INSIGHTS 4: On Gifted Characteristics/ Sensitivities, Misdiagnosis and Individual & Social Predicament

ON GIFTED & CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS & THEIR SENSITIVITIES, MISDIAGNOSIS & PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

  • The poem by Kazimierz Dabrowski on sensitive, gifted individuals – “Be Greeted Psychoneurotics”(Our highly competitive societies are losing these delicate but highly useful creatures)
  • Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner(An insightful book on giftedness by psychologist Linda Silverman)
  • Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, Ocd, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders ( An insightful book by the reputed psychologist Dr James Webb (founder of SENG) on stigmatising gifted individuals)
  • Gifted Individuals as Changemakers (Born With Social Justice Genes (i.e. High Sensitivity Genes)) (“Only power that springs from the weakness of the oppressed will be sufficiently strong to free both (the oppressed and the oppressor).”)
  • Doctors concerned anti-psychotics increasingly being prescribed as sedatives for troubled children(Prescribing antipsychotics for sleeping problems)
  • The human cost of what we don’t know!(The human cost of what we don’t know! A very important issue to raise and pursue at least now, rather than later! “We wish for a world where ALL children can actualize their potential without fear of misdiagnosis, bullying, or isolation. “Are misdiagnoses and mismedication really a problem? YES!” “Professionals cannot diagnose what they do not understand”“If we do not conduct research, we cannot increase understanding” “I have little doubt you wish the same, but did you know that 1.4 million children in the United States alone are at risk of misdiagnosis and mismedication due to a lack of understanding about the affect being gifted has on their health and development? Did you know there is absolutely no required training for medical and mental health professionals to learn about how to recognize and respond to the physiological and psycho-emotional differences that gifted children experience each day?”)
  • Destination Success: Raising a Self-Actualized Adult not a Straight “A” Student(The disparity between “destination success with self-actualisation” and straight A grades – A very useful insights for educational reforms! “Unfortunately, trying to force success at school can leave children not only ill-prepared for adulthood but at risk for mental health issues, substance abuse, and social isolation. While pretty much everyone can name a gifted high school/college drop-out who later went on to great achievements, very little time is spent understanding how these individuals were raised such that they grew into emotionally healthy, professionally thriving adults. So how do the parents of bright, capable, but seemingly unmotivated children help their children balance their passions with real-world practicality, learn the resiliency of working through non-preferred tasks, and develop a healthy sense of identity, despite their dislike of, or lacklustre performance in school?” “Students who spend their energy trying to please others or chasing the academic brass ring often find themselves feeling burnt-out and unfulfilled. Conversely, students who are driven by internal goals, whether those goals conform to educational expectations or not, are likely to grow into self-actualized adults as long as we honour and protect who they are as individuals. ” )
  • Natural Approaches for Common Medical & Psychiatric Conditions(Integrative natural approaches (such as mindfulness) for elevated medical and psychiatric/emotional conditions of gifted children and adults – an encouraging move forward indeed.
  • “Many gifted and talented children and adults exhibit both medical and mental/emotional symptoms. Often these individuals are very sensitive and may not respond well to conventional treatments with numerous side effects. Some individuals we have assisted have been placed on thirty-one medications at the same time to mitigate side effects of other medications! Some are also dual-diagnosed and/or misdiagnosed. Many integrative, functional, natural, holistic solutions are available and effective for these sensitive and bright G, T & 2E individuals.”)
  • Adolescence and Gifted: Addressing Existential Dread(How would GIFTED (sensitive) children/adolescents be more prone to SUICIDE/vulnerabilities?
  • “What if part of being VERY BRIGHT, EXTREMELY BRIGHT, has a DARK SIDE that eats away at youth? What if part of the BURDEN OF BRILLIANCE is the roller coaster of KNOWING TOO MUCH , SEEING TOO MUCH, FEELING TOO MUCH? By too much, I refer to the times children ASK QUESTIONS that we regard at FACE VALUE and thus perceive as SHALLOW, and since they are young we ‘spare’ them depth, so they continue in the loop of horror. Or, we assuage them rather than listening deeply enough to engage the profundity of the issues and concerns being expressed? “)

