“In simple words, hypersensitivity is having a stronger sensitivity than average. This sensitivity can be emotional or sensory. So in summary, it’s about experiencing things much more intensely.
What is hypersensitivity?
It’s a character trait, innate at that. A temperament, in fact. And unfortunately, hypersensitivity is often criticized or ignored in our society. “You’re too sensitive,” “You take everything to heart,” “You care too much,” “You sleep too much for your age” are the typical phrases that a hypersensitive young person hears all too often.”
Hypersensitivity manifests itself from an early age. There are signs, but to name just one: the overdevelopment of certain senses. This can manifest itself, for example, in super-awakened taste buds, a heightened sense of smell, or more exposed hearing. On the other hand, these profiles are creative, gentle, and have a lot of empathy.
Mood swings: “Anything can tip them into negative thoughts, but the opposite is also possible. Anything can make them happy or sad. Most hypersensitive young people and children are emotional sponges, and therefore easy prey for manipulators at school or even narcissistic perverts.”
“According to studies conducted in psychology, a hypersensitive young person will be slower than their classmates when faced with a new subject to learn or a new exercise to do. Some hypersensitive people want to do too well by working tirelessly… this can lead them to burnout even at an early age.
On the other hand, there are some young people who don’t want to show their success, precisely to avoid being in the spotlight and to avoid school bullying. These are students who will be more sensitive to teasing from their classmates and also more prone to school phobias,” Céline tells us again.
What advice would Infor Jeunes give to these young people to try to manage their hypersensitivity?
“There is no precise instruction manual. One of the first things is that the young person should not see their hypersensitivity as a flaw but as an asset, a strength. There is no shame in expressing your emotions. Crying after a hard day at school is completely normal, it’s okay to allow yourself to do that… it’s happened to all of us. You have to see hypersensitivity as a gift, it’s often a sign of beautiful human qualities.”
