Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and Autism Spectrum Difference (ASD)

[Cerez]

I've been doing research on this, and as an openly autistic person, I find that HSP is just a therapist's way of avoiding calling autistic traits autistic. In other words, an ableist rephrasal.

It may sound confusing at first, but a person doesn't need to necessarily be autistic (identify as autistic and/or to be diagnosed) to have autistic traits. Autism is a natural spectrum that extends right across into the neurotypical ("normal") spectrum. We are essentially talking about various natural human traits that some people have more pronounced, and others less.

A person with autistic traits who is not autistic is (slightly) neurodivergent, not neurotypical.

If you really consider this, and then read the following account from an Autistic professional autism researcher, the matter becomes much clearer and the deception at play becomes easier to see:

Natalie Engelbrecht's answer to Are high-functioning autistic individuals more likely to take things personally? - Quora

People with autistic traits are more sensitive by nature, and prone to being more abused, and as a result mental illness, in our current society.

Autistic traits are not necessarily good or bad -- they just are. Being autistic or having autistic traits is a valid way of being.

An autistic person wandering through the forest will naturally be much more sensitive to and aware of details in their environment than a neurotypical person, having an overall sharper sense to intuit/predict danger, but a neurotypical person, much less immersed in details, will have quicker reflexes and better body co-ordination to make up for their lack of awareness and sensitivity, to protect themselves.

These are two equally valid and effective ways of being. The problem is that current human society doesn't cater to the former, making everything too information-overloaded, too loud, too flashy, too jarring/painful -- wearing our brain and body down.

It's similar as if you were to take someone who grew up in the jungle, and put them right in the middle of the action in Las Vegas. Their senses are built/attuned for a different kind of lifestyle and living environment -- they're not going to fare well there.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

It's a confusing thing.

I had a good psychologist who said he doesn't believe I'm autistic.
When I suggested HSP later, he did think that was plausible.
He then mentioned he was HSP as well and diagnosed as such.
Finally he mentioned that being HSP, in his experience, was even less accepted than autism.

On the other hand, it seems official psychology basically doesn't acknowledge its existence.
It's something they can just do nothing with.

From my side, I do believe there's a difference.
With autism, the source is something on the inside.
While with HSP it's much more environment-related.

An autistic person supposedly runs into the same things regardless of environment or the people you interact with.
While HSP (or 'extra gifted') can fit perfectly well with certain environments and people.

Of course lots of room for gray/rainbow interpretations here as well...

 

[Cerez]

An autistic person supposedly runs into the same things regardless of environment or the people you interact with.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. An unfavourable social environment causes an autistic person distress, the same as any other person. We just express that distress naturally in a different way (different body language and sensory reactions/processing).

Different autistic people have different body language and ways of processing and expression -- the same as everyone else. And we, too, can learn to suppress our natural behaviours -- it's just that this isn't healthy, and because of the lack of accommodations in current society for our natural needs, this can cause serious stress and wear on our body over time if we are not careful.

Autistic burnout is when the body reaches that point where it can no longer go on enduring the stress with your pretence/masking -- when the exhaustion starts to show and the natural autistic traits of the person start to become more pronounced.

This is generally when clinical professionals step in to offer an autism diagnosis.

Finally he mentioned that being HSP, in his experience, was even less accepted than autism.

On the other hand, it seems official psychology basically doesn't acknowledge its existence.
It's something they can just do nothing with.

This doesn't surprise me. HSP is not in the DSM to my knowledge. It's not a widely accepted diagnosis among psychologists.

You have to understand that psychology is a quite subjective and still very fresh science.

I had a good psychologist who said he doesn't believe I'm autistic.
When I suggested HSP later, he did think that was plausible.

This I find quite funny, but it's not at all surprising. Because of predominant ableism in our culture, most mental health professionals still have a very medical model and twisted view of what autism actually is. They picture a clinical picture of autism from severely abused individuals in institutions and from problematic home environments. Cases where it appears as though autism itself is the problem -- and not the mistreatment of and miscommunication between the autistic person and their caregiver/parent (and inappropriate social/living environment).

