The question keeps arising on social media about various health issues to which HSPs seem to be more prone – illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and migraines. The short answer: It may be an HSP also has an illness that they see as related to their sensitivity but there is no clear research evidence that being an HSP directly causes any physical illness.
However, the HSP research into differential susceptibility may throw light on this perceived link. Differential susceptibility is the natural result of deep processing and refers to the fact that sensitive individuals process everything in their environment so deeply that they are inevitably more affected by both the good and the bad in their environment. HSPs are not fragile or weak, as often portrayed in the media–they are susceptible – more open. If it were only the negative that affected highly sensitive people (HSPs), we would say they are vulnerable. But the proper word choice is “susceptible,” open to influence. In sharp contrast, those who are “resilient,” in the sense of not being affected or bouncing back easily by bad situations, are also less affected by good ones. They are less open to influence, to change.
Read these two articles by Elaine Aron which explore and explain these points in fascinating detail.
Are HSPs more prone to illness?
The Research Nails It: Sensitivity is About Depth of Processing