Maybe you’ve been told it’s all in your head. But what if HSPs actually feel pain more intensely?
I remember the look on my dentist’s face when I asked for another Novocain as he dug into my tooth and performed a long overdue root canal (thanks, COVID-19 shutdown!). He noted that most of the people he treated never asked for the required amount.
He was probably right – since most of the people he treated, 70 percent of the population, are non-hypersensitive people (HSP). me on the other hand a.m part of the nearly 30 percent who do it feel the pain more strongly. This is probably due to what Sensitive people feel things more deeply and extensively than non-HSPs. (Actually, our brain is busy processing even while resting!)
But what exactly does poor pain tolerance mean? What is he doing? not means that one cannot “handle” the pain. Quite the contrary: When it comes to HSPs, many of us have been taught to “treat” our pain by grinning and bearing it.
At the risk of being labeled a ‘dramatist’ or a ‘hypochondriac’ – which should never be said to a highly sensitive person — some HSP experiences medical gas lightingwhich occurs when a health care provider downplays symptoms or ignores emotionally driven (ie, it’s all in your head) concerns or misinformation.
This can be quite frustrating for the HSP who just wants to be heard – and believed. In order to do this doctor visits are often different for highly sensitive people and telling doctors you are HSP can help.
Speaking of which, before we go any further, let’s look at what it means to be a highly sensitive person.
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The science behind highly sensitive people
We are all sensitive to some degree, but some of us are more sensitive than others. Almost 30 percent of people are born more sensitive than average – emotionally and physically. (About 40 percent of people have average sensitivity, while 20 percent have low sensitivity.) Researchers refer to this trait as environmental sensitivityor Sensory processing sensitivity. And don’t worry—all three levels of environmental sensitivity are considered perfectly normal and healthy.
Those near the upper end of the sensitivity continuum are called highly sensitive people or HSPs. Some trademarks are characteristic: they often notice subtle details that others miss; they are deeply connected to their physical environment and to the feelings and emotions of others; they are more sensitive to noises, smells, textures and other environmental factors that may not affect other people; deep thinkers; they value deep connections and relationships with others; and are highly creative and empathetic. In addition, some researchers believe that high sensitivity is related to talent.
If you’re wondering how someone “becomes” highly sensitive, they’re probably born that way, and the sensitivity trait continues to develop over the years. Thus, despite remaining sensitive throughout life, they can learn to manage their often overwhelming thoughts and feelings, better manage the overstimulation they experience, and use their strong, sensitive minds to their advantage if they embrace it to the fullest extent possible.
And because HSPs feel things so deeply, pain is no exception.
HSPs and their pain tolerance
Instead of ignoring the HSP’s experience with pain, there is much to be learned from it. In fact, in early researchso many highly sensitive people showed an increased pain response that it became a factor in the creation of the HSP scale.
Stress affects the pain threshold, and HSPs experience everything more intensely, including stress. This is due to genetic mutations in HSPs in three neurotransmitters directly related to stress and pain tolerance: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Since dopamine and norepinephrine specifically enhance the ability to process and modulate pain, it is crucial that these neurotransmitters are balanced, research shows.
In HSP under stress, these neurochemicals become dysregulated, impairing the nervous system’s ability to cope with pain in both the short and long term. To validate our experiences, it is important to know that there is a reason why HSPs experience pain for longer and more intensely. And the next important step is knowing how to handle…
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How to manage pain as an HSP
Much of the research indicates that HSPs experience longer and more intense pain because pain-related stress more negatively affects our ability to cope. The good thing is that there are practical ways to work around this problem by empowering HSPs to deal with pain.
1. Prioritize stress management through breathing exercises and mindfulness.
In my therapy practice, an HSP client once told me that the most tolerable part of labor was when they put an oxygen mask on her. It wasn’t the medication or the epidural, it was the focused breathing and oxygen that really helped.
When you’re trying to manage stress, sometimes it’s more important to focus on that than on the pain. One way to do this is Mindfulness Meditation Training, which was found effectively improves pain tolerance after just one treatment.
Also, breathing in general, especially exhalation—which activates our parasympathetic nervous system (think rest and digestion)—has an immediate effect on our perception of pain. Diaphragmatic breathing (deep abdominal breathing) also emerged to reduce inflammation and regulate the production of the stress hormone cortisol. And the less stress, the better (especially since we HSPs are quite overstimulated as it is!).
2. Be aware of drug tolerance, which can lead to incorrect medication or overmedication, and seek alternative health care methods and providers.
Just as highly sensitive people have a lower pain threshold, they also have a lower drug tolerance, which can result in a more intense effect. according to Judith Orloff, MD its author The Empath’s Survival Guide.
This can result in HSPs not finding the right balance in pain management, as there is a risk of inappropriate medication or overmedication, which it can lead to side effects that can cause additional stress on the body.
Julie Bjelland, psychotherapist specializing in high sensitivity, seconds at this pointadding that HSPs tend to be more sensitive to medications than 80 percent of the general population.
And drug treatment greatly affects sensitive people with autoimmune diseases and other chronic conditions where there is no clear path to treatment—rather, consistent trial and error with treatment methods.
One option is to seek out providers experienced in HSPs who understand your complex nervous system. Or you can find providers who use integrative and functional techniques.
3. Affirm that your pain is real and remind yourself that you deserve effective care.
Pain validation can alter HSPs. Because sensitive types are more aware of other people’s moods and emotions, they can also sense when someone is invalidating their personal pain. Research shows that that this further increases the feeling of isolation.
The research also found that that chronic pain, such as stress, plays a critical role in determining depression. In other words, feeling isolated or invalidated can heighten the perception of pain.
As a pain reliever, you get the treatment you deserve
The need for validation and support is evolutionary, as we feel less stress—and more peace—when we feel like we belong, or belong, to a group. This means that if a medical provider lights gas for you or invalidating youYou have the right to look for another service provider. We seek pain control from both health care providers and other people in our lives.
Likewise, if you’re in a relationship (whether romantic or platonic) who doesn’t validate your pain experience as an HSP, your pain may improve if you spend less time with that person. There are people who understand where you’re coming from and who are less judgmental and more supportive, which is exactly what you deserve.
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