There are two mental images that dominate the clinical scene: the "severely" autistic individual, whose (re-)actions somehow cannot be comprehended (the Kanner view), and the Asperger's type "high-functioning" autistic who has managed to perfectly blend into neurotypical society except for certain peculiarities with social interaction and habits (and who may or may not exhibit some exceptional abilities). These are stereotypes, and they do not represent the whole range that is people on the autism spectrum.

They are what I like to call the "caveman level" of understanding regarding ASD. Psychologists are generally not very smart when it comes to understanding the intricacies of human nature. The science of psychology itself is often too focused on pathologising differences in human behaviour.

Don't forget that less than a hundred years ago, psychologists and psychiatrists still believed that gazing at the moon makes people somehow contract mental illness. (Hence the term "lunatic".) If anyone was truly delusional, and without justifiable cause, it was them.

As I said, mental health is still a very new area of science -- it doesn't have the deep filter of time to have become dependable. It depends very much on the individual professional's personal character, insight, knowledge, and skills.

While with HSP it's much more environment-related.

What do you mean by this? A supposed HSP's sensitivity should be part internal processing, part external affect.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
[...]
What do you mean by this?

I'm not quite certain either!
It's not clear to me.
And, as far as I can tell, to anyone.

As you said, psychology is new and wildly open to interpretation.
Plus it's got a tendency to miss the point.

Insert endless confusion here.

I like popular psychology better than the official pathological version.
This, for example, offers a more positive outlook on life:
Free personality test, type descriptions, relationship and career advice | 16Personalities

If all people would look at the world, themselves and each other as suggested there, wouldn't we have made a grand step forward?

 

[Cerez]

If all people would look at the world, themselves and each other as suggested there, wouldn't we have made a grand step forward?

Perhaps, perhaps not. Positivity and lightheartedness, if taken to the extreme, can also be harmful to the individual. Anything that stays solely in the mind can cause problems, because people are not meant to work only in their minds -- we have a body for a reason. I find it is best to be genuine to oneself and stay in line with one's body and intuition -- especially if you are already skilled with thinking and reasoning.

My intuition has served me well when mental health professionals and other people in my life have let me down. And it has saved me from getting trapped and killed in an abusive environment as well, and helped my recovery.

More often than not in today's information-overloaded society, taking that break from everything to focus on and get in tune with your body can have an incredible balancing and healing effect.

Oddly enough, this key piece of advice is something mental health professionals rarely talk about or mention to their clients. And yet, the mind is a product of the body. In taking care of your body and letting your mind rest, mental health can more often than not be improved considerably.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Perhaps, perhaps not. Positivity and lightheartedness, if taken to the extreme, can also be harmful to the individual.

That's not exactly what I had in... well... mind.

I was thinking that it could get people thinking more about themselves as a person.
About accepting when other people are different.
How 'introvert' is not immediately objectionable, even though it might look un-social and/or like "autism-lite".

It was mentioned again in an extra-gifted meeting today how many people just aren't aware. Period.
And I believe that causes a lot of collateral damage.

 

[Cerez]

I was thinking that it could get people thinking more about themselves as a person.
About accepting when other people are different.

Ah, I guess I misunderstood you -- yes, this is very true. People could really use, wholesomely and culturally speaking, more introspection and acceptance of differences, as well as greater connection/harmony with their living environment.

Imagine if more people started getting bothered by noise and air pollution in their environment, and how it is affecting their health, for instance. They would slowly start taking steps to making their living environment more natural and healthy -- gradually changing their society.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Ah, I guess I misunderstood you

Oh well; glad we got there in the end.

I'd be curious what you and @The Nameless Pirate get out of that '16 personalities' test.
And see if you can guess what I got.
Twice at different times months apart. (Because I'm a scientist and want to know how consistent this stuff is.)

