For us here at Avoidant Personality Research Center (APRC), HSP is a newcomer to the scene. The reality is that HSP has been known for a very long time. HSP is an abbreviation for Highly Sensitive Person. Most experts refer to HSP as a character trait and not a mental health condition.
When I, Phillip, the Founder of APRC, first heard about HSP, it sounded very similar to Avoidant Personality Disorder. I searched for the condition, found it online, and rushed to take the quiz. I was amazed to learn that I was a HSP myself. I scored 100% on that quiz.
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HSP
A HSP is very sensitive to stimuli in their environment. They are so sensitive, that they get very overwhelmed and need to find solitude to recover. The HSP avoids these and anything else that assaults their 5 senses at all costs.
It’s hard to handle too many things like a lot of noise, too many people, too many smells, too many things to look at, too many instructions, too many flavors, and too many things to listen to, and more.
Let’s give you an example, my wife, along with the rest of the US, love firework shows. She loves to go to the shows, with the bright colors and very loud explosions. To her this is sheer joy. For me, this is torture. The only way I can tolerate this is to wear sunglasses and earplugs, but I do this because I love my wife.Â
AVP
The person with AVP avoids things that cause, or might cause issues. These are assaults to their senses like people, noises, sounds, going outside and more. They also can’t handle “too many things”.Â
The similarities between these 2 conditions is uncanny. We tested hundreds of people with AVP to determine if they also are a HSP. The results are that 100% of those that have AVP also are a HSP.Â
What conclusions can we draw, or start to draw from this?
>Is being a HSP really just a character trait?
>Is being a HSP an early form of AVP?
>Are those that identify as a HSP in danger of developing AVP at some point in their lives?
>Are those that identify as a HSP susceptible to developing AVPD, like being a carrier of a disease?