology has since changed). I denied it for years up until two years ago and then it turned into one of my new hyper focuses. My therapist suggested I may be a highly sensitive person. Your video helped me discern some new conversation points with my therapist. Thank you so much this video was very informative and helpful I hope you have a good day 💝😁
Oh wow, I really hope the conversations with your therapist go well, and I'm so glad I could help!
I am so annoyed cause I 'm diagnosed with Adhd ,HP and Hsp but I fit the criteria for autism. Also I may look like I'm Good with People but really It's just masking and I have sooo many examples/proof of My autistic traits and I even fot stereotypes like being very literal and logical etc. I also have problems like co ordination and I i've Always had an easy time with Numbers and remembering Them but not names for eg. Also social rules don't come naturally so it isn't just that i'm sensitive and can't do certain things because of anxiety ,It's that I don't understand them etc
Difficulty recognizing emotions, also called alexithymia is characteristic in autism, but as far as I have come with reading Alaine Aron, it us not a part of being a HSP.
Thanks. I find big overlaps between ADD, autism and high sensitivity, but can’t find information that covers all 3 of them, anyone??
HSP and Autism are very different things, the traits aren't even similar, in fact they are often the opposite. HSP is a neurological trait, it's not a scale, you either have it or you don't and it can exist alongside any other trait that you can also have. The stereotype of the HSP is someone who is introverted and overwhelmed by other people, but HSP's can also be extroverted and High Sensation Seeking, which shows how different it is to something like Autism and other neurodivergencies. I think the encouragement to see the HSP trait as neutral or even positive it because it is something that can and should be managed within yourself. HSP's don't need special treatment or understanding from other people, they just need to understand themselves and live in a way that honours the trait, rather than try to ignore it or, at the other end, being at the mercy of it.
i cant live with this trait. my job life was disaster because of nervois system i was given. i am 52 and i am scared to live on my own. my parents always supported me because I just cant live
I’m going through the exact same process, figuring out what I have out of the surprisingly similar diagnoses of autism, HSP, adhd, and complex trauma. Could you do a video covering the differences/similarities between CPTSD and autism?
This is a great idea for a video, I'll be sure to do that soon!
HSP and ASD are not the same.
it's not
if it was
then 20 percent of people have autism
So people are complicated and not all same. Who knew?
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Yeh, marketing. Im convinced that all this splitting hairs and obsezsive need to pidgeon hole traits and identify unique dx and treatments is a defining characteristic of neurotypical egos.
I am HSP. I specially have issues with some smells and sounds. I may have an anxiety crisis by being exposed to House music, for example. And I don't look to people in the eyes when they talk. But maybe because of a hearing condition that I have.
I have also some difficulties socialising with peers and don't like the gregarious mindset of most people. But maybe because I was bullied a few times and have always been weird. I have subjects of special interest that last for several months during which I research all possible information on it and distract me a lot from my PhD project. I also hyperfocus. And I have a couple of cousins who look like bright aspergers.
Despite all that, I guess I am just HSP and probably nothing else. I am not like my cousins. And have no trouble guessing people's emotions.
This is sooo confusing. I am highly sensitive in some ways but I don’t think to touch, but my mother who has her own issues, is highly, ridiculously sensitive to touch. We actually can’t buy her anything that feels good on her skin. She thinks it is just not quality fabric as in the past but I’m not convinced.
Don't they say that the HSP brain is different from a non-HSP brain? Or am I confused? If so, how can a difference in brain structure be a character trait?
Then again, I wonder how the studies were done and whether the high sensitivity brought on the physical changes in the brain.
Do you discuss neuroplasticity? Bringing the brain back to the way it should be if we allowed it's structure to change through our responses to life experiences?
Ooooohhh, this is absolutely something I want to address when it comes to acquired forms of neurodivergence, like trauma. Because trauma is an injury, one that can absolutely be healed. Video coming in the future!
I am an HSP. What's the best way to determine whether or not I am autistic?
I am concerned about High Sensitivity being equated to Autism. Some people are lumping all highly sensitive people under autism. I am seeing people doing it on youtube. I don't agree with this. This type of thinking is endangered of getting people misdiagnosed. I know what it's like to be misdiagnosed.
Please be careful about lumping all Highly Sensitive People under Autism. Not all nor most Highly Sensitive People are autistic nor having any type of neurodivergent condition.
I am a highly sensitive person, but I am not autistic. I am a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD which are neurodivergent conditions that have high co-morbidity and overlap with Autism. I had auditory therapy, speech therapy, phonics training, and motor skills therapy to correct my Dyslexic and Dyspraxic weaknesses. Now they're mild now.
