“7) We are sensitive. We are sensitive when we sleep, maybe needing a certain mattress, pillow, and earplugs, and particularly comfortable clothing. Some need long-sleeves, some short. Temperature needs to be just so. No air blowing from the heater vent, no traffic noise, no noise period. We are sensitive even in our dream state, perhaps having intense and colourful dreams, anxiety-ridden dreams, or maybe precognitive dreams.
Our sensitivity might expand to being highly-intuitive of others’ feelings, which is a paradox, considering the limitations of our social communication skills.
We seek out information in written or verbally spoken form, sometimes over-thinking something someone said and reliving the ways we ought to have responded.
We take criticism to heart, not necessarily longing for perfection, but for the opportunity to be understood and accepted. It seems we have inferiority complexes, but with careful analysis, we don’t feel inferior, but rather unseen, unheard, and misunderstood.
Definitely misunderstood.
At one point or another, we question if in fact we are genetic hybrids, mutations, aliens, or displaced spirits–as we simply feel like we’ve landed on the wrong planet.
We are highly susceptible to outsiders’ view points and opinions. If someone tells us this or that, we may adapt our view of life to this or that, continually in search of the “right” and “correct” way.
We may jump from one religious realm to another, in search of the “right” path or may run away from aspects of religion because of all the questions that arise in theorizing.
As we grow older, we understand more of how our minds work, which makes living sometimes even more difficult; because now we can step outside ourselves and see what we are doing, know how we our feeling, yet still recognize our limitations.
We work hard and produce a lot in a small amount of time.
When others question our works, we may become hurt, as our work we perceive as an extension of ourselves. Isn’t everything an extension of ourselves–at least our perception and illusion of reality? Sometimes we stop sharing our work in hopes of avoiding opinions, criticism, and judgment.
We dislike words and events that hurt others and hurt animals. We may have collected insects, saved a fallen bird, or rescued pets.
We have a huge compassion for suffering, as we have experienced deep levels of suffering.
We are very sensitive to substances, such as foods, caffeine, alcohol, medications, environmental toxins, and perfumes; a little amount of one substance can have extreme effects on our emotional and/or physical state.”
Used with permission from @everydayaspergers. Originally published in Samantha Croft‘s -now former- blog, Everyday Asperger’s, as The Ten Traits.
Nothing to add, nothing to deduct…
Just perfect.
Thank you Samantha 💐
THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY 
it’s amazing, actually, how many of the traits also apply to ‘a highly-sensitive artist.’ when i paint, absolute silence is very important; even the sound of a ceiling fan is distracting. a refrigerator motor turning on and off is even-more distracting… highly intuitive, and easily bruised by criticism, even a harmless comment, ‘you’re the artist… i can tell.’ – i have often thought, ‘i got sent to the wrong planet…’ just smellling coffee will sometimes give me the jitters. take two advil, and i’m full throttle for hours —- i no longer take anything for pain and rarely did ‘before.’ cheap perfumes all but choke me, and even the smell of shampoo can be too strong at times…
etc etc …
amazing…
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Hi Lisa, good to hear from you 💐
Isn’t it interesting to “hear” the cogs falling into place one-by-one?
Today, for example, I had to literally run out from an optician’s appointment, and plug my ears, needing about 10′ to regain some functionality…
But as you (and I) say, there’s no ARTsperger’s without hyper-sensitivity 🤓👾🖖
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it’s really interesting, almost as if i’ve been ‘given ‘ enough of the same traits that i can easily grasp many of the traits while pondering what it must be life to experience that – and more -in the tenth power.
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I am agree with Samantha : perfect written.
Good night Moshe and happy weekend, too 🙂
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Good night and a great weekend to you as well, Antonella 💐
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This is a series I can’t wait to have time to read. I have often joked that I’m new here on earth – but in my heart of hearts share your feeling that I landed on the wrong planet too, many times. Fortunately, I believe, I have just a strong enough “oppositional piece” to my ADD that I don’t automatically conclude that the others have answers, and I probably over-explain my thinking as to why not. 🙂
At least you and I (and others remotely like us) are eager to understand and to be understood – to find our tribe. To me, that is the essence of what it means to be fully human and alive.
