The Highly Sensitive Person and Dermatillomania

According to Dr. Elaine Aron, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait that is often misunderstood, with the highly sensitive person displaying traits of shyness or fearlfulness. She lists the following as signs of SPS:

• Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
• Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
• Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?
• Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?
• Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?
• Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?
• Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
• When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?

There is a lot of overlap between Dr. Aron's theory and the current body of knowledge on Sensory Processing Disorder, which is not considered a personality trait but rather a neurological disorder. In this video the link between SPS as a personality trait, and body-focussed repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as compulsive sin picking disorder is discussed.