Month: January 2025

Do you find you get overwhelmed super easy? Need to withdraw from certain situations to ‘recharge’ your social battery? Or, do you have an extremely strong sense of compassion?

If so, then you may be someone who is classed as a highly sensitive person.

While being highly sensitive isn’t an official clinical diagnosis, it is a term coined by Elaine and Arthur Aron in the mid-1900s to explain why some people seem to have a more sensitive nervous system than others.

Earlier this month, practitioner Dr Lalitaa Suglani took to Instagram to share ten signs that may mark you out as a highly sensitive person.

“Ever feel like you experience the world more deeply than others? It’s time you fully understood what this means!” she wrote in the post’s caption.

“This year, embrace it and start learning to understand it more fully – it’s the key to thriving.”

Optioning for regular alone time

Dr Suglani outlined that highly sensitive people usually need more alone time.

Clinical psychologist and author Dr Julie Smith has backed up this claim, saying in a TikTok video that those who ‘feel the need to withdraw’ from busy environments often need to recuperate alone to ‘get relief from the stimulation of those surroundings’.

Psychotherapist Julie Bjelland has also explained how your nervous system can become overwhelmed if it isn’t given time off from stressful situations.

She recommends that highly sensitive people experience at least two hours a day where they can ‘reach a state of relaxation’.

“Some people prefer it all at once and some find they might do one hour in the morning before everyone is up and another hour in another part of the day, for example,” Bjelland added.

Not being able to take criticism or rejection well

Clinical psychologist Aron said that around 15-20 percent of people across the globe have a highly sensitive personality. Interestingly, if you routinely struggle in the face of criticism, you may be one of them.

There are some ways you can better deal with criticism and rejection, says Psych Central.

These include focusing on positive feedback instead, resisting the urge to respond immediately, and asking questions so you can fully understand what went wrong.

Easily overwhelmed

It’s not uncommon for highly sensitive people to become overwhelmed. This is because these people process stimuli more intensely than others.

Sensory overload and emotional fatigue are two common causes, with Better Help writing: “While sensitivity can be a gift for some, it may also lead to feeling overwhelmed when faced with intense emotional situations or when simultaneously experiencing a surge of various emotions.”

It’s advised that these highly sensitive people employ coping strategies like time management, practise self-care and set healthy boundaries between themselves, their work, and even their friends.

Vivid imagination and having a rich inner life

Highly sensitive people are often extremely creative and can have a rich inner life, according to Dr Suglani.

Unfortunately, an active imagination can also create worry and intense feelings for others. Be warned: this can eventually lead to empathy fatigue, which Cleveland Clinic states is a ‘negative consequence of repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic events’.

In tune with your intuition

Due to processing everything deeply, many believe that high sensitivity and intuition are connected.

Dr Elayne Daniels, a psychotherapist and coach, states that those with a unique nervous system are likely to pick up on things ‘way more than the 80-85 percent of people who do not have the High Sensitivity trait’.

She even claimed that some highly sensitive people may ‘seem psychic because they can sense or even at times feel the energy or vibe of others.’

“For instance, HSPs are better than non-HSPs at distinguishing between ‘good’ guys and ‘bad guys’. In real life and in movies. (That does not mean the accuracy rate is 100%!),” Dr Daniels added.

Strong sense of compassion and empathy

The sixth sign that you’re a highly sensitive person is your strong sense of compassion and intense empathy, says Dr Suglani.

“Sensitive people have empathy in spades, so much so that the difference can be seen in brain scans,” said Sensitive authors Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo.

“This means sensitive people tend to ‘feel for others’ more than less sensitive people, which can encourage them to be more compassionate and take action in the face of suffering.”

Intense responses to emotional situations

As we’ve mentioned, people with intense responses to emotional situations can often feel overwhelmed and need to retreat to a safe space.

“Sensitive individuals process their environment so deeply that they are inevitably more affected by both the good and the bad within it,” explains Psychology Today. “They are not weak; they are susceptible.”

MedicalNewsToday also writes that highly sensitive people are often more aware of social stimuli, such as people’s voiced and facial expressions.

The site adds: “They may be particularly empathetic but also more prone to overstimulation.”

Sensitivity to the senses

Loud bands, incessant chattering, chewing and more can deeply affect highly sensitive people.

According to Bjelland, this is because of a trait called ‘sensory processing sensitivity’ which causes sufferers to experience a different level of sensitivity to the sense.

Things that may help you overcome sensitive senses include wearing ear plugs in noisy areas, getting enough sleep, and advocating for your needs.

Overwhelmed by violence or negativity

The penultimate sign that you may be a highly sensitive individual is that you have an overwhelming emotional response to violence or negativity in the media.

This could be anything from watching boxing bouts to reading about a celebrity’s death in the newspaper.

Feeling uncomfortable in crowded or busy environments

Due to processing stimuli a little differently to others, those with sensitive dispositions often feel uncomfortable in crowded or busy environments.

