Overstimulation is a sensitive’s bête noire. I’m wondering if I qualify. I do react strongly to caffeine and alcohol, so I rarely drink either. I’m often cold. Some noises make me lose my mind. I swear at motorcyclists whom I suspect have modified their exhaust pipes to amplify their revs and I harbour dark fantasies about the feral dogs my neighbours keep in the yard and who bark through the night. But perhaps I react strongly to caffeine and alcohol because I don’t drink them much. For the other example, I could be responding as much to perceived selfishness as noise itself. Plus, it is often cold. HSP? TBC. Who wouldn’t want to be HSP?” says Fergus Kane, clinical psychologist at the Maudsley, when I throw him the hot potato. “It’s an almost entirely positive set of attributes.” One possible downside, he says, might be missing a diagnosis in another area. Overstimulation overlaps with conditions such as ADHD and autism – female autism in particular is little understood (sensitivity researchers maintain there are key differences) – and a diagnosis might lead to alternative interventions, from meditation to medication. There is a non-clinical value to self-identification, Kane adds, understanding how we interact with the world, and having compassion for ourselves. The Healed Empath by Kristen Schwartz is a forthcoming (January 2022) guide to transforming trauma and anxiety, trusting your intuition, and moving from overwhelm to empowerment. Topics include setting boundaries, transcending unresolved trauma, and strengthening self-reliance. I cannot wait to read! This particular book by cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist Tom Falkenstein provides the first psychological guide specifically for highly sensitive men and their loved ones.

This book so far has been all over the place. It's talking about "highly sensitive" to outside stimuli, but then talks about sensitivity in regards to being caring and nurturing, as if those things are the same or always go together - which is untrue.Self-care for Empaths by Tanya Carroll Richardson is a simple, easy-to-digest (and therefore good for those days when you don’t feel like self care is even an option emotionally) book full of 100 activities to help you recharge and rebalance.

But I worried that perhaps there was maybe a little bit too much "feel good about yourself for being a special HSP!" message. Seriously, who does have a high tolerance for doing a job that isn't meaningful? I remember feeling quite jazzed about this book when I first read it. After all, I was so shy that I didn't really begin to connect with my peers until late middle school. I felt overwhelmed every time I had to leave my house and whenever I was around people I was a tightly wound ball of anxiety and irritation. I always felt I was way more sensitive to nearly everything than most people, and here was a book that seemed to validate my experience and offer solutions.It worked through many initial imprints left by parents and care-takers and ultimately left me feeling a lot less alienated and crazy. Are you looking for great books for highly sensitive people? In this article, guest writer Camille Parker shares 4 powerful must-reads for the highly sensitive person. This title kept me engaged for about one third of the book. After that I started skimming, and when I had to force myself to keep going I said "Hey, what's up with that, I might as well be reading something fun."