Highly Sensitive People: characteristics and signs of a PAS

If you’re overwhelmed by crowds, you’ve never liked going to clubs because of the pain caused by loud music or if you turn your socks inside out because you can’t stand the rubbing of the seams… Don’t worry, you’re not weird or you’re overreacting; it is possible that you are PAS (Highly Sensitive Person)

What is PAS?

The term PAS was coined in the 1990s by psychologist Elaine Aron and refers to a special neurosensory sensitivity which present, according to various studies, between 15 and 20% of the population.

The PAS perceive the signals of the senses with a greater intensity than the rest of the population. It is not a psychological disorder, but a trait of special perception and interpretation of sensory signals.

According to some theories, that a part of the population is PAS may have been an evolutionary advantage, since these people could have been capable of detecting small changes in the environment that would help their tribe to find food, to hunt or to anticipate potential dangers for the group.

SBP characteristics

As I have commented above, PAS is not a disease, therefore, we cannot talk about “symptoms”, but we can talk about some characteristics that define the PAS:

1. Intensity and sensory saturation

When the information coming through the senses is amplified, any normal activity for other people, such as walking down a crowded street or shopping in a mall, it can become a real ordeal for the PAS.

It is very common for them to become saturated and have to leave the place they are in because sensory overload can cause physical pain.

2. Sensitivity to subtleties

These people are also capable of perceiving small changes in the environment or details that go unnoticed by other people.

They are sensitive to microgestures that denote changes in the emotional state of others and are able to “read” the atmosphere of a room or of a conversation long before other people.

3. Emotional intensity

The emotional world of PAS is just as sensitive as the sensory one. They live the whole range of emotions with high intensity.

Joy, sadness, fear or anger can be lived very intensely and overflowing.

4. Processing of information and concerns

They tend to think about problems a lot. They collect as much information as possible and think about all the possibilities that could occur, which leads to excessive rumination and excessive worry.

The positive side of the coin is that They tend to be creative in finding solutions. different from usual problems.

What to do if you are a PAS

As I said at the beginning, PAS is a personality and information processing trait, it is not a psychological problem as such, but it does It can cause difficulties if its particularities are not understood.

The better its characteristics are known and assumed, the more we can avoid suffering and misunderstanding suffered by many PAS people. You have to know and accept the PAS to even get to enjoy it.

Avoid stressful situations

Find the way to adapt to the needs of society, but respecting your PAS.

You can, for example, Avoid rush hours to go shopping or choose carefully which restaurant you go to eat, looking for the one with a quieter atmosphere.

Enjoy the good of being PAS

There are many things that a PAS you can enjoy much more deeply than other people: a sunset, a good painting, a good melody or a good company. Surround yourself with these things and enjoy them.

Find moments of calm

To avoid sensory saturation and emotional, look for moments of the day that help you relax, reducing the level of stimulation you receive.

Each person must choose their time and their place, but it must be a quiet space without stimuli, where you can rest and recharge your energy.

Harness your creativity

The enormous creativity that you have, take advantage of it to your benefit. Find a job and hobbies where your special traits help you enjoy and excel.

Many PAS work in jobs related to all the arts: crafts, writing, design, cosmetics and perfumes, restoration…