On this point, shared by Dr Suglani, one Instagram commenter wrote: “This was good to see, especially today. #10 fascinates me, as my music production work (recording studio and concert sound) often has me in crowded environments.

“I wonder if I take on the load of more than one person to give myself relative isolation? I must check out your book!”

It’s common to catch yourself yawning if the office gets too warm or when you get a little too comfortable while watching the latest Netflix drama, but if your feeling of tiredness is constantly overshadowing your day-to-day life, there could be more to it.

Doctor James Wetherby, a cardiologist, has explained that persistent fatigue is actually one of the ‘earliest and most overlooked symptoms’ of another condition – one that could prove fatal if gone untreated.

That condition is heart failure and it occurs when your heart isn’t able to pump blood around your body as well as intended.

Heart failure can happen suddenly or it can progress slowly over months or years. Either way, research from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed that 40 percent of people with heart failure were initially diagnosed late, and part of the reason for that is because people didn’t realize symptoms they were experiencing were an indicator of the condition.

The BHF explains that heart failure affects how your body works, including your breathing and muscles, and that in turn can cause fatigue.

‘Feeling increasingly tired or weak at rest which gets worse with movement’ is a symptom, the foundation explains. Per Surrey Live, Dr Wetherby added: “When your heart is under strain, it struggles to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles and tissues, leaving you feeling utterly drained.”

Fatigue due to heart failure can come in different shapes and sizes, with Professor Julia Newton, a consultant geriatrician with more than 20 years’ experience researching and treating people living with fatigue, saying: “For some people, fatigue is a constant presence, while for others, it comes and goes.”

Speaking to the BHF, Professor Newton continued: “It can also be linked to symptoms like brain fog and muscle aches.

“Essentially fatigue is the overwhelming feeling of lacking energy. People often describe it as a battery running out. They might start the day with a full battery, but it runs down too quickly.

“Another common sign of fatigue is when people wake up feeling just as exhausted as they did yesterday, even after sleeping reasonably well.”

The BHF encourages people to see a doctor if you experience persistent fatigue, or any other symptoms of heart failure.

There are four other main symptoms, including:

• fainting or feeling lightheaded
• new persistent cough
• shortness of breath when you’re active or resting
• swelling in your feet and ankles which can spread to your lower body.

Page, who is now 37, was just 20 years old when he took on the role of Juno MacGuff, a high school student who gets pregnant with her awkward friend Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera.

The two teenagers end up putting the baby up for adoption, which leads them to meeting Mark and Vanessa Loring, played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner.

It’s in this scene that Page’s character makes a comment which, looking back, he wished he’d pushed back on.

Page expressed his regret over the line during an interview with Bustle in 2017, three years before he came out as transgender in 2020.

“It wasn’t something I totally registered at the time,” he said.

The comment in question came after Mark announced that he was thinking of naming the baby Madison.

In response, Juno says: “Isn’t that a little gay?”

With more life experience on his side, Page told Bustle that he better understands the impact of the comment.

“Now that I’m older I do. So many movies I loved as a kid are just rampant with homophobia and transphobia and biphobia, and I’m not excusing it by any means,” he said.

In an effort to make changes where he can, Page also revealed that he refused to make the same joke when reciting the script for Juno more recently for Planned Parenthood.

After Page came out as transgender, his transition was weaved into the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, in which he plays Viktor Hargreeves.

Crediting showrunner Steve Blackman for his support, Page said: “I called him nervously and he was incredible. If anything, he was the one who was very insistent on immediately having it be a part of the show and supported me to be able to access the care I was hoping to get at that time.”

Speaking to Time Magazine, Page said Hollywood has a ‘lack of representation for trans people’, but he’s sought to become a prominent LGBTQ+ activist since coming out.

“Hope for me is for those who continuously resist and support each other,” he told the publication.

With the smells coming in and out of the average home – whether it be the smell of the dog or the lingering aroma of dinner the night before – many will invest in a certain household product to ensure the house is feeling fresh.

Well, Dr Pedi Mirdamadi, who shares health advice on TikTok, has taken to the popular video platform to reveal that the everyday household item can be linked to itchy eyes and allergies.

In fact, the doctor went on to explain how such household item can even exacerbate asthma in a worst case situation scenario.

To much surprise, the item is a plug-in air freshener, which is certainly a common item in many households across the US.

“Many of these products contain toxic chemicals like formaldehyde as well as volatile organic compounds, which enter our bodies through our breath,” Dr Mirdamadi said.

He added: “The air we breathe is the quickest and easiest way to get toxins into our body. If you have any of these plug-in air fresheners in your home or in your car – switch them off and dump them, especially if you’re experiencing any signs of allergies or asthma.”

According to Indoor Doctor, studies have found that 86 percent of air fresheners contain phthalates, which can interfere with testosterone production and cause reproductive issues. Air fresheners also typically contain formaldehyde, which has been linked to cancers of the nose and throat.

And if that wasn’t enough, many plug-in air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can increase the risk of asthma in children.

In the caption to the video, Dr Mirdamadi suggested some alternatives to using the common plug-in air freshener.