Many neurodivergents have sensory processing issues, but not all of them are autistic. Many neurodivergents that are highly sensitive are not autistic. I know a lot of people that are highly sensitive people that are into metaphysical subjects and healing arts, and most of them aren't autistic. Some are neurodivergent. I am into metaphysical subjects including especially Astrology. Many neurodivergents are into metaphysical subjects and refer to themselves as Indigos and Crystals.
Elaine Aron's book The Highly Sensitive Child seems to be very similar to books written about the Indigo Children and Crystal Children. I have a couple of books about the Indigo Children and Crystal Children by Doreen Virtue. I did an amazon review of Doreen Virtue's The Care And Feeding Of The Indigo Child, and I pointed that much of what she describes fits with neurodivergence.
The neurodivergent conditions do have significant co-morbidity with Autism. That needs to be considered. Some people might mistake Dyspraxia for Autism because of the overlap in regards speech problems, sensory processing issues, and problems with coordination. They are not the same though. The hallmark of Dyspraxia is problems with planning and coordination.
I don't have problems perceiving/understanding emotional/social cues which is the hallmark of autism. I was reading facial expressions as a baby. At 2 years old, I was creating my own sign language to communicate because people had hard time understanding me. I am quite expressive with my feelings with tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, and I am easily affected and can be perceptive of tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions.I can be hypersensitive to emotional/social cues. A person standing up close to me with a mean look on his face could easily make me feel threatened. I will have a strong 'fight or flight' response. I always liked playing with others and was quick to befriend others. I was very clingy with my mother as a little kid.I liked hugging with others when I was a little kid.
I didn't have the social impairments that would define me as autistic. Neurologists that examined me noted that I wasn't autistic. They confirmed my Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.
You can be both autistic and highly sensitive, but being highly sensitive doesn't mean being autistic.
I learned that I was an HSP back in 1999 before I learned that I was a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD in 2003.
I actually created The Highly Sensitive People MSN group back in 1999 after getting Elaine Aron's book The Highly Sensitive Person and going to a Highly Sensitive Person seminar class.
In 2010, I created Developmental Neurodiversity Association (DNA) facebook group.
I am a male that doesn't fit male stereotypes, and I have been mistook for being gay. I just recently found out that I have a rare missense mutation involving Androgen Receptor (AR) gene on Chromosome X. I have index fingers longer than ring fingers which supposedly indicate very feminine finger ratios. I do have high estrogen levels and low testosterone levels.
According to Myers Briggs Personality Test, I am an Intuitive Feeling Perceiver (INFP)
To determine if HSP and autism are related, further investigation could be conducted to study the likelihood of individuals with HSP/ autism having children with varying degrees of autism. However, I have concerns about the ethics of such a study, as it might exacerbate the stigma surrounding high-functioning autism by highlighting their potential risk of having children with low-functioning autism.
When did Elaine Aaron discover HSP is neurodivergence? I've watched her talks and read her book and didn't hear or read that. Just curious lol
I'm not sure she ever uses the word "neurodivergence" because it's closely associated with autism and she has spent a good portion of her career trying to distance HSP from autism, but she identified HSP as a biological trait, a difference in how the brain works, which means it qualifies as a type of neurodivergence.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub
In her book The Highly Sensitive Child, she tried to distance HSP from Aspergers Syndrome and ADHD.
I got the impression that she was trying to distance HSP from neurodivegent conditions
I have am a highly sensitive person with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD.
I learned about being a highly sensitive person in 1999, and then I learned that have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD in 2003.
I have a history of being in special education and was mistook for being intellectually disabled, and so I knew that I was different from most. I just didn't know what was.
For years I’ve related to a lot of things people with autism talk about, but not everything, and so I figured I couldn’t be autistic. Its just generalized anxiety and social anxiety and I just don’t like change or unfamiliarity or too much socializing because I’m just an introvert. But it feels like something else is going on still. But it’s not autism. I don’t think it is. I don’t think I struggle to mask. I know what it feels like to be “on” and I tell people about that, but it’s more I’m trying to make people like me and make them happy, not jus trying to be seen as normal. Yes I want to blend, but I think it’s different from how people with autism want to blend. I understand sarcasm, I’m pretty sure I can read people’s nonverbal cues, I’m pretty sure I’m pretty okay at socializing, I just also find it tiring. Idk. Maybe I’m a HSP. My mom has said I am for years. I deal with emotional meltdowns, especially during times of change or when I’ve been going (social wise) for too long without alone time, do-nothing breaks.
I just do feel like it’s got to be something but I’ve taken the online tests and its not autism. So maybe it’s this.
