Many years ago, I came across the concept of the Highly Sensitive Temperament (now also called sensory-processing sensitivity), as initially described by psychologist, Dr Elaine Aron. As I read through the description of this temperament, and ticked just about every box on the diagnostic checklist, I felt a huge sense of relief: lots of other people felt the way I did too, which meant I wasn’t defective – I just had a nervous system that was ‘wired’ differently to most people’s!
All through my childhood I was told by family and friends that I was ‘too sensitive’ and that I ‘thought too much’. It was very validating for me to learn that that’s exactly what Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) do – think a lot, and feel very deeply.
Since then, I’ve been privileged to introduce many of my clients (a disproportionate number of whom are HSPs too) to this concept. The most common reaction they have is, like me, sheer relief. At last, they can stop thinking of their sensitivity as something that has to be ‘fixed’, and embrace it for the gift that it truly is.
But there is a dark side to being highly sensitive in a world that doesn’t cater well to this trait. As a health practitioner, I have observed that HSPs seem to be more likely to experience gut problems, autoimmune diseases and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and migraines.
My hypothesis is that the ongoing strain of trying to bury all those deeply-held feelings, causes them to ‘somatise’, or show up as physical symptoms.
Consequently, a major element of my treatment program for all of my clients who show this trait, is to teach them EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), or as it’s more popularly known these days, ‘tapping’. EFT is, quite simply, the greatest gift to HSPs ever! It allows us to process our emotions and release them from our bodies, rather than either burying those emotions (which, I strongly suspect, eventually causes physical illnesses to develop), or wallowing in them (which just perpetuates the emotional suffering).
Since HSPs are generally very in touch with their bodies, they can literally feel the emotions they’re holding in their throat, chest, stomach or shoulders, melting away as they tap. And as those emotions melt away, we create the space for what psychologist call ‘cognitive shifts’: new thoughts and perceptions about our situation, which allow us to see the past differently, and imagine a better future for ourselves.
I had the delightful experience recently, of introducing a woman in her late 70s to EFT. This woman, whom I’ll call Mary, has suffered a string of personal tragedies over the last decade, including losing her mother to dementia, and her husband to cancer.
As we tapped together on a past incident that was causing her significant distress, she found, after just a couple of rounds of tapping, that she was simply unable to picture the incident as it had actually happened – the facial expressions of the people involved transformed, in her mind’s eye, from anguish to calm. Mary herself felt very peaceful, and found that she was now quite detached from the incident, and able to perceive her role in it very differently.
This is just one of the many reasons why EFT is such a boon for HSPs. We tend to obsess over the past, analysing ourselves to pieces and beating ourselves up for what we did or didn’t do. What a relief to be able to tap away these completely unproductive feelings, and move to a place of empowerment! And as we do so, we increase the level of ‘happy chemicals’ in our brain, reduce our stress hormone levels, and consequently reduce our risk of developing stress-related illness.
Ready to learn how to master your Highly Sensitive Temperament so you can reap all of its benefits without suffering from its potential down-side? I use EFT and Matrix Reimprinting extensively with my highly sensitive clients, to help them reach their full potential for health and happiness.
If you would like to learn more about how EFT and Matrix Reimprinting can help you, apply for a Roadmap to Optimal Health Consultation.
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