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  • Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted(SENG – an organisation recognising the needs of the gifted)
    • Anti-psychotic medication overprescribed to Australian children, experts say (More on misdiagnosis of psychological conditions)
    • Are selective schools the best place for gifted students?(Interesting discussion on the gifted and gifted learning. We can further add: Can giftedness be simplistically defined as a higher achievement or do we have intrinsically gifted characteristics that in some way relate achievement? Does providing a challenging environment for gifted minds mean pushing them into a higher competition?)
    • Is It A Cheetah?(It appears that the destruction of human potential in a traditional classroom is not applicable only to gifted learners, but to everyone. However, the gifted may feel the impact more. One major contributory factor for this destruction appears to be the artificially created domain or disciplinary boundaries that forcefully limit human creativity. In this regard, discovery learning through active learner engagement appears to be a promising and effective alternative, instead of the teacher forced curricula and content.)
    • The Gift of Emotional Overexcitabilities(Sensitivities) (How can we develop metacognitive abilities of these gifted individuals so that they are able to regulate their emotions? Research reveal that mindfulness practices play a key role in making gifted individuals more emotionally intelligent.)
    • Fire Chasers – Intensities(Sensitivities) to the extreme(Overexcitable in an overall sense (Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities in extremes))
    • Would you consider yourself an introvert?(Introversion is not something to be cured of as some understand it; take the positives associated with it. Everyone should develop an understanding into introversion/extroversion so that we can develop sustainable societies through a better, deeper understanding of human nature, oneself and fellow human beings.)
    • Why bad moods are good for you: The surprising benefits of sadness(The famous polish psychologist and psychiatrist Kazimierz Dabrowski observed that even personal tragedies help towards human development to higher levels. We see that if one can overcome significantly sorrowful /challenging conditions/environments he/she becomes more resilient, compassionate and understanding. Further, such experiences appear to make them more creative (as research shows) and better/balanced/optimal decision makers. However, it appears that the real challenge is to survive the period during which the individual undergoes the experiences of sorrowful/negative conditions.)
    • Tips for Parents of Intense Children(The need to pay the right attention to children (and adults as well) with INTENSITIES such as emotional, intellectual and imaginational as described by the famous psychologist and psychiatrist.)
    • How to Charm Gifted Adults into Admitting Giftedness: Their Own and Somebody Else’s(“In my current experience and view, the biggest “social issue of the gifted” is the painful misfit between implicit beliefs about giftedness by the non-gifted and the gifted alike and the actual or perceived reality of very many gifted adults.”
    • How can we make individuals believe in their capacities so that they can rely on them towards reaching higher levels of human development?)
    • Discovering the Gifted Ex-Child( “The achievement orientation that has always existed for adults and is now taking over the field of gifted education, makes it difficult for the gifted to understand the qualities of mind that make them different. Such an understanding is essential to honoring the self.”
    • “The first act of honoring the self is the assertion of consciousness: the choice to think, to be aware, to send the searchlight of consciousness outward toward the world and inward toward our own being. To default on this effort is to default on the self at the most basic level. To honor the self is to be willing to think independently, to live by our own mind, and to have the courage of our own perceptions and judgments (Brandon, 1983).”
    • How we support individuals/learners in enhancing consciousness/mindfulness is the key to their healthy progress towards higher levels human development.)
    • The Self-Education of Gifted Adults(“In short, we need to have lived for a number of years to collect the experiences necessary for self-education and conscious personality development even to be possible. The process cannot be rushed. Understanding grown-up potential as Dabrowskian personality development rather than as mere self-improvement can give us an entirely new perspective on time and life, on what matters and what doesn’t. It also can prompt us to re-evaluate how best to nurture the life-long, personal potential of our children, rather than focus solely on academic timetables and curricular achievements.”)
    • Misdiagnoses and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children (Psychologist, Dr. James T. Webb (Founder of SENG – (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) speaks. “Many of our brightest, most creative, most independent-thinking children are being incorrectly diagnosed as having behavioral or mental disorders, such as ADHD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Stigmatizing labels can harm their sense of self, and treatment may be unnecessary and even harmful. Some health conditions, such as allergies and asthma, are actually more common among gifted children, but are overlooked or the giftedness component neglected. Though teachers cannot diagnose, research indicates that teachers are important in suggesting referrals. Because few psychologists, physicians, or other health care professionals receive training about gifted children, educators and parents must become informed. Based on recent research and clinical experience, this workshop describes ways to differentiate whether a child suffers from disorders such as ADHD, or whether the child is simply showing gifted behaviors. Additional focus is given to dual diagnoses of gifted children, those who are twice-exceptional (2e).”)
