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Overexcitability
and the gifted
by
Sharon Lind A
small amount of definitive research and a great deal of naturalistic
observation have led to the belief that intensity, sensitivity and
overexcitability are primary characteristics of the highly gifted. These
observations are supported by parents and teachers who notice distinct
behavioral and constitutional differences between highly gifted
children and their peers. The work of Kazimierz Dabrowski, (1902-1980),
provides an excellent framework with which to understand these
characteristics. Dabrowski,
a Polish psychiatrist and psychologist, developed the Theory of
Positive Disintegration as a response to the prevalent psychological
theories of his time. He believed that conflict and inner suffering
were necessary for advanced development - for movement towards a
hierarchy of values based on altruism - for movement from "what is" to
"what ought to be." Dabrowski
also observed that not all people move towards an advanced level of
development but that innate ability/intelligence combined with
overexcitability (OE) were predictive of potential for higher-level
development. It is
important to emphasize that not all gifted or highly gifted individuals
have overexcitabilities. However we do find more people with OEs in the
gifted population than in the average population. Overexcitabilities
are inborn intensities indicating a heightened ability to respond to
stimuli. Found to a greater degree in creative and gifted individuals,
overexcitabilities are expressed in increased sensitivity, awareness,
and intensity, and represent a real difference in the fabric of life
and quality of experience. Dabrowski identified five areas of
intensity-Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and
Emotional. A
person may possess one or more of these. "One
who manifests several forms of overexcitability, sees reality in a
different, stronger and more multisided manner" (Dabrowski, 1972, p.
7). Experiencing
the world in this unique way carries with it great joys and sometimes
great frustrations. The joys and positives of being overexcitable need
to be celebrated. Any frustrations or negatives can be positively dealt
with and used to help facilitate the child's growth. The
five OEs are described below. Each description is followed by several
examples of strategies, which represent a fraction of the possible
solutions to issues that may cause concern for overexcitable
individuals or those who work and live with them. These
should serve as a springboard for brainstorming additional strategies
or interventions that will help improve the lives of overexcitable
people. Psychomotor
OE is a heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system. This
Psychomotor intensity includes a "capacity for being active and
energetic" (Piechowski, 1991, p. 287), love of movement for its own
sake, surplus of energy demonstrated by rapid speech, zealous
enthusiasm, intense physical activity, and a need for action (Dabrowski
& Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991). When
feeling emotionally tense, individuals strong in Psychomotor OE may
talk compulsively, act impulsively, misbehave and act out, display
nervous habits, show intense drive (tending towards "workaholism"),
compulsively organize, or become quite competitive. They
derive great joy from their boundless physical and verbal enthusiasm
and activity, but others may find them overwhelming. At home and at
school, these children seem never to be still. They
may talk constantly. Adults and peers want to tell them to sit down and
be quiet! The Psychomotor OE child has the potential of being
misdiagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Sensual
OE is expressed as a heightened experience of sensual pleasure or
displeasure emanating from sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing
(Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Those
with Sensual OE have a far more expansive experience from their sensual
input than the average person. They have an increased and early
appreciation of aesthetic pleasures such as music, language, and art,
and derive endless delight from tastes, smells, textures, sounds, and
sights. But
because of this increased sensitivity, they may also feel over
stimulated or uncomfortable with sensory input. When emotionally tense,
some individuals high in Sensual OE may overeat, go on buying sprees,
or seek the physical sensation of being the center of attraction
(Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Others
may withdraw from stimulation. Sensually overexcitable children may
find clothing tags, classroom noise, or smells from the cafeteria so
distracting that schoolwork becomes secondary. These children may also
become so absorbed in their love of a particular piece of art or music
that the outside world ceases to exist. Intellectual
OE is demonstrated by a marked need to seek understanding and truth, to
gain knowledge, and to analyze and synthesize (Dabrowski &
Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Those
high in Intellectual OE have incredibly active minds. They are
intensely curious, often avid readers, and usually keen observers. They
are able to concentrate, engage in prolonged intellectual effort, and
are tenacious in problem solving when they choose. Other
characteristics may include relishing elaborate planning and having
remarkably detailed visual recall. People with Intellectual OE
frequently love theory, thinking about thinking, and moral thinking.
This focus on moral thinking often translates into strong concerns
about moral and ethical issues-fairness on the playground, lack of
respect for children, or being concerned about "adult" issues such as
the homeless, AIDS, or war. Intellectually
overexcitable people are also quite independent of thought and
sometimes appear critical of and impatient with others who cannot
sustain their intellectual pace. Or they may be become so excited about
an idea that they interrupt at inappropriate times. Imaginational
OE reflects a heightened play of the imagination with rich association
of images and impressions, frequent use of image and metaphor, facility
for invention and fantasy, detailed visualization, and elaborate dreams
(Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Often
children high in Imaginational OE mix truth with fiction, or create
their own private worlds with imaginary companions and dramatizations
to escape boredom. They find it difficult to stay tuned into a
classroom where creativity and imagination are secondary to learning
rigid academic curriculum. They
may write stories or draw instead of doing seatwork or participating in
class discussions, or they may have difficulty completing tasks when
some incredible idea sends them off on an imaginative tangent. Emotional
OE is often the first to be noticed by parents. It is reflected in
heightened, intense feelings, extremes of complex emotions,
identification with others' feelings, and strong affective expression
(Piechowski, 1991). Other
manifestations include physical responses like stomachaches and
blushing or concern with death and depression (Piechowski, 1979).
