Thanks to Watkins Publishing and NetGalley, I had the chance to read The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People by Mel Collins in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been fascinated by the concept of HSPs for several years, ever since I read about it and had a “Eureka!” moment.  I’ve known since I was about four years old that I was more sensitive than others. Teasing, tickling, any game where I might be laughed at were all torture for me. I’ve heard parents use the phrase “suck it up” and have had the thought that I hoped their children weren’t HSPs…that kind of treatment suggests a future with years of therapy, IMHO.

In any case, this book provides some excellent information. Although Carl Jung introduced the concept of “innate sensitivity” long ago, it was Dr. Elaine Aron who conveyed the idea that high sensitivity is not a disorder or illness, but rather an innate temperate trait. And what I found really interesting is that apparently one-third of all HSPs were extroverts – huh? So high sensitivity and extroversion can coexist. Who knew? (For sure, I didn’t!).

Here are some of the signs that you might be an HSP, as outlined in the first third of the book:

• You have often been told you are too sensitive for your own good (or similar words, same idea)
• You seem to have stronger emotions or feel things more deeply than others
• You feel overwhelmed around large groups and tend to withdraw
• You are very uncomfortable with loud noises, crowds, or negativity and want to escape
• You are highly intuitive and can sense if “something is wrong”
• You are very conscientious and take a long time to make decisions
• You have a strong ability to focus/concentrate
• You are attentive to detail (possible a perfectionist)
• You feel strongly about social justice
• You are very worried about the environment
• You often ignore signals from your body, ending up frazzled/overwhelmed/burned out
• You have used alcohol, food or drugs to cope

And at least a dozen more. That checklist made total sense to me, BTW.

The next part of the book provides coping strategies for HSPs, looking at the various “masks” they might wear (such as martyr, people-pleaser, etc.) and explores ways an HSP might begin to feel more valued.

The final section of the book veered off into the spiritual realm, while still including some practical advice. There are things like tapping, energy protection (from electromagnetic fields) and tuning into animals as healers – then of course angels, the unseen world, and past life experiences – like I said, not for everyone.

Overall, she has written clearly and positively about a challenging subject. IMHO many HSPs are unaware that this really is a THING, and possibly as many as 1 in 5 people share this trait. The reassurance such information can provide seems incredibly important…I just wish I could have had this information forty years ago! Four stars (I dropped one because the “woo-woo” stuff will surely turn off some readers…but that makes it no less valuable.