Thanks for your recent visit to my blog. And, by the way, seeing Laina’s gravitar reminded me that I found you through her – perhaps following a comment left on something she wrote?
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to educate a world!”
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Thanks MGH, and by the way, I’m really happy to have come across insight and experience about ADD, of which to my shame (being a Mental Health professional, as it falls outside my sphere of duties) I haven’t heard much, and most of it diagnostic controversies, plus the horror stories around Ritalin…
So bear with me, I might have lots of questions… 🤓
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Good for you for being interested in back-filling your ADD info-base. Nobody is born knowing anything – lol – and learning takes TIME. My ADD Coach training (not currently offered) eventually took almost 3 years of essentially weekly teleclasses for me to believe that they were WELL informed.
TONS of ADD/EFD info (etc.) on my blog designed to help – and you’ll see that I’m happy to answer questions in the comments (much more evident in my newer articles – took a while for folks to find me).
btw, *most* of the stimulant horror stories (and practically everything in the popular press) are from folks who simply have not done their research (or are quoting a few studies that are not consistent with the majority of the knowledge of the field, and which I discount due to design flaws and sampling errors). In other words, NOT valid, biased or flat out wrong.
Since you are a mental health pro, I am going to inundate you for a moment – wouldn’t do this otherwise.
START HERE:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Recently published and available from my right sidebar for probably several months still, given my posting frequency of late (they age off): “Stimulant BASICS: Ritalin and Adderall.” (Use the search box or click the included link for “ADD Meds Info for Moms – Part I”)
In the Related Content at the end of the stimulant post, click “ADD Overview 101 — Part 1 of a 5-part article (parts linked)” for an excellent overview, taken from my curriculum materials.
A bit of history and my POV is included in “ADD – what’s in a NAME?” (available from the top left menu, next to “home”)
If you’d rather read what the experts docs and researchers have to say directly, I link – and a great place to start is the “International [all-Expert] Consensus Statement” on my sidebar – which includes multiple pages of references and contacts of 75 TOP experts (at the time they published). – also linked to Meds Info for Moms.
LAST but not least, available from the bottom menubar (top of site) are my LinkLists by topic.
Pop up the Master LinkList and you’ll see what’s available in the others, for the most part. I do my best to keep them updated, given time constraints.
xx,
mgh
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Excellent, absolutely brilliant. Finally some decent, professionally reviewed reading on the topic. I’ll get to it as soon as I can catch my breath, as tomorrow (Sunday) I’m working.
I’ll most certainly have my many questions, bear with my autistic brain, don’t give up on me when I’ll look hopeless, just put a blanket on me and leave me on the floor if I’ve collapsed, and don’t forget the olive oil with any (edible) flowers in case of success, as I see no logic in flowers otherwise 💐👾
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lol – I used to tell my students, “The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask!” (meaning that I won’t consider anything you DO ask a stupid question).
There was one Aspie (her term) who took the training, and she got most of the content more quickly than others – except for the humor I tried to inject, but she was patient with me :). I doubt you’ll struggle much.
I left the info for support, not homework – lol. Whenever you want it, it’s there. Pressure tends to shut down the PFC, so don’t do that to you.
xx,
mgh
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Great!
As for humour, I tend to be somewhere between Sheldon Cooper’s professional word-plays, and Dr Evil’s mwahahaha’s 👾
And thanks for reminding me that it was “suggested” literature and not “compulsory reading”, even though I already had my two routine heart attacks, mwahahaha 👾
Ah, and it’s Moshe, but use whatever you want 🤓
Thanks again Madelyn!
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You read my mind, Moshe (one syllable or two when pronounced?).
The only nickname I’m friendly with is mgh (my initials), which a lot of people prefer when typing.
lol re: reminder – personal experience with the heart attacks when I’ve been given links, etc. (even when I saw that there were multiple articles investigating multiple traits on *your* blog). 🙂 Since a tendency to hyperfocus to compensate for my high level of distractibility must be carefully managed already, I tend to panic a bit when even more to-dos are added to my plate. (breathe!)
Thank YOU for the interest. It’s why I spend precious minutes of my lifetime to write this stuff.
xx,
mgh
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Thanks mgh, the honour’s mine, can’t wait, as it’s truly been something I was intrigued about; and it’s two syllables 💐
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Thanks. See you again soon!
xx,
mgh
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