Emotionally overexcitable people have a remarkable capacity for deep
relationships; they show strong emotional attachments to people,
places, and things (Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977). They have
compassion, empathy, and sensitivity in relation-ships. Those
with strong Emotional OE are acutely aware of their own feelings, of
how they are growing and changing, and often carry on inner dialogs and
practice self-judgment (Piechowski, 1979, 1991). Children
high in Emotional OE‚ are often accused of "overreacting." Their
compassion and concern for others, their focus on relationships, and
the intensity of their feelings may interfere with everyday tasks like
homework or doing the dishes. It is
often quite difficult and demanding to work and live with overexcitable
individuals. Those who are not so, find the behaviors unexplainable,
frequently incomprehensible, and often bizarre. Overexcitable
people living with other overexcitable people often have more
compassion and understanding for each other, but may feel conflicts
when their OEs are not to the same degree. Finding strategies for
helping children and adults deal with and take advantage of these
innate and enduring characteristics may seem difficult. However,
resources may be gathered from varied places: Literature regarding
counseling, learning styles, special education, and classroom
management; parenting books; even popular business texts. Perhaps the
best place to begin is with the following general strategies,
applicable regardless of which OEs are present. Share
the descriptions of OEs with the family, class, or counseling group.
Ask individuals if they see themselves with some of the
characteristics. Point out that this article and many others like it
indicates that being overexcitable is OK and it is understood and
accepted. Jointly
discuss the positives of each overexcitability when you first introduce
the concept, and continue to point out these merits. Benefits include
being energetic, enthusiastic, sensual, aesthetic, curious, loyal,
tenacious, moral, metacognitive, integrative, creative, metaphorical,
dramatic, poetic, compassion-ate, empathetic, and self-aware. One
outcome of the pursuit of educational and societal equity has been a
diminishing of the celebration of diversity and individual differences.
Highly gifted individuals, because of their uniqueness, can fall prey
to the public and personal belief that they are not OK. It is
vital when discussing OEs that individuals realize that
overexcitability is just one more description of who they are, as is
being tall, or Asian, or left-handed. Since OEs are inborn traits, they
cannot be unlearned! It is therefore exceedingly important that we
accept our overexcitable selves, children, and friends. This acceptance
provides validation and helps to free people from feelings of
"weirdness" and isolation All
people deserve respect and need to be listened to and responded to with
grace. Overexcitable people need this under-standing and patience to a
greater degree because they are experiencing the world with greater
intensity and need to be able to share their intensity and feelings of
differentness to thrive. It is
vital to learn good communication skills and to teach them to children.
Good communication skills are useful on multiple levels, from improving
the chances of getting what you want, to nurturing and facilitating
growth in others. Regardless of one's motivation for learning these
skills, the outcomes will include less stress, greater self-acceptance,
greater understanding from and about others, and less daily friction at
home, school, work, or in the grocery store. Verbal
and nonverbal strategies improve interpersonal communication and
provide the skills individuals need to fit in when they wish to, to
change the system if necessary, and to treat others with caring and
respect. Everyone
deals with stress on a daily basis. But overexcitable individuals have
increased stress reactions because of their increased reception of and
reaction to external input. There
are many programs and books about stress reduction. The key components
are to (1) learn to identify your stress symptoms: headache, backache,
pencil tapping, pacing, etc. (2) develop strategies for coping with
stress: talk about your feelings, do relaxation exercises, change your
diet, exercise, meditate, ask for help, develop organizational and time
management skills and (3) develop strategies to prevent stress: make
time for fun; develop a cadre of people to help, advise, humor you;
practice tolerance of your own and others' imperfections. Intense
people need to know how to make their environment more comfortable in
order to create places for retreat or safety. For example: find places
to work or think which are not distracting, work in a quiet or calm
environment, listen to music, look at a lovely picture, carry a
comforting item, move while working, or wear clothing which does not
scratch or cling. Learning
to finesse one's environment to meet one's needs takes experimentation
and cooperation from others, but the outcome will be a greater sense of
well being and improved productivity. Paradoxically,
overexcitable people are often insensitive and unaware of how their
behaviors affect others. They may assume that everyone will just
understand why they interrupt to share an important idea, or tune out
when creating a short story in their head during dinner. It is
vital to teach children and adults to be responsible for their
behaviors, to become more aware of how their behaviors affect others,
and to understand that their needs are not more important than those of
others. The key is to realize that you can show children and adults how
they are perceived, you can teach them strategies to fit in, but they
must choose to change. Often
when overexcitability is discussed examples and concerns are mostly
negative. Remember that being overexcitable also brings with it great
joy, astonishment, beauty, compassion, and creativity. Perhaps the most
important thing is to acknowledge and relish the uniqueness of an
overexcitable child or adult. Dabrowski,
K. (1972). Psychoneurosis is not an illness. London: Gryf. (Out of
print) Dabrowski,
K & Piechowski, M.M. (1977). Theory of levels of emotional
development (Vols.1 & 2). Oceanside, NY: Dabor Science. (Out of
print) Faber,
A. & Mazlish, E. (1980). How to talk so kids will listen, and
listen so kids will talk. New York: Avon. ~ ~ ~ related pages: Dabrowski / advanced development intensity
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sensitivity GT
Adults giftedness ~ ~ ~ |