Facinating indeed. I am right handed, just thought I'd let you all know. I, too, am so sensitive to sights, sounds, touch. I can't watch shows or movies that are loud or booming or with any violence in them. Telephones cause me to startle. Cold and shivering bothers me, but so does a hot room. I associate colors with words, and sounds. I always wondered why I thought this way. I am not that high on the IQ scale...a 124 isn't that bright. But I am very musical...I play 14 different instruments. 10 with great proficiency. I write poems and music. And I am a singer. I also draw and paint. But I also get easily frustrated over things. Cry even when I am happy. And dislike disorganization. I was picked on a lot as a child and have suffered from childhood abuse. if I could pinpoint which of these things makes me more prone to panic and anxiety...I'd sure glady give it up. I really dislike being me. Sorry for the complaining..I should consider myself blessed...but I feel so awful. I'll be quiet now.

I love Betty's idea and am going to start charging for my servces first thing tomorrow morning! LOL I'm afraid I may also blow your "intelligence" thing right out the window, as I most certainly do not come in that category. I'm asking myself if it is a matter of being more sensitive or more sensitized.....I think it may partly be a learned behavior? Good thread for thought.

wow, when I first started reading this thread I had a ahha moment..lol. I too have am overly sensitive, artistic and a above average IQ. I remember writing a poem where I said I think too much and feel to much of this world. I had a rough childhood as I was picked on by others as well. Though recently I have overcome the issue of what others think of me and that has helped with my anxiety. I experimented with drugs as a teen also. oh and I am right handed :)

That’s it Synesthesia, thanks Betty!! I wish we all lived in the same neighbourhood too Pamela that would be just soo cool :) I’m a pretty sceptical, analytical person too Sue. I’ve always thought this was the best way to be, I still do. But I’m aware I have to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise analysing works against me. Thanks ever so much for that link! I read a book just last month that was absolute rubish. It boasted all this information on hyper sensitivity and delivered zero. First time I’ve ever wanted to burn a book, it was that bad! Anyway this link seems to have the kind of information I was hoping for in the other book. So thanks again. :)

Hmm. I'm right-handed, but as to being left or right-brained I think I'm both or neither. For example, my college major was math but my minor was art history. I have an active imagination, but I'm also analytical. I guess that's my problem because whenever I get a symptom I start analyzing it and then imagine the worst. I noticed that there's a feature here to add hyperlinks, so I'm going to take a chance and add a link to the website I was talking about. There's some really interesting information there. [url=http://www.hsperson.com/]Link for The Highly Sensitive Person[/url] Happy New Year to everyone! Here's hoping the New Year brings us all some inner peace.

I love this topic it makes so much sense. I've suffered from panic and anxiety my whole life and I also am very sensitive. I was always the target of bullies and even people who are just dominant and controlling. When I was younger I seemed always to be in some kind of an abusive relationship. I was sexually abused as a child and physically abused by a boyfriend. For years my in-laws even bossed me around(how to raise the kids,what church to attend,how to clean the house etc.) And I always let everyone do this to me and actually didn't stand up for myself because I felt sorry for them. Talk about a screwed up sensitivity level. I also like the part about hiring out the worrying. I take on eveyone else's problems and always try to fix them becuse I hate to see others suffer. I also have scored high on IQ tests and am very artistic and creative. I guess we all are alot alike. To bad everyone here can't just live in my neighborhood so we could run back and forth to one another's homes when we are feeling overwhelmed.

Sky, is the word "synesthesia"? (I just looked it up by searching for your description) Oh, and I'm right handed.

I’m glad this thread has been revived. This sensitivity thing has been dominating my thoughts for some time too. I haven’t read that book you mentioned Sue, but am curious to as well. I don’t know the rules for posting links here either. I’m curious to know how many left handed people are on this forum. If there’s some kind of link with left handed folk and panic disorder. I’m left handed and a friend of mine is left handed and also has panic disorder. I’ve noticed a pattern with bipola and left handed people. So I guess it stands to reason that lefties would be more prone to panic too. The right side of our brain is our creative side while the left is logical. Right side controls the left side of the body and vice versa. So in right brain dominant people (left hand dominant) the tendency to get paranoid and create problems for ourselves gets out of hand. Hence panic attacks, bipola etc can be triggered easily. Even if you’re not left handed I’m willing to bet that any panic sufferer has an overactive right brain. Also that they are creative/artistic in some form. I’m not suggesting that every panic sufferer out there is an artist of some description but that they have an active imagination. It just fits with the sensitivity we experience. There’s this thing….can’t remember the name of it. It sounds like Synthesis, it’s not that but a word like it. Anyway it’s when people associate words, sounds, music with colours and/or shapes. I’ve done this ever since I can remember. When I was really young, like 3 or something I remember all of the members of my family, their names each had a colour and shape to them. The music my parents played in the house each had colours and shapes as well. I just accepted it back then as the norm. But I never forgot about it and I still do it to this day. I wonder if this Synthwhateveritscalled has any link to Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. Again I’m not suggesting that everyone who does this has OCD but it’s still interesting to note the role imagination can have on a persons umm outcome in terms of their personality traits. Worry for rent would be a healthy business lol! I hate bright lights too wear sunglasses all the

This is pretty interesting. I was talking with a friend who suffered briefly from panic disorder and she agreed that intelligent people seem to be more affected. I also feel that I'm very sensitive. I have sensitive skin, my eyes are very sensitive to bright sunlight and flurorescent lights and I am sensitive in that I'm very emotional, and not just about myself. If someone tells me they have a problem, I worry about it. I often think I could rent out my worrying. Got a problem? Don't have time or want to worry? No sweat! For only $19.95 I will do the worrying for you! As for other "environmental" factors, the only thing I can think of is that my dad smoked in the house until I was 12 - I wonder if that did anything. I personally don't drink, smoke or take any medication except my Synthroid for an underactive thyroid gland. (Perhaps another clue??) Take care everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hi. I know this is an older thread, but I didn't find my way to these boards until a couple of days ago. I was curious about the issue of sensitivity also. I was always accused of being "super sensitive" as I was growing up. Actually my 3 siblings also grew up to have anxiety problems. We're all artistic types, with higher IQs, and we're sensitive. I read on another website that 15-20% of all humans (as well as "higher animals") are highly sensitive. We're more easily stimulated and stress out easier. In other cultures it's seen as a positive trait (because we're more creative and more sensitive to others), but in ours it's seen as weakness or shyness (especially in men) which can make us feel inferior. They also said that highly sensitive people can be more prone to anxiety or depression if they had rough childhoods or bad life experiences (unstable childhood environment in my case). Most are introverts but some are extraverts. I like that they emphasize that this is just a trait we're born with and not a flaw or disorder. The website is for a series of books titled [i]The Highly Sensitive Person[/i] by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy, but I'm curious if anyone else here has. I don't know the rules here for posting links, so I won't, but the website for the book has a short test you can take to see if you may be classified as highly sensitive.