What It is:
The term “highly sensitive person” has been used to describe individuals who tend to experience overload when navigating what many people would call the “average” social, emotional, and sensory experience of modern life. Highly sensitive adults start as highly sensitive youth and are usually particularly sensitive to emotions during the teenage years.
It is important to note that the developmental stage of adolescence is normally a more emotional time than childhood or adulthood, in part due to hormonal and social changes during this time. Therefore, some level of emotional sensitivity and reactivity will be observed in almost all teens, even those that were not highly sensitive children. That said, adolescence for highly sensitive people can be particularly painful and high conflict time.
This can look like your highly sensitive teen or adolescent overreacting or taking things personally. Some researchers believe that the experience of highly sensitive teens is related to personality, whereas others believe it is a type of neurodivergence. Though not everyone agrees on what defines highly sensitive teen, the term most often includes teens or adolescents who experience a level of increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli (e.g., lights, sounds), sensitivity to emotional stimuli (e.g., sadness), and/or sensitivity to social stimuli (e.g., interpersonal situations).
As a result of these sensitivities, highly sensitive teens need to navigate modern life by finding skills to manage overstimulation, to increase refueling activities, and to find routines and habits that work for them. When highly sensitive teens aren’t able to find skills to adapt and navigate modern life, they are more likely to develop physical and mental health symptoms. Being a highly sensitive teen is not a diagnosis and it is not something to change about someone; in fact, there are many benefits to being a highly sensitive teen! On the flip side, being a highly sensitive teenager can put teens at risk for developing emotion dysregulation or emotional avoidance during adolescence or into adulthood.
Does This Sound Familiar?
- My teen or adolescent seems to be more affected by the emotional content of tv, movies, or the news than the people around them.
- My adolescent or teen seems to be overwhelmed by day-to-day life more easily than their peers or other members of the family.
- My teen’s or adolescent’s “social battery” seems to be lower or more easily drained than others.
- My teen or adolescent is often told they are “too sensitive” or “take things too personally.”
- When my adolescent’s or teen’s senses are overwhelmed (by sights, sounds, or smells), they struggle to cope and manage their emotions or behaviors.
- My teen or adolescent seems to be more impacted by other people’s moods or emotions than their peers.
- It seems to take my adolescent or teen longer to recover from emotions or stressors than those around them.
- My teen or adolescent craves routines that seem to help them manage overwhelm or burn-out.
- My teen or adolescent seems to experience physical pain or physical discomfort as more intense or prolonged than their peers.
- My adolescent or teen seems to be more overwhelmed than their peers by time pressure (e.g., deadlines), changing plans, or very long to-do lists.
Associated Concerns:
Anxiety & Panic: Because highly sensitive teens are more sensitive to overwhelm, they are very vulnerable to developing anxiety and panic. It is not uncommon for highly sensitive teens who have not found helpful coping strategies to develop ruminative, obsessive, or catastrophic thinking patterns. This can lead to anxiety disorders, panic attacks, or even OCD.
Emotion Dysregulation: Some highly sensitive teens develop coping strategies to manage their sensitivity that involve impulsive behaviors, interpersonal conflict, and difficulty interacting with those that do not understand or allow their sensitivities. This may look like overreacting or taking things personally from the outside. For some, this can result in what is called emotion dysregulation, or the difficulty managing emotional sensitivities without utilizing significant external support in order to calm yourself, communicate with others, or navigate day-to-day life.
Emotional Avoidance: Some highly sensitive teens develop coping strategies to manage their sensitivity that attempt to deny they are emotionally sensitive, try to avoid or control things that cause sensitivity, or rely on extreme self-management strategies (e.g., perfectionism) to navigate their sensitivities. For some, this can result in what is called emotional over-control, or the difficulty managing emotional sensitivities without using unrealistic internal standards to calm yourself, communicate with others, or navigate day-to-day life.
*Of note, many teens who identify as a highly sensitive person may also identify as or have been given diagnoses of autism, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, OCD, or GAD. There is high overlap between being a highly sensitive teen and these neurotypes or experiences; however, being a highly sensitive teen does not necessarily mean the adolescent would meet criteria for any of these other conditions or neurotypes. An assessment can be an important way to differentiate between these experiences for those that are unsure, have received many diagnoses related to their sensitivities, or have a desire to deeply understand their individual brain or experiences.
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