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Charité Expert: High Sensitivity Is a Trait, Not a Disorder

Expert guidance pairs with lived experience to reframe high sensitivity as manageable.

Overview

  • Prof. Dr. Isabella Heuser-Collier of Charité describes highly sensitive people as processing sensory and emotional input more intensely due to a less active internal filter.
  • Everyday settings such as supermarkets or large gatherings can trigger overload, leading to exhaustion and reduced functioning.
  • Coverage reports that roughly 20% of people may be highly sensitive, framing it as a personality characteristic rather than an illness.
  • The expert outlines practical ways to recognize high sensitivity and offers coping strategies to limit overstimulation and draw on strengths.
  • A first-person account from Jessica Stellwag details childhood overwhelm and later learning to manage her sensitivity and use it constructively.