Sensitivity and Addiction

Asma Sherif Moneer

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We know that genes play a role in transmitting a predisposition to addictions, but it’s often that it’s the capacity of the chances of becoming addicted are passed on. This is where our degree of sensitivity can come in. The more sensitive (or vulnerable) a person is, the more suffering they experience when painful events happen - and the more hurt we humans are, the more we naturally want to escape that pain...and this can sometimes be via addictive behaviors. While there’s no definitive causal link in the research between being high sensitivity and addictive behavior, there’s certainly a suggestion of a connection, or correlation. It’s definitely been true in my own experience and observations in my clinical practice. Up to 30% of people are Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs). HSPs are born with a very sensitive nervous system - one that takes in and processes LOTS of information. This means they tend to notice all. the. things., and their brains end up working overtime to process it all, resulting in overwhelm. While this sensitivity can be a great thing that allows HSPs to have a high level of emotional intelligence and can be very creative, it can also be potentially exhausting. Since HSPs often experience the world as overstimulaiton, they - like other humans - will often seek a way to turn it off. Empaths may do this too when they become overwhelmed when they feel too much - either their pain or another’s. Then there are those of us who may not have a diagnosis or classification of HSP or Empath but who still self-identify as a more sensitive type and will also have more of a chance of developing behavior to cope with pain. One of the common very human ways of doing so is by escaping from, erasing, or numbing it… which can lead to (you guessed it) addictive behaviors. And it’s not just our genes or our sensitivities and vulnerabilities that can play a role. Our environment

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