The facts about HSPs:

They comprise approximately 20 percent of the population, according to Elaine Aron, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person. They are equally divided between male and female.

They have trouble screening out stimuli and can be easily overwhelmed by noise, crowds, and time pressure. They can be made extremely uncomfortable by bright lights, strong smells, and changes in their lives.

The brain wave patterns of HSPs are more frequently in theta state. In this state, a person is more open to intuitive feelings and to picking up more acutely on light, sound, and other subtle vibrations.

In her landmark 1996 book, Aron gave us the first glimpse into the inner lives of highly sensitive people. Now Ted Zeff, Ph.D., offers HSPs a new, practical book that covers everything they need to live successfully in a world that seems more fast-paced, frenetic, and overstimulating by the moment: The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide.

With a foreword by Aron, this book shows readers how to avoid overstimulation at work and home. It also gives them the compassion, insight, and support they need to develop self-acceptance and self-respect, even when the culture around them dismisses them as simply too sensitive.

Being an HSP in the Western world can be particularly tough. Interestingly, in a 2002 study of Canadian and Chinese school children, it was found that in Canada highly sensitive children were the least liked and respected, while in China sensitive children were the most popular (Aron). Yet, as Zeff–an HSP himself–makes clear, being an HSP in any culture has its bright side. They are conscientious, deeply sensitive to beauty, art, and music, and highly intuitive. The Highly Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide shows HSPs how to build a life that maximizes these advantages.