New Research Shows That ‘Hypersensitive’ People May Be Better At Handling Stress
People who react strongly to stress may be less likely to develop PTSD.
Ruth had always been told she was hypersensitive and she needed to grow a thicker skin. No one was ever going to see her as a leader unless she learned to “never let them see you sweat.” But Ruth could not help sweating the small stuff, and even so, had developed a reputation for being a great problem solver.
In good news for those who have been called hypersensitive, researchers have found that people who showed a more intense response to stress before the Covid-19 pandemic were less likely to experience PTSD after it started. Maybe sweating the small stuff is actually more effective.
According to the study authors, the findings came as a surprise. They anticipated what most of us would, that those who seemed less bothered by stress would also be less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. But that is not what they found.
Heart rate responses under stress
The team from Baylor initially set out to study heart rate responses under stress. For the study, the researchers measured heart rate and blood pressure in 120 college students undergoing a standard…