    • The Ultimate Plan to Help Gifted Education (and Improve Education for All Kids in the Process) (“What would we ask for if we had the support of our state and federal governments for gifted education? Well, the things the gifted support organizations like NAGC and SENG and others ask for — teachers who understand gifted children; flexibility in teaching so that kids with gifted traits can achieve and learn every day, no matter what their skill levels (as all kids deserve); schools that are able to work with families to support gifted kids with social and emotional needs; time for students to explore and invent and create; socialization opportunities for gifted children to find peers..”)
    • What are the risks/troubles associated with giftedness and/or high IQ?
    • The trouble with giftedness (and associated overexitabilities/sensitivities related vulnerabilities) “In short, highly intelligent individuals are at a significantly greater risk of experiencing psychological and physiological disorders according to the study published in the journal Intelligence, online October 8, 2017.” https://www.nicoletetreault.com/single-post/2017/10/10/High-IQ-Hyper-brain-and-hyper-body?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_details_shares%3BdLb%2BRa9cTuSGtE5dOe3vzA%3D%3D
    • How could high emotional capacity become a blessing and curse?
    • “High emotional capacity is a blessing and a curse. Without high emotional intelligence individuals like St. Teresa of Calcutta would have not impacted our world so profoundly. We need these individuals to open our eyes to be more empathetic, caring, and develop creative solutions to better society. Even with all of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s massive progress, she suffered silently with her faith and the vulnerability of the human condition. Gifted individuals with a high emotional intelligence are told they are too sensitive that they just need to get over it, and that they take too ….” https://www.nicoletetreault.com/single-post/2017/07/26/Emotionally-gifted-and-navigating-the-world?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_details_shares%3BdLb%2BRa9cTuSGtE5dOe3vzA%3D%3D
    • How would mindfulness practices be more specifically useful for individuals with gifted characteristics?
    • “Teach them MINDFULNESS, or other relaxation techniques. We recognize the intensities in gifted children, and we are often at a loss as to how to respond to them. Keep in mind that our children are in the same situation—feeling their intensities and not knowing how to channel them in constructive and creative ways. By our modeling and practicing mindfulness meditations and teaching them how to self-soothe and relax when they feel they will explode, we help them throughout their lives. These practices will most likely have positive health benefits. Thus, we can allow their creative intensities” http://sengifted.org/28-acts-of-kindness-for-the-gifted/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_details_shares%3BdLb%2BRa9cTuSGtE5dOe3vzA%3D%3D
    • Not Loud, But Proud: How Giftedness, Creativity, and Introversion Helped Me Find My Way(Useful insights on how a gifted mind (introverted and creative) develops over the years! Age 10: “One day, my teacher keeps me inside during recess to talk to me. “Why don’t you have that many friends?” she asks. “You’re such a talented, good-natured kid. Why do I always see you spending time alone?” I’m confused at her concern, because I honestly hadn’t thought about it.” Age 12 ““What do you think, Mel?” my sister asks, in the middle of one of their conversations. I blink and try to recall what they were talking about. “MEL,” she shouts, trying to get my attention. “I wasn’t listening”” Age 18: “Nothing about me is okay. I’m in my first semester of college and everyone, everyone is out partying, every weekend. My whole floor is empty by 7 pm every Friday, and I don’t go anywhere. Sometimes, I skype my friends from home, who are usually also in their respective dorm rooms avoiding the drunken crowds. I try to remind myself that it’s okay that I don’t want to go. It’s okay to be introverted. I’ll eventually make college friends who are like me, who aren’t into being loud and getting drunk in front of tons of new people.”)
    • Counseling Gifted Adults – A Case Study(Why, when counselling gifted adults, it is important to help them self-identify, possibly through raising self-awareness along with related background information that is highly researched and validated. “Over my 29 years of working with this population, I have found certain issues come up repeatedly in therapy. The main challenges include: painful schooling experiences, high levels of sensitivity and intensity, existential depression/ advanced empathy, perfectionism, multipotentiality, and difficulties with relationships. (Mendaglio & Perterson, 2007) When a therapist recognizes the characteristics that often accompany advanced development and explains these traits and their effects to the clients, this explanation, in itself, can have a profound impact on the outcome of therapy (Jacobsen, 1999).” “In adults, as well as children, giftedness is a whole-person phenomenon. Being gifted affects not only the cognitive and academic aspects of individuals, those qualities that we usually associate with giftedness, but also their emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. It is more a set of traits than a list of achievements;”)
