Can you tell if you’re with a highly sensitive person?

Navigating relationships can be thrilling and challenging at the same time, especially when trying to understand our partners’ emotions.

Have you ever wondered if your significant other is a highly sensitive person? Recognizing the unique traits of a highly sensitive person can offer valuable insights into your relationship.

From an acute awareness of subtleties to heightened empathy, these types of people usually approach love with an unparalleled depth of emotion. In this article, Detangle Love explores the telltale signs that could indicate you’re in love with a highly sensitive person.

Understanding these signs fosters a deeper connection and promotes a mutual understanding within the relationship.

Whether you’re seeking confirmation or simply curious about the dynamics of love with a highly sensitive person, recognizing these 12 signs can light the path to a more fulfilling partnership.

First…How can you tell if you’re living with a highly sensitive person?

You might have noticed that your partner takes things too personally, or you often feel as though they make a big deal out of things. If you suspect that your spouse might be highly sensitive, you should look closer at what makes the types of people different from others.

Not better or worse, just different. The first thing to understand is that some people’s central nervous systems are a bit more sensitive. They’re more responsive and process emotional, physical, and social stimuli on a deeper level than others do.

This is called Sensory Processing Sensitivity and it’s what makes individuals hypersensitive. There are sensitivity-level tests that you can encourage your spouse to take or even take together. If they answer “yes” on 12 or more statements, they might be highly sensitive.

But this is only a general test. You and your partner can talk to psychologists if you feel as though you need professional evaluation.

They need their alone time to recharge

They would rather be alone, and when they’re around others, they feel as though they’re spending energy instead of to absorbing it. They pick up on every tiny external stimulus and react to it.

They feel other’s emotions and feel bombarded by large, noisy crowds. After being in loud, public spaces, they need some time to recharge and realign themselves. Give them this time to reload their internal resources.

They’re the most loyal partners

They won’t ever intentionally restrict or hurt you. They know that they can be a handful at times and love you even more for putting up with them. In return, they’ll express a deep and unique love that you’ve never felt before.

They have decision-making issues

Generally, highly sensitive people are very focused on details. They try to consider everything and ensure their solutions meet everyone’s needs, which isn’t always possible. So, it can be difficult for them to make decisions, at times even the most basic ones.

They’re intuitive toward your emotions

They’re very observant and quickly pick up nonverbal communication and individual vibes. Loving an empathic and highly sensitive person means they’ll call you out on your thoughts and feelings.

You won’t be able to keep any secrets from them. So, prepare yourself to be in the spotlight even when you don’t want to talk about it.

They can’t stand watching violence on TV

When choosing a movie, your partner always skips those labeled, for instance, horror. Moreover, disaster films are also not a good option for them. First, violence makes these types of people feel anxious. Second, they readily identify themselves with on-screen victims.

Romance isn’t just a game for them

Highly sensitive people take romance very seriously. When they consent to making love, they’re confiding in you and trusting you on a very intimate level.

Their attention to detail and empathy mean they’ll learn a lot about you while they freely express themselves. This means they’re comfortable with you, so when you make love to them, make sure you pay attention to their spiritual needs, as well.

They can’t tolerate loud sounds

The sound of radio interference, a car alarm, a crying baby, and so on can annoy them, make them feel uncomfortable, and even cause physical pain. Also, these types of people can get stressed out when they’re talking to someone and the other person raises their voice.

They’re naturally insomniacs

Their hearts and brains are always going on overdrive. They toss and turn even when they are absolutely exhausted. And because of this, they’re naturally night owls.

They seem to come alive at night, wondering about the universe and its many mysteries. So be prepared to stay up late with them.

They react emotionally to everything

Highly sensitive people go through their emotions in a more intense way and usually absorb those of others.

In general, things that you, as a non-highly sensitive person, consider insignificant can be of considerable importance to your overly emotional spouse and cause a sharp reaction.

They avoid getting into fights

They know how insults hurt all too well, so they don’t readily throw them around. They’re most likely to walk away or try to talk things out when presented with conflict rather than argue or fight. But don’t test their peaceful ways.

They can and probably will lose control when pushed past their limit. Be patient when working things out with a highly sensitive person, and give them the distance and time necessary for them to make decisions and express themselves in a healthy way.

They overreact to criticism

Being too sensitive about even the most productive and friendly criticism is a norm for a highly sensitive person. Furthermore, when others criticize things that they like, their reaction can be less intense.

So, for instance, if you’re married to a partner that’s like this, and you say something negative about their favorite football team, they may take it personally.

They’re fantastic conversationalists

Even though they’re quiet at first, they’ll open up after some time and presence. The more comfortable they feel around you, the more they’ll openly express themselves. Their minds and hearts are always on overdrive, thinking, feeling, and talking about their experiences.

So, they always have something new to talk about or a fresh take on an old notion. So if you’re lucky enough to have a person like this in your life, pop open a bottle of wine, sit back, and enjoy the conversation!

How can you deal with a highly sensitive person?

Since we were younger, many of us have been told to be strong and to not take everything so personally. And as a result, overly sensitive people begin to believe something is wrong with them and they deny their sensitivity. That’s the first mistake we make.

Even though both men and women can be very sensitive, society doesn’t always support it in men. Being young and having heard phrases like: “Be a man!” and “Stop crying!” the boy grows older, concealing his sensitivity, and puts on a mask of hypermasculinity.

That’s the second mistake we make. Living your life hiding your true self often leads to mixed negative consequences like communication issues, psychological disorders, marriage problems, and so on.

If you’re married to a highly sensitive person, you should try to help them work through these issues.

Do you have a highly sensitive person in YOUR life? Please feel free to share your thoughts on the matter with us in the comments section below.

In the meantime, if you enjoyed reading this article, Detangle Love has many more like it. For example, did you know about the 8 Taboo Relationship Practices That Can Actually Benefit Your Union?