I feel the exact same way
Also, iirc, there's a major difference between the two regarding communication and socio-emotional receptivity, which is necessary for an Autism diagnosis, but not for HSP
Im an HSP & not sure if Im autistic. It is confusing & a bit frustrating. I do need accommodations because we are forced to live in a neurotypical fast paced world that burns us out!
I'm in the semi-frustrating spot where I'm not autistic but have loooooads of autistic friends and adopt-a-family and have done loads of research (and self-testing, SO MUCH self-testing, up to and including the RAADS-R) so I know what autism can look like and how varied it is, but thanks to three out of four of my forms of neurodivergence (allistic hyperlexia, HSP, CPTSD) I come off as very autistic-/like/ in some of my behavior.
So though I see autism as a neutral trait and nothing I would be bothered about if I actually was autisitic, it's primarily frustrating for me because of how many people refuse to believe I'm not lying to myself when I say that I'm not (in no small part because one of my own personal triggers is centered around the fact that I've had just about every part of my identity in my life doubted and called into question-- not a fun experience to say the least). After a lifetime of erasure, sometimes I just want to scream.
It's in that vein that I really appreciate it being said that HSP and autism are separate things _with a lot of overlap_.
Because erasing those of us who are only one or the other by insisting they're the same thing is, to my mind, no different than erasing the line between autistics and those of us with cptsd, or autistics and hyperlexics as a whole, or-- if I go even further-- saying that everyone who's ace or nonbinary is autistic. It erases a lot of people who exist and ignores a lot of the nuance of lived experiences that /don't/ fit that narrow box of "If you're this, then you're /also/ this." So a video like this that DOES acknowledge there's overlap without one automatically implying the other? I genuinely appreciate seeing it.
We should be pushing for inclusivity and acceptance for all, 100%, and I totally understand where autistic people would feel frustrated given how hsp has been "marketed" compared to autism in an ableist way.
However, its important to remember that in the process of pushing for acceptance to not make others feel unwelcome. I've read a coupe of articles recently that had frankly offensive click bait titles that took shots at hsp. That isn't productive.
In my own research, when self diagnosing per the dsm 5 I don't qualify for autism. Going further than the dsm 5, whenever I watch videos on autism I often go "I identify with x, but not y". It would be cool to talk it out with a professional, but I'm pretty confident in my own experiences.
However, *everything* I have ever read or watched about hsp/sps resonates very deeply for me. Yes there are similarities with autism, but as another commenter pointed out it is the differences that set things apart. And honestly? From my lived experience I think the two overlap a lot less than some may think.
I saw someone once describe the differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent as being the differences between Android and iOS. Taking that analogy further, as a hsp it feels less like everyone is using iOS and I'm using Android and more like I'm using a jail-broken and extremely customized version of either os.
Neurodivergence is a broad category. It is absolutely okay for multiple labels to exist within it. We should be allies, not enemies.
hey! i have a kind of related but kind of off topic question. if anyone can give their opinion i’d appreciate it:)
so, i know i was highly sensitive (hsp) when i was younger. i didn’t show all the signs, but i was easily scared/disturbed/emotionally upset, i hated loud noises and itchy clothes, i hated being startled, i had a deep thought life and imagination, i sometimes had nightmares, i showed OCD type behaviors, i got very frazzled in stressful situations, etc.
however, now as an older teen, i don’t experience these things much anymore. i’m a little sensitive, but i don’t think i’m highly sensitive anymore. is it possible to stop being an hsp? or is it always a permanent trait and have i just adapted to it?
Hey, this is an awesome question! Odds are, you've simply learned to adapt to it and have found ways to accommodate yourself to decrease overstimulation! Though there's always a chance that your actual sensitivity has shifted as well.
@@TheNeurocuriosityClub ok cool! thanks for the fast reply :)
Unfortunately, one can have ticks, lice and fleas all at the same time. That's the truth. I really understand and accept that HSP's are neutral, because the social side is ok. Whatever disturbs the social fabric seems to be classified as a disorder. ADHD's have up to 10 years less to live than neurotypicals for example, so, yes, I would say it is worth treating. Autism is definitely neutral, but the social side is the real problem. There's been an autistic revolution as of late, this might change the way we see it too. I came to the same conclusion as you, I was like: I'm HSP, or no, I'm Autistic, no HSP, no, both. And ADHD, and PTSD, and CPTSD, and OCD, and Depression, and anxiety. :-( Shit.
Fantastic work.
my son is autistic/hypo sensitive but he also has some hypersensitive tendencies thats why the spectrum is so big
All HSP's are Sensitive to taking in information from the Five Senses, but those that are "Extroverted" are Naturally going to have an easier time with it...
