[A Sip of Books] Unexplained Fatigue, Exhaustion, and Pain... How Highly Sensitive Persons Can Find Relief

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The author, an Italian medical entrepreneur, identifies the root cause of fatigue in Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) as the nervous system. According to the author, in the midst of work, relationships, and an overwhelming flood of information, the nervous system is placed in a state of overload. A sensitive nervous system reduces the ability to cope with external stress, causing even minor issues to induce significant stress and extreme fatigue. According to Dr. Elaine Aron, the American psychologist who first conceptualized HSPs, they make up about 15 to 20 percent of the total population. These individuals respond more strongly to environmental stimuli such as noise, intense light, and social situations. They are more susceptible to suffering from chronic stress, fatigue, and anxiety disorders. Dr. Linnea Passaler, who leads the online community "Heal Your Nervous System," presents a healing plan for "nervous system dysregulation," which she identifies as the root cause of unexplained illnesses, based on neuroscience research and her experience helping thousands of people heal.

If there is "dysregulation" in the nervous system, it cannot respond to stressors naturally and flexibly, nor can it escape from stress. Prolonged activation leaves insufficient time to return to a state of rest and recovery. As a result, you may never be able to fully relax, always feeling as if something is wrong and constantly experiencing anxiety. You may fall into a state of burnout or shutdown, feeling exhausted, depressed, or as if nothing matters. With nervous system dysregulation, it is common to oscillate between these states, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety and fatigue.

However, the nervous system has an incredible ability to reconstruct and heal itself from damage caused by stressors. In fact, the nervous system is constantly connecting and reorganizing its constituent cells, called neurons. This process is known as "neuroplasticity." Whereas neuroscientists once believed that only children's brains possessed neuroplasticity, today, they agree that people retain neuroplasticity throughout their lives. This means that regardless of experiences in childhood or whether nervous system dysregulation developed in adulthood due to traumatic stressors, the nervous system can be reconnected to function smoothly. To help you understand, imagine the nervous system as a lump of clay. You have the power to shape, reshape, and reconnect it. Of course, there are limits to the nervous system’s ability to regenerate. Neurons lost due to trauma or strokes cannot be replaced. However, the nervous system is ready to reconnect neural pathways that cause dysregulation and restore the ability to cope with stress.

If you are a Highly Sensitive Person, you may notice subtle details that others miss. With this ability, you have the potential to become a talented creator such as an artist, musician, or writer. You may also capture subtle cues or emotional nuances from your environment, gaining unique and profound insights or ideas. In social situations, you can quickly sense the emotions and needs of others, making you an empathetic friend, a thoughtful partner, or an insightful leader. You are often the first to notice when a friend is upset or when a team member feels left out. Moreover, heightened sensitivity allows you to deeply appreciate beauty. Highly Sensitive Persons can find immense joy in a beautiful sunset, music, or a well-written sentence, greatly enriching life experiences. When you are in an environment that nurtures sensitivity or learn ways to cultivate it yourself, this becomes a remarkable talent. However, people with high sensitivity are also more prone to stress. If you are exposed to stress for too long without adequate recovery periods, nervous system dysregulation may occur.

Emotions are a powerful motivator. If you frequently experience negative emotions, you will want to do everything possible to feel better. In the past, it was often recommended to manage unpleasant emotions by thinking more positively or changing negative thought patterns. While such approaches may be helpful in certain situations, they can be an oversimplification of how emotions work. Traditionally, emotions were understood as a direct result of thoughts, and it was assumed that emotions are experienced universally and in the same way across individuals and cultures. However, modern research presents a more nuanced perspective. One of the most widely recognized contemporary theories is the "constructed emotion theory" proposed by neuroscientist and researcher Lisa Feldman Barrett. Unlike traditional views, Barrett argues that emotions are not universal or experienced identically. Instead, emotions are personal and subjective experiences, constructed from the current situation, interpretations based on past experiences and cultural background, and a combination of physical sensations.

The "hormesis effect" refers to the phenomenon in which small amounts of harmful substances can actually be beneficial to the body, and this can also be applied to the mechanism of adapting to stress. Severe stress is harmful enough to cause nervous system dysregulation, but moderate stress can be highly beneficial for nervous system health. The key to hormesis is finding the optimal level of stress. Some stress is necessary to stimulate growth and resilience, so having too little stress is not good, but having excessive stress for too long, to the point of causing nervous system dysregulation and related health issues, is also harmful. Exposure to optimal stress can slow the aging process, promote the development of new neural pathways, and help keep the nervous system healthy and functioning smoothly.

When Sensitivity Makes Life Difficult, Turn to Neuroscience | Written by Linnea Passaler | Hyundae Jiseong | 448 pages | 19,900 KRW