Jun 30, 2020
TITLE
A Research Scientist Shares How HSPs can Regulate Their
Depression, Anxiety, and Negative Thinking
GUEST
Jadzia Jagiellowicz, Ph.D.
EPISODE OVERVIEW
Dr. Jadzia Jagiellowicz has been a scientific researcher for
over 15 years, and she conducts research on HSPs. She has studied
the biological basis of temperament. She talks about the
relationship between depression and HSPs; why HSPs may ruminate
about negative things, and what to do when we imagine the
worst-case-scenario. Dr. Jagiellowicz talks about being socially
awkward and being a deep thinker. We also break down what happens
with COVID-19, when people don’t honor our need for social
distancing.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr. Jagiellowicz has studied the biological basis of
temperament
- She also helps people learn how to regulate bodily sensations
and emotions
- Researchers found 2 types of genes
- Serotonin transporter
- 8 different types of dopamine genes (10 genetic
polymorphisms)
- It is rarely that just one gene is tied to one function—instead
it is a constellation of genes
- The candidate gene— serotonin transporter—is related to
depression
- Children that had poor childhoods (the
parents/caregivers did not know what the Highly Sensitive Children
needed to thrive) show higher rates of depression for HSPs
- As HSPs learn about the trait, they feel better
- The Default Mode Network which can be seen in brain scans—this
is what happens when you’re not consciously thinking about
things—you are just aware in the present moment
- Research suggests that the default mode network is on when we
are not thinking about anything in particular i.e. daydreaming; it
is suppressed when we are working on a particular task
- HSPs are constantly taking in details from their environment
(we process more)
- This is often linked to past history of negative things
- We can do 2 things about this—
- Talk back to the negative thoughts
- Write down (in a few sentences) the facts of the situation that
caused your negative thoughts and feelings
- Write down your thoughts and feelings
- Talk back
- That was then, this is now
- Don’t make your own predictions
- Look at possibilities not probabilities
- Calm down bodily sensations—just stay with it
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques or tapping)
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
- Tai Chi
- Meditation
- Working with a specialist
- If you look at a Highly Sensitive Baby who is exposed to a
Jack-in-the-Box, and it scares them, the infant stores the fear in
their body
- Our bodies have stored fears (tenseness of muscles, neck,
visceral organs, stomach, etc.)
- When something reminds you of something fearful, your
brain/body has stored past fearful memories
- If your boss calls you in
- If you don’t have past negative experiences, you won’t have a
reaction
- If you have past negative experiences, you might start worrying
about why you are being called in
- We store things more intensely in memory because we have more
intense emotions than less-sensitive people (the negative
interpretations are stored as a package of bodily sensations
and the thoughts that go with them
- Research shows :
- Depressed people when they given a negative word, they will
retrieve other negative words from their memory
- Non-depressed people when given a negative word, will retrieve
positive AND negative words from memory
- HSPs are more affected by environment, but we can control our
reaction to our environment
- Research into temperament looked at infants who were 6 months
old—inhibited babies and highly reactive babies
- Highly Sensitive infants reacted differently than NON-Highly
Sensitive infants
- Highly Sensitive Parents may be more in-tune with
their HS children
- Your level of sensitivity will change your ability to get along
in the environment
- 3 types of Sensitive People (and no HSP is exactly the same)
- Low sensitive
- Medium sensitive
- High sensitive
- Being detail oriented, having deeper processing and empathy can
cause problems if one is not able to figure out what part of these
traits are helpful—especially in the workplace
- Imagine we’re in a foreign country, so we’re learning a whole
new way of being
- HSPs can benefit when we “remember our audience”
- COVID-19
- We can slow down
- Use our analysis and judgement
- We are taking in a lot of information, and we’re looking for
signs of danger—this can lead to overwhelm
- If we can remember to use our gift of compassion it will
help
- Most people are attuned to the negative but HSPs are born with
a heightened sense of vigilance
- Every HSP is different
- How much they can deal with and where to draw boundaries
- How important is it for you to fit in (and to accept the
consequences)
- Jagiellowicz believes HSPs are more different from each other
than non-HSPs, since each HSP is more affected by whatever
environment they were exposed to
- This is where the intersection of being an HSP and environment
come into play
- In a study using the Parental Bonding Inventory, which
measures/assesses how people think they were parented, the key
things that parents did which harmed their HSP children
- Overintrusiveness
- Neglect
GUEST BIO
BA in Psychology and Business Administration
Bed in Education
Phd in Psychology
Jadzia Jagiellowicz worked as a management consultant and as an
educator. As an educator she taught and coached intellectually
gifted students and provided consulting services to other
teachers
Later in life Dr. Jagiellowicz completed her Ph.D. in Psychology
at Stony Brook University in Long Island, NY under the supervision
of Elaine Aron. Dr. Jagiellowicz has spent the past 15 years
as a scientific researcher investigating high sensitivity (called
sensory processing sensitivity in the scientific literature). She
also studied molecular biology (genetics) at Smith University in
Massachusetts.
She provides individual coaching for HSPs through web-based
and phone consultations to clients world-wide and also conducts
scientific research on HSPs, including the first-ever research
scanning HSPs’ brains. One of her specialty areas is how the
biological part of being an HSP interacts with an HSP’s childhood
and how that affects HSPs as adults.
PODCAST HOST
Patricia Young works with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) helping
them to understand their HSP traits, and turning their perceived
shortcomings into superpowers. Patricia is a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker, who is passionate about providing education to help
HSPs and non-HSPs understand and truly appreciate the amazing gifts
they have to offer. Patricia works globally online with HSPs
providing coaching. Patricia also facilitates online groups for
HSPs that focus on building community and developing skills
(identifying your superpowers, boundaries, perfectionism, dealing
with conflict, mindfulness, embracing emotions, creating a
lifestyle that supports the HSP, communication and more).
LINKS
Temperament Advisor: Highly Sensitive People
www.highlysensitivesociety.com
book a free consultation: calendly.com/jdyjaj36
Twitter: hsperson_hsp
FB: Highly Sensitive
The Emotional Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett
YouTube—Lisa Feldman Barrett
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lisa+feldman+barrett
The Highly Sensitive Brain: Research, Assessment, and Treatment
of Sensory Processing Sensitivity edited by Bianca Acevedo,
Ph.D.
Patricia’s Links
HSP Online Course--https://unapologeticallysensitive.com/hsp-online-groups/
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Music-- Gravel Dance by Andy Robinson www.andyrobinson.com