Being Highly Sensitive Is A Trait Of Bipolar Disorder
I have found that being a highly sensitive person is a trait of bipolar disorder. I have learned personally, and from my many friends living with bipolar disorder, that we have an enhanced ability to sense other people’s energies. Please stick with me for a moment before you dismiss this line of thinking.
You can think of bipolar disorder as a spectrum. This spectrum relates the types of bipolar disorder to the severity of bipolar symptoms. If you take several different people, look at their symptoms, and use a scale to plot the severity of their symptoms on a graph, you will have created a spectrum.
The reasoning behind the spectrum of bipolar disorder extends to the spectrum of sensitivity. It is important to acknowledge that this sensitivity spectrum is a real and important phenomenon.
My Discovery About Being Sensitive
I learned about the concept of sensitivity years ago while I worked in retail. At the time, I was only able to work four-hour shifts, but I was beyond exhausted – both physically and mentally. Have you ever felt this level of exhaustion when you are around people? It does not even need to be a big group. Have you ever experienced this around people in general?
One day I shared my experience about feeling so drained with a close friend of mine. She told me she always felt that same way around others. She further explained to me that those of us living with bipolar disorder are more sensitive to other people’s emotions. That is why it can be extremely difficult to be around others. This is even more apparent if the other person is manipulative, narcissistic, or pessimistic. A light bulb went off in my head!
Now, let us move our discussion forward, covering the reality of a “Highly Sensitive Person.”
A ‘Highly Sensitive Person’ (HSP)
A “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP) is greatly impacted by outward stimuli. These stimuli overwhelm the five senses. It is almost like the senses are on hyperdrive.
An HSP utilizes the normal range of senses along the spectrum of sensitivity, plus the nuances that are abnormally hard to feel and pinpoint. Their system is highly activated and ultra-sensitive.
Let me connect the dots between the idea of sensitivity to bipolar disorder. An individual in the throes of a manic state has more energy than their body can handle. The mind is going too fast to hold on to any coherent thoughts.
Mania is often characterized by:
- Racing thoughts
- Pressured speech
- Elated mood
- Grandiosity
- Inflated self-esteem
- Disorganized thinking
- Decreased need for sleep
- Increase in goal-oriented activity
- Hypersexuality
- Hyperactivity
- Psychosis
The high charge of mania supercharges the senses, and this elevates the level of sensitivity a person experiences to one that a neurotypical individual will never feel. See how being sensitive goes hand-in-hand with bipolar disorder?
Increased Emotional Sensitivity
Emotional sensitivity is more episodic when it relates to bipolar disorder. The feeling of physical and mental exhaustion I feel around people I tend to experience more predominantly when I am in a depressive episode. There is no effect while I am manic because I have so much energy. Now, I try to stay away from crowds so I do not feel that degree of utter soul-draining exhaustion.
Increased Physical Sensitivity
Physical sensitivity is definitely related to mania. During a manic episode, energy pulsates and floods through the body. This energy overloads the senses, making them incredibly sensitive—hypersensitive. It sounds like the radio is on full blast (when it is not) with an increased clarity for hearing, light feels like it is piercing me when I look toward the sun, and taking a shower can feel like little knife pricks all over my body.
I read somewhere that there is possibly a biological component that contributes to an HSP. This makes sense why many of us experience it together with bipolar disorder.
If you are a “Highly Sensitive Person,” can you please comment below? I would love to hear about your own experiences.
