There are many people, estimates put the figure at 20 percent, who are considered highly sensitive. The term „highly sensitive“ is not precisely defined. Also, high sensitivity is not considered a disease and must be treated. These people simply react unusually strongly to stimuli from their environment and then need more rest periods. However, this theory is controversial and is doubted by scientists. However, the graduate psychologist Dr. Sandra Konrad, who works at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, is currently researching the proof of the scientific theory established by the American psychologist Elaine Aron in the 1990s. According to this, there are four indicators for this personality trait: Those affected have a low sensory threshold, react very quickly and strongly to stimuli, process stimuli more deeply and also avoid stimulus-intensive situations in their environment. In crowds, they react extremely sensitively to sounds and especially smells. Their emotional responsiveness to external stimuli is increased, both in a positive and negative sense. However, high sensitivity should not be confused with an anxiety disorder, because this clinical picture also manifests itself in overstimulation and an unprocessed flood of information. Aron has created a questionnaire, but it does not go beyond self-descriptions. For this reason, experts in this field have evaluated studies using MRI images of the brain of highly sensitive people, which show that certain areas are more strongly activated. According to these studies, highly sensitive people can perceive situations more strongly than the rest of the population. Highly sensitive people also show certain patterns in their personality structure: they are open to new experiences, but at the same time introverted and tend to be emotionally unstable. They do not push ahead, but wait and weigh up before taking action. In addition, they react more emotionally, for example, by making much greater use of and enjoying certain situations that they find beautiful. If everything happens to them, they withdraw and avoid irritating situations, for example by painting. It is only recommended that those affected take regular rest periods in order not to suffer from sensory overload. However, it is not yet clear whether the environment and its increasingly complex stimuli are the triggers for such personality traits. Therefore, some scientists suspect that there is not necessarily a high sensitivity behind the perception with overstimulation reaction. Further studies need to shed more light on this.