Imagine if more people started getting bothered by noise and air pollution in their environment, and how it is affecting their health, for instance. They would slowly start taking steps to making their living environment more natural and healthy -- gradually changing their society.

Would indeed lead to very healthy things.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

I'd be curious what you and @The Nameless Pirate get out of that '16 personalities' test.

I got INTP-T, Logician.

Somewhat precise, though I think I am not as bad as described in emotionally supporting others.

And see if you can guess what I got.
Twice at different times months apart. (Because I'm a scientist and want to know how consistent this stuff is.)

INFJ?
You had said something about this in the past.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Somewhat precise, though I think I am not as bad as described in emotionally supporting others.

I don't know you in person.
But at a distance, you seem pretty emotionally supportive to me.

INFJ?
You had said something about this in the past.

Good memory, you've got!
Yes indeed.

INTJ sounds the way I've tried to act for a majority of my life.
But I'm not convinced that was ever really me...

I once got ISTJ on a different website with a different test.
But one way or another, seems I can't shake the 'I' or the 'J'.

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

I don't know you in person.
But at a distance, you seem pretty emotionally supportive to me.

Thanks, to think so; is one thing, people who actually value is what actually counts.

INTJ sounds the way I've tried to act for a majority of my life.
But I'm not convinced that was ever really me...

I once got ISTJ on a different website with a different test.
But one way or another, seems I can't shake the 'I' or the 'J'.

I am not sure how good this whole system is by the way.

I redid the test and got INFJ.

People don't fit exactly in personality categories, each person can be a mix of all all, as long as it fits their personality.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I am not sure how good this whole system is by the way.

Hmm... Me neither.
That's why I did it twice at different times.
But then...

I redid the test and got INFJ.

Bit of a difference there. Doesn't really support the test being particularly reliable.
Unless you applied 'your internal Pieter' and responded the way your subconscious thought that I would!
Yeah, that's quuuiiite the stretch.

People don't fit exactly in personality categories, each person can be a mix of all all, as long as it fits their personality.

That for certain!
I recognise parts of all those personality types they mention.
Some more than others.

But I CAN sometimes even have Extroverted traits; though usually I don't make much use of those.
I still remember my "cruise ship safety briefings as stand-up comedy"-routine.
Which worked wonders, by the way. People actually paid attention.
Which meant they might remember something in an emergency!
(Unlike the "official" approach with was just dreadfully boring and annoying and no bloody wonder the crew didn't care!!!)

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

Bit of a difference there. Doesn't really support the test being particularly reliable.
Unless you applied 'your internal Pieter' and responded the way your subconscious thought that I would!
Yeah, that's quuuiiite the stretch.

Well, I answered as myself once more, but once I thought a few questions I changed my answer, who knows if I take it once more I could get another different result, by thinking about it a little differently.

That for certain!
I recognise parts of all those personality types they mention.
Some more than others.

But I CAN sometimes even have Extroverted traits; though usually I don't make much use of those.

Indeed, sometimes someone could act like an extrovert or an introvert.
For example, you act very differently when meeting strangers about the things you are passionate about.

I still remember my "cruise ship safety briefings as stand-up comedy"-routine.
Which worked wonders, by the way. People actually paid attention.
Which meant they might remember something in an emergency!
(Unlike the "official" approach with was just dreadfully boring and annoying and no bloody wonder the crew didn't care!!!)

Exactly, such type of learning is much better than "traditional" or "official" learning.

Learning doesn't have to be boring, many people don't think so, but in my opinion they're wrong.

When you link information with a fun and happy experience, you have more chances of remembering it.

 

[Cerez]

I'm mostly INFP. I'll see if I have the time and personal resources to take this test.

One thing you should know about personality types is that you shouldn't take them very seriously, though. These are, once again, largely stereotypes, and a person can fall anywhere in-between and even change throughout their lifetime. Our personalities, as everything else in nature, are in constant gradual motion/change. Certain core things about us remain, but we continue to build upon that, to adapt to our environment, and to change.