For some, small everyday problems are insurmountable obstacles. They overreact, get angry about little setbacks, and get depressed about things that others would consider irrelevant. These people find it difficult to face life from a more detached and objective point of view, it is as if they always have emotions on the surface. Likewise, they are able to detect the small emotional signals sent by others, and they can recognize suffering, pain or sadness before others, as if they have a very acute sixth sense. Because?
Emotional hypersensitivity can have a genetic basis
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto think that the root of emotional hypersensitivity can be found in a genetic variant that, surprisingly, own 50% of Caucasians, but is also encountered in a lesser proportion in other ethnic groups.
The gene in question is called ADRA2b and its main function is to regulate noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that is linked to stress and affects areas of the brain such as the amygdala, linked to emotional responses. In fact, norepinephrine acts like a drug by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, so it prepares the body for fight or flight.
In practice, the variant of this gene causes greater activation of the brain regions linked to the processing of emotions. In fact, these researchers found that these people not only react differently to situations but also perceive them differently from the first moment.
It's all a matter of perception
In the experiment, people had to see a series of images, some were original and others were copies with some defect added, i.e. they weren't 100% perfect since they had some blurry or pixelated parts.
The researchers' goal was to see if people were able to notice those little flaws, so they mixed all the photos. In this way it was possible to discover that those who possessed the ADRA2b gene variant could notice those small details as they focused on the colors, shapes and sizes, rather than the big picture, unlike the rest of the participants.
The researchers also found that these people showed greater activation of the frontal cortex, indicating that their attention and memory were working at full capacity to more accurately capture and compare details. At the same time, an increase in the activity of the amygdala, the structure associated with emotional responses, was noted.
Emotional Hypersensitivity: A Double-Edged Sword
Undoubtedly, seeing the world differently will also make us react differently. Our perception affects our reactions, especially on an emotional level. Therefore, people who are able to fixate themselves on details tend to be more sensitive and empathetic as they quickly pick up on the small signs of discomfort or stress shown by others and are able to adapt their behavior based on these.
However, this ability is a double-edged sword, because focusing too much on the details can also risk losing the global vision. These people run the risk of seeing the trees but not the forest, and this can lead them to overreact to small details that others may go unnoticed or just don't care about. Therefore, emotionally hypersensitive people are also more likely to get angry or saddened.
Emotional hypersensitivity can be a gift, but it also increases the risk of suffering from problems such as PTSD, depression and anxiety. The key is to be aware of this way of seeing the world and learn to control the first emotional reaction, trying to analyze the situation as a whole.