    • Fostering Adult Giftedness: Acknowledging and Addressing Affective Needs of Gifted Adults (Fostering giftedness in adults – the importance of addressing affective domain needs! “Giftedness in adults can be viewed through a number of lenses. For this article, I want to focus on five key affective needs of gifted adults: acknowledging your own gifts; nurturing your identity development; giving yourself permission to be a growing, changing, imperfect person; taking advantage of and coping with overexcitabilities; and learning practical coping skills. In order to improve self-esteem and self-efficacy, it is vital for adults, as well as children, to have a firm affective foundation from which to act. By focusing on these five needs, adults can begin to foster their own giftedness and will become better role models for gifted children by showing them the importance and value of addressing personal strengths and needs.”)
    • A Synthesis of Research on Psychological Types of Gifted Adolescents(Psychological types/traits of giftedness – explaining using MBTI indicators/Jungian psychology/analytical psychology. It gives an explanation why these individuals usually develop higher levels of self-awareness through an internal focus (introversion) rather than an external orientation (extroversion) “The most common personality types among gifted adolescents were “intuitive” and “perceiving.” They were higher on the Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, and Perceiving dimensions of the personality scales of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) when compared to general high school students. “)
    • When Gifted Individuals Need Medication: Issues, Conflicts and Resolutions(When and for what duration would gifted individuals need psychiatric medication? A useful discussion with a therapist with over 40 years of experience in the area. Can we guide these individuals to come to a deeper level of realisation/actualisation that they become able to carry out auto-psychotherapy as suggested by Kazimierz Dabrowski, a pioneer in gifted development?”When and why standard assessments and interventions often fall short?””The psychiatric consultation/assessment and the proper use of medication””Formulating the causes of symptoms and dysfunctional behaviour and avoiding misdiagnosis:” “Symptoms and behaviour need to be evaluated in CONTEXT in order to determine their origins” “Familiarity with the elements of a gifted endowment and features of a gifted personality are essential in avoiding misdiagnosis””The ultimate goal is to help the gifted individual reconnect with his/her giftedness in positive ways, so they can reclaim their identity as a gifted individual and proceed on their unique developmental path.”)
    • Troubling Times: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Children Understand and Confront Adversity(How and why more sensitive/overexitable children (despite their gifts of abilities) become highly vulnerable to adversities (in many inevitable situations )?
    • “Children, and in particular those who are KNOWLEDGEABLE about news events, WELL-READ, or ASTUTE, can experience TROUBLING THOUGHTS and feelings. Despite (or maybe because of) their INTELLIGENCE or INSIGHTFULNESS they might find it difficult to cope with their fears and misgivings. They may see that many of their peers are far more focused on their own day to day activities, or they are not as interested in upsetting events. The adults in their lives may not be willing or adequately prepared to discuss matters with them. It can sometimes be a struggle for children to put their apprehension into words, to share concerns, to get past a sense of isolation, or to calm a gut feeling that for some reason (perhaps beyond anyone’s comprehension) the world seems more troubled now.”)
    • Anxiety has a cost, but can also be a power for good (ANXIETY and its POWER – a very interesting and useful topic to tread on! It is interesting to understand/conduct research on the differences between ANXIETY and SENSITIVITY if any at all. The latter term is directly associated with GIFTEDNESS by means of the term OVEREXCITABILITIES. Also, in GIFTED LITERATURE, the phenomenon of GIFTEDNESS is referred to as a DOUBLE EDGE KNIFE meaning that if you use/control it appropriately, you end up as a great person while on the other hand if you do not, it is the other extreme. From the neuroscience perspective, ANXIETY/SENSITIVITY can be controlled through MINDFULNESS PRACTICES that reduces the PHYSICAL SIZE along with the REACTIVE FUNCTIONS of the AMYGDALA (the part of the brain that deals with anxiety/ fight-flight reactions). We use the research-proven phenomenon of NEUROPLASTICITY that helps us to change physical connections in the brain by merely paying ATTENTION/giving FOCUS to the right actions/thoughts/emotions.”When anxiety threatens to overwhelm our minds, then doing something mindful — meditating, exercising, writing, for example — can help us focus, calm and filter out distracting, distressing anxiety-driven thoughts.”” But when it’s harnessed and when it’s got a sense of purpose, it creates incredible beauty in this world,”)
    • How Creativity Makes Us Feel Alive (The relationship between Dabrowski’s OVEREXCITABILITIES (found in GIFTED individuals) and OPEN TO EXPERIENCE (Isn’t this the feature of OPEN AWARENESS/ATTENTION referred to in MINDFULNESS practices?)! A great insight. Can we infer that INDIVIDUALS referred to as GIFTED are more MINDFUL by nature (for some reason)?” OVEREXCITABILITIES comes from studies on highly creative adults, who show..multiple overexcitabilities.. studies are consistent with research showing that OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE is a strong and consistent predictor of ..creativity””The OVEREXCITABILITIES ..contributors to PERSONAL GROWTH. Through the process that Dąbrowski calls POSITIVE DISINTEGRATION.. psychic landscape is..dismantled.. occurs when a LOWER-LEVEL PERSONALITY(CONFORMING and INSECURE) gives way to a HIGHER-LEVEL PERSONALITY (CREATIVE, PASSIONATE and AUTHENTIC).””when individuals bring more conscious effort and SELF-AWARENESS into their personal growth, higher levels of personality development.. creativity..become possible. As we LEARN, GROW, and TRANSFORM, we can achieve higher levels of consciousness and authenticity… Sensitivity, intensity, and inner conflict are required ..to transcend to greater levels of GROWTH, SELF-AWARENESS, and COMPASSION.”)
