Greetings Dear Reader! Welcome to Megan’s Sensitive Nature, where Nature Heals & Love Wins! I'm a neurodivergent sensitive soul who loves Nature, art, music, books and cats. My happy places are in Nature, art museums and bookstores. I’ve been married to Andrew since 2008 and we live in St. Louis, Missouri with our 2 cats and wildlife haven backyard.
"So, what's a highly sensitive person?"
A form of neurodiversity, HSP, or highly sensitive person is the pop culture term used for sensory processing sensitivity. It is found in 15-20% of the population (equal between male and female) and it is not a disorder. HSPs have more sensitive nervous systems as they are wired differently than those without the HSP trait. When understood properly, it's quite the superpower, but it does come with challenges, especially in modern life. (Allow me to address the elephant in the room for some readers. There is a debate on whether or not HSP is really the same as ASD1. Especially in high masking females. As our understanding of neurodiversity continues to expand so do definitions. This is something I am currently reading up on, listening to experts, and learning about. I haven’t yet come to a final conclusion on this, though a lot of puzzle pieces fell into place when I learned about ASD1 in females. For now I’m keeping the focus on sensitivity, since whether or not they’re the same or different wirings, the truth is my experience would fall in the sensory sensitive category. It seems to me a lot of self-care tips are relatable no matter one’s neurodiversity so I’m finding myself gravitating towards using the term “neurodivergent” more than just HSP while I continue to learn more. I want to address this as I know there’s a lot of people on the spectrum who find the HSP differentiation harmful and I can 100% understand why.)
“What if I’m not neurodivergent?”
Welcome! Pull up a chair and stay awhile! We’re thrilled to have you. Hopefully you’ll learn how to support your sensory sensitive family and friends and enjoy other topics we’ll explore as well! It’s been said that HSPs are like the canaries in the coal mine — we’re the first to struggle with something, but often the non-HSPs are grateful we pushed for a change (or signaled it’s time to get out)! So chances are, while you may not identify with all of the sensitive experience, you’ll still find some encouragement for yourself here.