If you feel like being hsp you can be just a hsp or/and have autim like my self or/and ADHD like my self
See the reason I have such a problem with HSP is that Elaine Aron completely disregarded the whole autism spectrum when claiming HSP’s are different from autistics. It’s true if you look at FAQs people have asked her. She defended her points comparing HSPs to “severe” autism and only discussing traits that male autistics would exhibit, so of course there is a difference there. She failed to even consider that her definition of HSP is almost exactly the criteria for those with “high functioning” autism (Im aware these are outdated terms I am using them for clarity). So yes I understand not wanting to lump everyone together but we have to remember that we are letting this ONE doctor determine which traits means what when she simply does not know the full extent of what she is talking about. I used to trust her knowledge but since finding out how much crucial information she missed, it ruined it for me.
Okay, yes, yes to all of this. One doctor isn't in charge of everything. Her research is interesting, and somewhat helpful, but it isn't the end all, be all.
I never thought of a HSP and autism as one in the same before until I saw your previous video. I have to say, I agree more with your previous video! Though, I do think a HSP is just one possible presentation of autism out of many more, because things like stimming and hyposensitivities aren’t taken into account. I am diagnosed with autism, adhd and anxiety, and I highly identify with the HSP… I also have hyposensitivities, but my hypersensitivities affect me more in my daily life. I partly wonder if the person who discovered the HSP just didn’t take into account hyposensitivities and stimming, which would make me think even further that they are exactly the same thing. Thanks for making these videos! It got me thinking!
I'm so glad you like the videos, I've been doing a lot of thinking myself and I hope I could help you see a new angle on all this!
So I am an HSP, and am in the process of receiving an ASD diagnosis. For reference I'm 31, was a "gifted" student growing up, and chose not to pursue a diagnosis when I was a teenager as I was doing well enough socially that it didn't seem necessary (self ignorance lol) I agree with Venn diagram idea, although realistically the circle for ASD would be much smaller than that of the HSP as well. The part of me that is suspected to be Autistic I would describe as being interpretative and reactive to the feelings I get as an HSP. Like when I'm experiencing negative emotions through someone else, I just feel "bad" or "wrong" and cannot understand the why or the what the other person is feeling only that it's hurting them and thus me. Or like setting a room to a very specific rhythm and level of stimulation to maximize focus, and being totally unable to focus at times and getting overwhelmed and frustrated if it's not at that level.
@@mstewie08 Thank you so much for sharing! Every time someone shares their experience with autism and HSP, I learn so much more! Good luck with your autism diagnosis process!
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What people don't seem to realize, is that the autism spectrum doesn't start at autism. It starts at allistic. It's actually quite common for allistic people to have one or two autistic traits. There is no hard cut of point between allistic and autistic. And I think HSP falls into that grey area. An HSP might have enough autistic traits to fall on the autism side of said grey area, but they can also be closer to the allistic side. I understand the impulse to want to draw a clear line in the sand and say HSP is just autism, but the grey area exists and we need to except that.
If a person with a very sensitive nervous system is closing down because of the overwhelming stimuli and/or traumatic events, then they can get hyposensitive. Being dissociative is also a spectrum 😊 I believe that every autistic person is born very sensitive, but can shut down and then seem like hyposensitive.
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I believe there are many incongruences in your discourse.
First of, to talk about "accomodations" already implies there is a need to bend the norm to your favor. Which implies there is a poignant difference between you and most people. Some differences between people are evident, yet will not disrupt their day to day lives. Someone having a bigger nose than most people will not hinder day to day activities the same way being in a wheelchair will. And there is nothing wrong with needing a wheelchair, yet people must accommodate to them. It is a small inconvenience to architects but it makes a huge difference in these people's lives. I believe the same should be done with autistic individuals. Because their brain is simply not the same. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I do not think it's wrong to think of it as a disability. My cousin has a severe degree of autism. She cannot speak. She is not interested in just being at the dining table with us. Picky eater... All that jazz. And I feel blessed to live in a country that prepares special places for her to be in. Where I think we must direct our attention to now is to higher functioning autism. People who experience the world in a unique way, yet are not met with sufficient understanding. I'm thinking about a quiet place in an office, for example. With dimmed lighting, no music allowed, so as to not overstimulate the highly sensitive people in the room. There could be relational guidelines in place for autistic-neurotypical relationships in the workplace... There are SO many things we could do. BUT we must recognize it as the disability and inconvenience it is to most people. It's just the way it is. I believe we must think differently about disabilities in order to overcome this.