    • Neuroscience of Giftedness: Increased brain areas associated with emotional processing (Increased EMOTIONAL PROCESSING of a GIFTED BRAIN!”Consider the interplay between EMOTIONAL SENSITIVITY and what educators and parents often call “WHOLE-TO-PART LEARNING,” which describes the child who can understand LARGE CONCEPTS, but does not have the UNDERPINNING CONCEPTS in place. For a child who sees bigger issues through a filter of EXCEPTIONAL EMPATHY, the level of EMOTIONAL INTENSITY can become just TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. HOMELESSNESS, CLIMATE CHANGE, and even the UNFAIRNESS of being unheard simply because, AS A CHILD, they are not CONSIDERED WORTH LISTENING to, may combine further with the inability to break these issues down into EMOTIONALLY MANAGEABLE PIECES and thus lead back to EXISTENTIAL DEPRESSION. This may also explain why gifted people are MORE SENSITIVE to PERCEIVING EMOTIONS IN THE ROOM….in particular may pick up on an EMOTIONAL UNDERCURRENT which OTHERS DENY EXISTS, leading to a feeling not unlike GASLIGHTING. Or, they may mistake the emotional undercurrent as about them (“the adult is upset, it must be my fault or aimed at me”). As would be expected, these situations INCREASE ANXIETY, which seems to exacerbate SENSORY PROCESSING and superstimulabilities, trapping the gifted child in an EMOTIONALLY DAMAGING CYCLE.”)
    • What Does It Mean If Your Child Is Sensitive? (The need for NURTURING ENVIRONMENTS  for ORCHIDS to bloom.”Approximately ONE in FIVE people is exquisitely BIOLOGIcALLY SENSITIVE to life around them, concludes Boyce. According to scientists, this group has a differential susceptibility to their circumstances. They are more open, permeable, and tender to their surroundings, for good and for bad. Like an orchid, if they are planted in supportive, NURTURING environments, they will BLOOM into the most SUPERB FLOWER; if they are in the wrong soil—mired in adversity—they will be more DEVASTATED than the average person. “)
    • 15 Things You Need to Know If Your Child Is an Introvert (Accepting INTROVERSION of your child (and others)! “INTROVERTS are hardly a minority, making up 30-50 percent of the U.S. population. Some of our most SUCCESSFUL LEADERS, entertainers, and entrepreneurs have been INTROVERTS, such as BILL GATES, Emma Watson, WARREN BUFFET, Courteney Cox, Christina Aguilera, and J.K. Rowling. It’s often suggested that even ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi were introverts.” “Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that INTROVERTS have larger, THICKER gray matter in their PREFRONTAL CORTICES, which is the area of the brain associated with ABSTRACT THOUGHT and DECISION-MAKING.” “…consider WRITING classes or science camps. INTENSE ENGAGEMENT in an activity can bring HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, and confidence (think Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s state of flow), but it also gives your kid opportunities to socialize with other children who have SIMILAR PASSIONS (and perhaps SIMILAR TEMPERAMENTS).” “Introverted children are often kind, thoughtful, focused, and very interesting company, as long as they’re in settings that work for them.”)
    • Seven Reasons to Be Proud to Be an Introvert ()Do INTROVERTS have SUPERPOWERS? It appears so when investigated/enquired DEEPLY. “Those on..EXTROVERTED side tend to be ENERGIZED by SOCIAL STIMULATION…little need for DOWNTIME. They value the outer world and SOCIAL APPROVAL..MORE APT to CONFORM with society. Those closer to the INTROV side can FEEL DRAINED by TOO MUCH social stimulation..They are NOT to be CONFUSED with LONERS or to be considered ANTISOCIAL—MOST INTROVERTS are not. They are simply MORE FOCUSED on the INNER world of IDEAS and CONCEPTS, as evidenced by BRILLIANT minds like Sir ISSAC NEWTON and ALBERT EINSTEIN” “…INTROVERTS…simply have a LOWER threshold for SMALL TALK and SUPERFICIALITIES…CONSERVE their energy for MEANINGFUL…than SHALLOW ones…As for NOT LIKING people, nothing could be FURTHER FROM the TRUTH…thrive on DEEP MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION…By their very NATURE, INTROVERTS live in a WORL of IDEAS…“There’s ZERO CORRELATION between being the BEST TALKER and having the BEST IDEAS”” “..Roosevelt…Lincoln…others..transformed society…contending…their own STRUGGLES fueled..to CHALLENGE and ultimately change the INJUSTICES… WITNESSED…proof that…quiet nature of the introvert is not to be underestimated…as Mahatma Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world””)
    • The Power of Introverts (Why does INTROVERSION matter – “There’s ZEO CORRELATION between being the BEST TALKER and HAVING the BEST IDEAS”? SUSAN CAIN, the world-renown AUTHOR and HARVARD LAW graduate speaks on TED TALKS.)
    • The Importance of Self-Care for Sensitive People (Understanding SENSITIVITY (including a deep level of EMPATHY) from the EYES and EXPERIENCE of a SENSITIVE PHYCISION/PSYCHIATRIST!   “SENSITIVE PEOPLE are meant to BRING LIGHT INTO the WORLD. EMPATHY IS A STRENGTH, not a weakness. I APPLAUD everyone who LOOKS DIFFERENT, FEELS DIFFERENT or THINKS DIFFERENT. The WORLD NEEDS the DIFFERENCE YOU WILL MAKE.””As a PSYCHIATRIST and EMPATH, I am fierce about my own self-care practices and teach these principles to my patients. I feel strongly about them because I want to keep enjoying the EXTRAORDINARY GIFT of SENSITIVITY—including an OPEN HEART, INTUITION, and an INTIMATE CONNECTION with spirituality and the natural world. Shallow emotional waters don’t appeal to me. I LOVE going DEEP, and my SENSITIVITIES take me there.”Still, a big challenge for all sensitive people is how to be compassionate without absorbing the stress of others and the world. We don’t have the same filters as most people. We are emotional sponges who feel everything and instinctively take it in. This differs from “ordinary” empathy, where your heart goes out to others in pain or happiness, but you don’t take on their feelings.)

