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The Highly Sensitive Handbook: How Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Emotional Overwhelm Hijack your Health; How to Thrive by Supporting Your Emotional Needs and Healing Past Trauma Paperback – August 14, 2023
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Not just another book about Highly Sensitive People, which has been written about extensively since being discovered by Elaine Aron in the late 1990s. In this much-needed book I cover in depth the subject of sensory processing sensitivity and how and why it affects people to develop symptoms of anxiety, depression and often chronic ill health as we get older.
It is the interaction of high sensitivity and a traumatic environment that triggers most disease.
Backed up by real case studies from my busy somatic trauma practice.
Find out:
- what happens to create sensitivity in childhood
- how that changes the brain
- what challenges that creates
- what special qualities that engenders
- how to make the most of SPS to create a life of meaning and joy and freedom from pain
But this omission is causing a great deal of unnecessary suffering. In particular, the understanding of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is still, relatively speaking, in its infancy and so has barely been acknowledged outside of psychology. But this is changing. A series of books and podcasts have sprung up talking to people with this personality trait and how it impacts your behaviour and life. But very few (indeed I couldn't find one) that addressed the impact when combined with relational trauma (the most common 'small-t' kind) It is to this need that this book is addressed.
Most sensitive people have a lifetime of feeling ‘wrong’ or out of place in this hectic world. Some have even been told they’re ‘too sensitive’ or ‘you worry too much’ (both phrases used to me over and over). This both instills shame in the person and a belief that somehow, they are wrong rather than simply don’t fit the neurotypical majority.
However, my clinical practice, and I suspect most medical practice, is dominated by highly sensitive people who have hit a wall or barrier in their lives. Whether illness or crippling anxiety, they find that they can no longer carry on doing what they have always done. And with the knowledge we now have about neurodiversity, they can be helped
So, this book is a chance to distill the knowledge I have gleaned from working with hundreds of such people (and those who love them) in an easy to understand way to help them feel less ‘weird’ or alone. I want to explain, in simple terms, that anyone can understand how this trait arises and what it means to be this way. Finally, I aim to help them to know not only why they are the way they are but HOW to apply that knowledge to enhance their health and find belonging. This is not easy in a neurotypical world that largely ignores us.
So, this book is a chance to distill the knowledge I have gleaned from working with hundreds of people (and those who love them) in an easy-to-understand way to help you feel less ‘weird’ or alone. I want to explain, in simple terms, that anyone can understand how this trait arises and what it means to be this way. Finally, I aim to help you to know not only why you are the way you are but HOW to apply that knowledge to enhance your health and find belonging. This is not easy in a neurotypical world that largely ignores us. But it is possible with the right somatic (body-based) approach.
- Print length197 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateAugust 14, 2023
- Dimensions6 x 0.45 x 9 inches
- ISBN-13979-8854803625
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Product details
- ASIN : B0CFDKP1CR
- Publisher : Independently published (August 14, 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 197 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8854803625
- Item Weight : 12.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.45 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #6,617,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #781 in Popular Psychology & Medicine
- #6,303 in Popular Neuropsychology
- #21,070 in Emotional Self Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Hi I'm Patricia Worby, PhD, a somatic psychotherapist interested in all aspects of psychology, natural medicine and science. I bring my past experience as a former scientist, clinical researcher**, and now specialist practitioner in chronic illness to bear on every subject I write about.
A child of the 1970's from a 'normally dysfunctional' family, I found solace in education, being the first in my family to go to university where I studied biochemistry, the science of life. But life seemed strangely absent from the information I received and, after a series of health challenges in my 30's and 40's (including depression and chronic fatigue) brought about, I now know, by the unresolved grief from the death of my father when still i my teens, I was compelled to find my own answers.
I studied hypnotherapy, psychology, and natural medicine to advanced levels and finally became a practitioner in somatic trauma release helping people to overcome Anxiety and Chronic Fatigue Syndromes such as ME and Fibromyalgia.
After being introduced to the healing power of such 'alternative' approaches (which I initially was very sceptical of), I began my writer's journey in 2016. My first book The Scar that won't Heal (effect of common occurrences of 'everyday trauma' and stress on the body) was a labour of love that took 18 months to write (around the same time as preparing the evidence for my PhD*) and I have now published seven books:
1. The Scar that Won't Heal (stress, trauma and emotion in the body)
2. The World Within (the microbiome)
3. Losing our Minds (healthy aging)
4. Life Illuminated (light and energy in the body)
(All in these are in the MindBody series - science for the lay person interested in the mind and body connection).
5. The Dementia Diaries (a memoir of my mum) and its follow up
6. Life Lessons - (messages from my family from beyond death)
7. The Mystery of Number (the mathematics of the natural world)
And in press The Highly Sensitive Handbook (released July 2023) - how to manage life as a highly sensitive person
I now devote my time to my busy practice (Alchemy therapies), writing and speaking. See my website https://alchemytherapies.co.uk for my work and www.patriciaworby.com for details of the full range of my interests.
*in clinical hypnotherapy to investigate the links between past life events and emotional repression in creating chronic pain and fatigue
** I worked for the UK National Health Service (NHS) and then the University of Southampton in medical education, clinical research and administration for 25 years, but I felt that something was missing in my work life and, finally, I left 10 years ago to pursue my passion which is teaching and applying a combination of science and natural medicine.
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- Brenda Jane PikeReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever
I would have loved to have read this amazing book decades ago,written so inspiringly b y a highly trained and empathetic author, who practices the care and healing she writes about.
For me, the slightly larger print was ideal, also the fascinating physiology and simple diagrams of the incredible workings of our brains,which affects all cell structure in our amazing bodies,to strongly remind us that we are body, mind and spirit. Whatever affects one affects every part.
I most highly recommend this book.