What is a highly sensitive personality? How is it different from Asperger's syndrome? Expert: Make good use of high sensitivity to shine and generate heat
What is a highly sensitive personality? How is it different from Asperger’s syndrome?
In recent years, through extensive reports in the media and publications, “highly sensitive personality” has become a hot topic in the community. Many parents are worried that their children have “highly sensitive personality” or have potential “Asperger’s syndrome”, which may cause problems in academic and social life. Difficulties may even affect future career development. Ren Wanning-Wanshu, the founder of the Xixin Growth Education Team, which is authorized by the drama psychology system of New York University (NYU), is also a child emotional and behavioral manager. In an exclusive interview with healthorn, he pointed out that the manifestations of highly sensitive personality and Asperger’s syndrome The behaviors are similar, but the psychological motivations and logic are different. Helping children make good use of their highly sensitive traits will help them develop appropriately and express their talents in the workplace in the future.
“Based on more than ten years of experience, a high proportion of Asperger’s children are highly sensitive, but there are still fundamental differences between the two!” Uncle Wan said that “Asperger’s syndrome” is a mental illness listed in the United States. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) deficiency is considered a developmental disorder in which children with Asthma typically develop a theory of mind, the ability to understand the mental states of themselves and those around them. Their abilities are weaker than those of ordinary children, and they often show problems such as a lack of empathy. This is also related to the development of “mirror neurons” in the brain. They also show characteristics such as introversion and lack of communication and social skills.
As for “highly sensitive personality”, it is a personality trait. They are very sensitive to external stimuli, especially emotional and sensory stimulation reactions are stronger than ordinary people, and they are more susceptible to the emotions of others. When faced with emotional and stimulating social situations, highly sensitive personalities tend to feel stressed and tend to seek quietness and less interaction with others to reduce the impact of internal and external stimulation on themselves.
Is it difficult for highly sensitive personalities to socialize? What problems are you likely to face during the growth stage?
Uncle Wan pointed out that in early childhood, highly sensitive personalities will be particularly sensitive to external stimuli and environmental changes. For example, if a caregiver is not with you when sleeping, you will be unable to fall asleep due to a lack of security. During the weaning period, due to the “separation” from the mother, there will be intense painful struggles and so on.
Highly sensitive children who enter kindergarten at an older age may also have more emotional expressions because they are unwilling to leave their parents. In group life, the amount of information around you may be too large, which may lead to overreaction to the behavior of teachers and peers, and you may even have an inner feeling of being targeted by others.
“We need to understand what their inner “scripts” are like, and then allow parents, teachers and children to communicate their intentions through empathy, so that highly sensitive children can achieve inner “reconciliation.” This is very important. a process!”
Uncle Wan said that as they grow older, highly sensitive children face academic pressure, as well as challenges in the normal growth of self-confidence, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. And it extends to interpersonal communication issues. However, because highly sensitive personalities are more able to focus on the same thing, especially in areas that require concentration such as art, literature, and language, they are more likely to show outstanding talents. As long as they are given suitable roles in life scripts through appropriate guidance such as drama therapy, they are likely to shine in society and the workplace.
Does Highly Sensitive Personality Need Treatment? How do children use their highly sensitive talents?
“Parents don’t need to be overly nervous. In fact, for many highly sensitive children, one of the parents may also be highly sensitive. For example, my mother, who is almost 70 years old, occasionally has insights in the middle of the night. She also supper alone and has trouble sleeping. , so high sensitivity is indeed a trait that may come from inheritance, and whether it is used appropriately is the key!”
Uncle Wan pointed out that whether it is external influence or physiological inheritance, parents should understand that there are many different personality traits in their children, and the best traits of high sensitivity are: being delicate and considerate of others, and being a good person. Listeners are a positive and powerful influence in certain types of work or social situations, including communication, education, social work, and even national leaders. For example, in the process of interacting with children, he needs to turn on the highly sensitive “switch”, enter the child’s world through empathy, become a “playmate” and guide the child to express himself.
Uncle Wan also shared that he helped a child with Asperger’s syndrome who had high sensitivity in the past. By giving him different emotional “scripts” to practice and interact with, he guided the child from being completely unwilling to share emotions and thoughts to becoming willing to share on stage. performer and communicator. In less than 6 sessions and one and a half months, the child’s life took on a completely different look.
“His mother thanked me with tears and said that the child now talks to the boss when he goes out to eat in a restaurant. He used to completely ignore them. Recently, on Mother’s Day at school, he took the initiative to go on stage and tell his mother that I love you. She was joking. Say, the kids are talking more and it’s getting a bit noisy!”
Can highly sensitive personalities switch freely? Script training helps children achieve self-breakthrough
Uncle Wan said that personality traits are not absolutely good or bad. He will lead the children to try self-breakthrough and practice expression through a new script that gives highly sensitive children “adventurers”. Once you acquire the personality traits of an adventurer, and through appropriate practice, these traits can act like a “switch” and perform on the stage at the right time. Through each script practice, children are allowed to “practice” these roles in real life, and incorporate breathing exercises and other actions into the situation to continuously adjust and move forward.
“For example, highly sensitive children who are easily nervous can summon their adventurer personality to help them complete the challenges at hand calmly and gracefully when facing a stressful environment. This concept of switching between different roles is actually in line with the Taoist philosophy of Tai Chi. The principle of endless life and the flow of yin and yang allows the child to achieve a kind of inner balance, rather than destroying the highly sensitive personality, because this is his original trait, and the existence of each role has its meaning! "
Uncle Wan pointed out that to help highly sensitive children grow up in script practice, the role of “companion” is very important. Parents need to understand and support the process, participate in meetings regularly, and learn the correct way to accompany them, so that highly sensitive children can understand everything in the situation. Learning should be truly implemented in daily life and interactions with parents, teachers, and peers. More importantly, when you notice that your child has difficulty expressing emotions or socializing, you should consult professional resources as soon as possible to avoid wrong interaction patterns that will deepen the child’s frustration.
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