      Gifted Children and Adults: Neglected Areas of Practice (How does #EXISTENTIAL #DEPRESSION STEM from #GIFTEDNESS despite appearing COUNTER-INTUITIVE? Late Dr James Webb, the FOUNDER of #SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) organisation wrote:

      “Working with #GIFTED and #TALENTED #CHILDREN and their families and with GIFTED ADULTS is a NEGLECTED area of practice for #PSYCHOLOGISTS. Two widespread #MYTHS AMONG #EDUCATORS, #PAEDIATRICIANS, and #PSYCHOLOGISTS, are that GIFTED CHILDREN and ADULTS are quite RARE, and that BRIGHT MINDS have FEW ISSUES  and SELDOM NEED special help…CLINICAL and EDUCATIONAL practice usually focuses on #DISADVANTAGED persons and obvious #PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. MANY ARE UNAWARE

      that TALENTED and GIFTED CHILDREN ARE AT #RISK for #UNDERACHIEVEMENT, #PEER #RELATIONSHIP ISSUES, #POWER STRUGGLES, #PERFECTIONISM, #EXISTENTIAL #DEPRESSION, and other problems, and that BRIGHT ADULTS often have #JOB DIFFICULTIES, #PROBLEMS WITH #PEERS…and #EXISTENTIAL DEPRESSION THAT STEM FROM #GIFTEDNESS…few psychologists understand…when a child or adult is twice-exceptional…As a result, MANY GIFTED CHILDREN AND ADULTS are being overlooked, #MISDIAGNOSED, and RECEIVING #TREATMENT THAT MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE(SENG #Misdiagnosis Initiative, 2014)”)