And for the record I do consider myself disabled in some ways. My sensitive nature is nothing to be ashamed about and it has made my life SO much harder than it had to. It has also brought me great pleasure and joy. But goodness I WOULD like to tolerate a pungent smelling perfume or bright lights after a long day. But ai don't. And I am writing this on my bed, in the dark, unwinding from a hard and hectic day greeting about 300 people.
I like to focus on solutions for these things. And we all must explore and try things out and see what works best for us. I can take a day like this, but maybe someone else couldn't. And that's okay. I would not be caught dead in a hostile work environment like in wall street or something. We need to take care of ourselves and help each other out.
Omg. I just thought of other ways the high sensitivity affects my life personally. I cannot drive at night. The lights on cars coming the other way are literally so glaring they blind me. All I see are 4 lnes on each side of the car instead of two headlights coming at me. I am very prone to anxiety (another reason I won't drive)... I have always been very serious and could not tolerate light teasing.
This alongside emotional neglect and abuse gave me bpd and I almost died bc of that... All because people gaslit me into believing I had the problem for being too sensitive instead of trying to be more understanding to a gentler soul and sensitive person... Anyway....
Music is delicious. S3x is glorious. Joy is pure. Love is strong... Beauty is enchanting. There are many things I would miss if I weren't sensitive. It has its perks as well. But sometimes I wonder if the perks are worth it half the time.
Maybe it's about finding the right environment where our sensitivities are a superpower. Not debilitating weakness.
Some people become wine tasters or perfumers thanks to their heightened sense of smell. I could have become an artist with my sensitivity to light (I see more Grey tones than most)...
I hope we all find our place and thrive ❤
I'm just going to assume that HSP's are on the higher spectrum side of autism. At the end of the day, personality types play a role in this. Changing and making up titles helps only to confuse us.
HSP still feels like a condition on the autism spectrum to me. I heavily related to being an HSP when I first heard about it years ago. I am now professionally diagnosed as an autistic with anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. A HSP’s traits are almost the exact same as a masking AFAB autistic’s. It’s important to remember there are/were multiple VERY different conditions on the spectrum before it all got lumped together. I think this may just be a condition that wasn’t identified early enough by mental health professionals before the autism-syndrome-lumping-together began. Just a theory, as a highly sensitive autistic. 🤔
Also HSP is not Neurodivergency. If you classify is as such than you need to remove the label neurotypical as this will not exist anymore.
I guess it depends on what one defines neurodivergent.
I am a neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD.
I had auditory therapy, speech therapy, phonics training, and motor skills therapy to correct my Dyslexic and Dyspraxic weaknesses. Now they're mild..
I was mistook for being intellectually handicapped in early childhood.
I was misdiagnosed Bipolar with Schizoaffective Disorder.
I am definitely not a neurotypical.
I am highly sensitive person.
A person can be both highly sensitive and neurodivergent.
High Sensitivity is not the same autism.
Many neurodivergents have sensory processing issues, but they're not the same autism.
I don't think how anybody can think that one's autistic because they're highly sensitive.
I know a lot of people that are highly sensitive, and most of them aren't autistic.
Many of them are in the metaphysical fields and the healing arts.
Neurodivergency means that your brain works different than most brains do. If your brain is more sensitive to basically everything in the world than neurotipical brains are how do you call it then if not neurodivergent?
It actually is a neurodivergence as we are born with a differently wired nervous system. We are no neurotypicals at all. Remember it’s the same for animals: 10-20% will be hsp
No one is all hyposensitive or all hypersensitive. As an autistic person. HSP is simply hypervigilance from trauma .making autistic people able to read and understand some cocisl cues especially emotional ones.andfafial expressions. Also the profile for an ADHD autistic is very different than a strictly autistic person. They have behaviors that are more in step with the neuromajority. For good or bad. I did not believe I had social differences when I first looked into autism, but I absolutely do and some things I did not even realize about myself until after diagnosis for autism. HSP is masked autism with hypervigilance from trauma and ADHD
I am an HSP and neurodivergent with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD.
I have no autism, and Veteran Affairs neurologists examined me and noted that I am not autistic.
I don't have problems perceiving/understanding emotional/social cues.
You can be an HSP without being autistic nor any type of neurodivergent.
@@fomalhautotrue but we hsp folks are still neurodivergent. Definitely no neurotypical here!
Thanks for this video. I believe myself to be autistic after I had to fill out form with qualifying questions for someone close to me who was diagnosed... I know I am hsp... but I'm very passionate about mental health for the autistic community. I'm wondering if that would still be welcome as I don't have 3.5k to get diagnosed. @neurodivergentmagic
I am HSP and autistic