He wrote: “Do you use plug-in air fresheners? If so you may want to listen up! Please do yourself and your family a favor and throw them out!

“Even if I get into an Uber and they have one plugged in I unplug it and kindly tell them I have allergies. Elimination especially if there is any asthma or respiratory issues at the household!

“Instead use an essential oil diffuser to freshen the home. Avoid this if you are a dog owner!”

Many have flocked to the comments section of the TikTok video, with many admitting to using a plug-in air freshener.

“I’m keeping mine I like my one little plug-in that smells like vanilla when I walk through the door,” one person said.

A second spoke of an alternative: “I simmer orange peel cloves cinnamon stick and cranberries. It’s a much healthier alternative.”

And a third remarked: “I stopped using them and started using diffusers. I have them on every room. Currently diffusing vanilla essential oil.”

The latter is based on a 2014 novel by lauded American author Harlan Coben and stars Slow Horses actress Rosalind Eleazar, Richard Armitage, and Top Boy’s Ashley Walters, among others.

This twisty mystery, set in England’s northwest, follows police detective Kat Donovan (played by Eleazar) as she realises her ex-fiancé Josh Buchanan (Walters) who went missing 11 years ago, is alive, well, and seemingly looking for love on a dating app.

After stumbling upon Josh’s profile, Kat begins to open further stitched wounds by diving back into the investigation surrounding her father, Clint Donovan’s (Sir Lenny Henry) murder.

If your interest is piqued then check out the trailer for the Netflix show, called Missing You, below:

We advise you to stop reading right now if you want to spoil how Titus plays into the Missing You plot.

After some investigating on Kat’s behalf, she uncovers a kidnapping and catfishing plot being run by Titus, a criminal who operates under the guise of being a dog breeder.

The police detective learns he was the figure behind activating Josh’s dating app profile and goes to his farm to confront him. Eventually, she ends up shooting him dead and that’s kind of the end of it. Wild, right?

Unfortunately, some Netflix subscribers believe Titus’ storyline wasn’t fleshed out enough, with some commenting that it is a ‘plot hole you could drive a bus through’.

“What was the Steve Pemberton puppy person about. Was that not the main plot line. Never resolved any of it focused too much on the personal story,” one viewer commented on Twitter.

Another said: “I’ve just spent two evenings of my life watching Missing You on Netflix. I’ll never get those evenings back,” as per Metro.

“The only good that can come from this is if I can stop other people from suffering. Plot holes you could drive a bus through and a horrendously unsatisfying ending.”

“So why exactly was the dog breeder running such an elaborate scheme? Setting up dating profiles to scam people of their money and k**l them,” replied someone else. “But why??? Doesn’t make any sense, there has to be a plot missing ****in the story line. This just does my head in.”

“This #MissingYou series has a missing part. The dog breeder does not fit into the movie… it’s like they skipped an entire episode that would link him to the other incidents in the movie, but he was irrelevant,” remarked a fourth.

Regardless of the criticism, others have taken to social media to praise Missing You, with one writing: “On the fourth episode of five of #MissingYou on @NetflixUK. Nothing better than binge-watching the new @HarlanCoben, cuddled up in the warm, when the weather is bleak outside.”

You can watch all episodes of Missing You now.

Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione was a 31-year-old nun that lived at the Palma di Montechiaro convent in Sicily.

However, she has been a person of interest in history due to the belief that she became ‘possessed’ and wrote a letter on August 11, 1676.

She was reportedly found on the floor of her cell with her face covered in ink and clutching a letter with the bizarre writing on it.

Archeologists have long attempted to decipher the meaning of it and may have started to make a little leeway.

Talking to Live Science in 2017, Director of Italy’s Ludum Science Center Daniele Abate said: “When working on historical decryption, you cannot ignore the psychological profile of the writer.

“We needed to know as much as possible about this nun.”

Historians have said that Sister Maria was just 15 when she decided to devote her life to God, and moved into the Benedictine convent.

Abate continued: “The letter appeared as if it was written in shorthand.

“We speculated that Sister Maria created a new vocabulary using ancient alphabets that she may have known.”

To be sure about what exactly this letter was written in, researchers used software which scanned shorthand symbols from different languages.

They found that the nun’s letter contained words from ancient alphabets such as Greek, Latin, Runic and Arabic.

Abate said: “We analyzed how the syllables and graphisms [or thoughts depicted as symbols] repeated in the letter in order to locate vowels, and we ended up with a refined decryption algorithm.

“We thought we could just come out with a few words making sense. But the nun had a good command of languages. The message was more complete than expected.”

In addition to calling the Holy Trinity ‘dead weights’, the letter also said: “God thinks he can free mortals. The system works for no one. Perhaps now, Styx is certain.”

In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Styx is the river separating the netherworld from the world of the living.

Abate says the letter shows strong indications that Sister Maria was suffering from mental health conditions.

He said: “The image of the devil is often present in these disorders.

“We learned from historical records that every night she screamed and fought against the devil.”