    • The Unhealthy Attraction Between Empaths & Narcissists (A great piece of #ADVICE for ALL OF US from a WORLD RENOWNED AUTHOR and PSYCHIATRIST Dr Judith Orloff, more specifically for #EMPATHS/ #SENSITIVES for facing the #REALITIES of a contemporary world – avoiding becoming #PREY to #NARCISSISTS! )Why are we shy? (Great to get the message across that #SHYNESS (closely related to INTOVERSION) is associated with #REFLECTIVENESS (being #MINDFUL), #EMPATHY,   #COMPASSION     rather than the common/ default belief of #SELF-CENTEREDNESS/ #NARCISSISM. It is also most likely to be about being more #ALERT/ #AGILE  and taking time (and thereby more #INFORMATION) to #RESPOND instead of being #REACTING #AUTOMATICALLY/ #HABITUALLY. )
    • Insights from Dabrowski (Human SENSITIVITY from a DEEPER PERSPECTIVE! Who gets PUSHED ASIDE in an INSENSITIVE SOCIETY?  “DABROWSKI…described OVEREXCITABLE people as: “DELICATE, GENTLE, SENSITIVE, EMPATHIC, NONAGGRESIVE, INDUSTRUIUS, WISE through UNSOPHISTICATED, NEVER BRUTAL, OFTEN INHIBITED, likely to WITHDRAW into themselves rather than retaliate, having DEEP feelings, idealistic”…He felt that, because of their SENSITIVITY and INTEGRITY, these individuals are capable of bringing HUMANITY to a HIGHER set of VALUES, BUT  that they are at GREAT #RISK of BEING DESTROYED by SOCIETY because of their INHERENT DIFFERENCE.

