Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: oh yeah, that's me to a T.

I certainly like your "very strong intelligence" theory. But I never play out good scenarios with the same concentration I give to bad ones. That doesn't seem very intelligent on my part!

I sort of got sidetracked from your original post:

I am easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input. No.
Other people's moods affect me. Not so much anymore. I've learned to detach. This was a conscious effort on my part to change an aspect of my personality I felt was detrimental to me and to the people around me.
I find myself needing to withdraw during busy days,into bed or into a darkened room or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.Yes, usually into a book.
I am made uncomfortable by loud noises.No.
I startle easily. No.
My nervous system sometimes feels so frazzled that I just have to go off by myself. No.
I make a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows. Absolutely not. Terminator, Die Hard, Buffy, Stargate SG-1, Fistful of Dollars - you get the idea. I love summer blockbusters - the tackier, the better.
I am bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes. It depends on the type. Human chaos, yes (I rarely watch the news on TV, although I can read about it with no trouble). Natural chaos, movies, intense but structured stimuli (I was a computer programmer), no.
When I was a child, my parents or teachers seemed to see me as sensitive or shy. There's no "seemed" about it - shyness was one of my outstanding characteristics.

There may well be a "highly sensitive" personality type, but I think it can change over time. Deliberate work on personality changes, life experience (there are some events in life where either you toughen up or you go under), and just age can make a world of difference in how we perceive and interact with the world.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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