Guardian has in-depth article on HSPs

The coverage shows that high sensitivity is starting to hit the mainstream

I’m so happy to see that the Guardian has published a well-researched article on Highly Sensitive People this morning. Finally, the topic seems to be breaking into mainstream awareness.

And the timing seems almost miraculous: I spoke to Emine Saner, the journalist who wrote the article, a while back. I had no idea it would be published on the Monday after I launched the HSP Revolution.

I think it’s really helpful that the Guardian has devoted some space to our topic. One thing that really stood out for me: when the newspaper asked readers to share experiences of high sensitivity, they received more than 300 replies totaling some 40,000 words. Proof if any were needed that there’s a lot of us out there.

I also agree with Professor Michael Pluess, a professor of developmental psychology and sensitivity researcher at Queen Mary University of London, who says sensitivity is on a continuum. In my experience, every HSP is unique.

Hopefully, this kind of responsible coverage will help reduce some of the stigma that still lingers around sensitivity. I could not have imagined reading an article like this when I first heard about HSPs more than 10 years after finding Dr Elaine Aron’s work.

Back then, I was working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the National Health Service, and hardly anyone seemed to know what an HSP was. As the article flags, there may be a risk that Highly Sensitive Children could be wrongly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In the past couple of years, I’ve had many more people approaching me looking to understand what it means to be an HSP, and how they can manage better in the world. I would love to hear what you think about the Guardian article in the comments below.

See you soon

Dr Genevieve