      The VALUES Dabrowski…considered indispensable to HARMONIOUS LIVING include: an EMPATHIC attitude toward others; TOLERANCE (not aggression); RESPONSIBILITY for others and for self; a JUST attitude (treating everybody by the same standards); HELPING each other; GIVING THOUGHT to the HARMED and HUMILIATED, to INVALIDS, to the SICK, to the INEFFECTUAL and those DEVASTATED by their own LONELINESS; TRUTHFULNESS; AUTHENTICITY; and (9) just SOCIAL CARE. HOWEVER, THOSE who have these VALUES are OFTEN PUSHED ASIDE in an INSENSITIVE SOCIETY, and TREATED as if they were MALADJUSTED.”)

      Insights from Dabrowski (WHO is a THREAT to WHAT SOCIETY?  “However, within more COOPERATIVE partnership SOCIAL CONTEXTS, the high intelligence and TALENTS of ANY MEMBER would be SEEN as a BENEFIT TO ALL. The GENTLE SOULS DESCRIBED by DABROWSKI are OFTEN VICTIMIZED in DOMINATOR CULTURES, and those WHO STAND FIRM AGAINST INJUSTICE are TRULY a THREAT to the ENTIRE POWER STRUCTURE BECAUSE THEY CAN ENVISION a FAIRER, more HUMAN SOCIETY in which POWER IS SHARED. Gifted children, both male and female, seem to have the MORAL AND EMOTIONAL SENSITIVITY REQUIRED to help SOCIETY EVOLVE from a DOMINATOR to a PARTNERSHIP mode”)

      Insights from Dabrowski (Kazimierz Dabrowski (Polish psychologist and #psychiatrist) in a session of THERAPY with a PSYCHONEUROTIC PATIENT

      “Patient: I often have PSYCHIC TENSION when dwelling on the objective VALULESSNESS of all that which has for me, and my friends, a great SUBJECTIVE VALUE. It seems like captured in a POETIC VISION of that which is OBJECTIVE, expressed by a deadly machine, animosity and brutal force against subjectivity, which is for us all the HIGHEST type of REALITY, being however DESTROYED by the first one…I WAKE up at NIGHT to see all things in CRUEL REALISM. I notice the SHAMELESSNESS and LIMITATIONS in thought and feeling, and the SUPERPOWER of the so-called REALISTS. I see the DAMAGE, INJUSTICE, and HUMILIATION of people who are SPIRITUALLY STRONG but WEAK from the POINT OF VIEW of ability for ADJUSTMENT to EVERYDAY life…THAT IS WHY I am SICK, doctor. Do you really think that THERE IS a MEDICINE for that”

      Psychologist: Now, did you not stop to think at times that you are NOT ACTUALLY #SICK, but RATHER HAVE something like a SIXTH SENSE, in your INCREASED SENSITIVITY, PSYCHIC ACTIVITY, alterocentrism, and CREATIVE attitude toward REALITY? Do you not think that one must PAY CONSIDERABLY for PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT or GROWTH, especially if it be ACCELERATED”)

      Insights from Dabrowski (Well-known Polish PSYCHIATRIST and PSYCHOLOGIST Kazimierz Dabrowski on the generalised PREDICAMENT of CREATIVE SENSITIVES in INSENSITIVE SOCIETIES!  “The forms of putting to DEATH, of STULTIFYING, of FORGETTING CREATORS do change, but the matter of INJUSTICE does NOT CHANGE in its ESSENSE.”

      “That is why so many PROPHESIZING people, so many GENIUSES, so many OUTSTANDINGLY CREATIVE people, so many TRUE SAINTS – END their LIVES IN POVERTY, DIE in CHARITABLE institutions, in EXILE or often in CONCENTRATION CAMPS or in PRISONS. They END their own LIVES, and IF they are NOT OUTSTANDINGLY UNIVERSAL they FINISH with MENTAL ILLNESS or with AMNESIA”)

      Insights from Dabrowski (DEFINING and UNDERSTANDING MENTAL ILLNESS in DEEPER SENSE by well-known Polish PSYCHIATRIST and PSYCHOLOGIST Kazimierz Dabrowski!

      “Could a MENTALLY ILL person WRITE A BOOK which would MAKE SENSE- even to SANE READERS – and could he also WRITE the PREFACE to such a BOOK? I think so. PERSONS who are MENTALLY ILL CANNOT be LUMPED into ONE CATEGORY; they are OFTEN as INCOMPREHENSIBLE AS MANY OTHERS who are NOT CONSIDERED, and NEVER were considered to be MENTALLY ILL”.)[/expand]