The Difference Between Being Highly Sensitive And Hypersensitive

Although the two are often mixed together or understood as the same,  it is two very different things to be highly sensitive and hypersensitive.

• Hypersensitivity equals emotional fragility  and delicate emotions.
• Being highly sensitive is a biological predisposition that makes it easier to identify certain emotions.

An example of a  hypersensitive person could be a co-worker at work who misunderstood one of your actions.  In addition to getting angry and “exploding” in the middle of the office, they complain to their boss about you.

When it comes to a  highly sensitive person,  a good example could be that they are more concerned about the other person’s reaction  when something negative happens.

Biology vs. emotions

As mentioned before,  being highly sensitive is a biological predisposition.  This means that it actually has little to do with the emotions themselves. Just like with other biological factors  , being highly sensitive is complex and depends a lot on one’s environment.

You can be highly sensitive and not hypersensitive. If you are highly sensitive, it can be very difficult to hurt your emotions if you have emotional abilities. The point is that  highly sensitive people are able to pick up on whether other people’s emotional state is heartbreaking.

This gives them the ability to hurt others  if they wish. But that does not mean that it is easy to hurt them or manipulate them. If they have developed positive emotional abilities, they  can be a great support system for their family and friends.

A hypersensitive person is usually like that because of their experiences and upbringing.  If they have not had the necessary emotional support to make them strong and give them the ability to face the world, they  will end up being influenced by the opinions of others around them.

Characteristics

It can sometimes be confusing to try to tell the difference between hypersensitive people and highly sensitive people. Therefore  , we would like to detail and explain some of their unique characteristics.

Hypersensitive people:

• Is insecure. This is because they do not know how to differentiate between someone attacking them and when someone makes a comment without the intention of criticizing them.
• Most often, they have not learned to deal with their emotions. This causes them to be quiet about their emotions. They do so until they reach a point  where they can no longer hold it inside and explode.

• Make use of negative tools such as emotional blackmail and aggression  when talking. This is done to feel a certain kind of superiority.
• Are very receptive to what others say and do.
• Have had negative experiences in their childhood  and young years that they have not come across. These can come from parental divorce, that they have become overprotected and even being bullied and suffering from domestic violence.

Highly sensitive people:

• Has a great ability to empathize. While this may seem like a good thing, it can cause a lot of confusion. Confusion begins to arise when they have not had a good, strong emotional upbringing.
• Can grow from the people around them emotionally. This happens most often when they have not learned to involve themselves in what is going on around them. Everything makes them feel overwhelmed.

• Is very intuitive. They are able to understand everything  from humans, animals and objects with great ease.
• Prefers lonely activities  so they can better focus on their goals. Working with others can also make them feel stressed if they have not learned to deal with high sensitivity.
• Is very observant. If you have a friend who is highly sensitive, he will definitely be the first to notice changes. Whatever it is in your decor, your mood or your look.  A highly sensitive person will notice change.

What they have in common

One thing that  highly sensitive and hypersensitive people have in common  is that they can learn to be stronger.

Keep in mind that even if you can not change your genes,  you can at least learn various abilities  that will help you improve as a person. Although hypersensitive people usually have difficulty differentiating between certain tones or emotions,  they have a great ability to understand stimuli that most people do not notice.

Something that can help is  simply talking to the people around the hypersensitive and highly sensitive people. By doing this, they learn to understand them. If this does not work, psychotherapy is also a good option. Through therapy  , certain habits that are desperately needed  for everyday interactions can  be re-learned.