High sensitivity is a gift for perception, not a disease

by | 14. January 2020

Sensitive people can see, hear, smell, taste and feel intensely, and sometimes this intensity of perception can overwhelm them.

Among experts, this topic causes a lot of uncertainty and confusion. Since the first decisive studies by the American psychologist Elaine N. Aron in the 1990s, hundreds of new studies have been carried out, confirming some aspects and raising questions about others. Many scientists, psychologists and educators (especially in schools) dismiss it as a trend diagnosis, fad or pretext for ‘laziness’.

Finding the balance between the positive and negative aspects of this perceptual gift is exhausting and resembles a balancing act. Both for those affected (15%-25% of all people, according to some studies), as well as for family members or teachers of highly sensitive children and adolescents, a daily effort is necessary to cope with a wide variety of situations and to explain to others what is going on.

High sensitivity is therefore associated with stress for many people. However, it is not something that can be turned off; it can only be supressed. This usually results in even more stress and strain. If you don’t know how to deal with this gift, it can quickly lead you to suffer from your own otherness.

In summary, it can be said: increased perception is both a blessing and a curse. It has positive and negative consequences, not only for feeling and thinking, but also on a physical level. That is why knowledge and careful handling of it are critical. In the Alpstein Clinic, we support you holistically and precisely, as well as in terms of prevention, so that this gift is not a weakness, but rather a strength.

 

Our holistic approach to high sensitivity

Psychological counselling to help you gain more knowledge and understanding of high sensitivity, in close connection with your biography. Strengthen self-image and self-confidence, work with ‘catastrophic thinking’, and practise new behavioural alternatives for when it ‘burns’.

You will learn to:

  • Regenerate quickly and effectively (recharge your batteries)
  • Willingly regulate perceptive faculty and intensity
  • Bring order to the emotional world
  • Protect yourself from negative influences
  • Explain to others the kinds of process that are taking place
  • Better handle pressure and performance
  • Like and value yourself and your perception more
  • Give creativity and intuition more right to exist
  • Discover and realize your potential.

Pedagogical coaching for parents/teachers to help you in your pedagogical role to develop methods to better guide and support your child.

You learn:

  • To know the typical behaviors of high sensitivity
  • Simple tips to support the child in everyday situations (sleep problems, dwindling school motivation, fears, stubbornness, sensitivity, lack of self-confidence, etc.)
  • How to deal with sudden, difficult situations
  • What preventative measures you can take so that it no longer ‘burns’
  • How you can support the child in dealing with social interactions.

 

Support for physical regeneration

Highly sensitive people are more susceptible to stress, whether this is because they have to compensate for considerable mood swings, or because they cannot immediately process the many inputs from everyday life and consequently cannot sleep so well at night, or because they carry many emotional burdens thanks to their pronounced empathy and compassion. Take advantage of our 4-pillar concept by discovering possible deficiencies through our holistic root cause analysis, which addresses the decontamination of toxic substances on all levels, and supports the harmonious regeneration of your body, mind and soul, tailored to you as an individual.

As a result, on a physical and spiritual level, you:

  • Can sleep better, recover and regenerate
  • Develop a better feeling for your body’s warning signals and know how to behave when you are threatened with exhaustion, so that you stay strong
  • Are better able to identify irritating physical symptoms and pain
  • Feel mentally fit and emotionally more balanced, stable and stronger.