There is much more to being Gifted than just high intelligence
- There are documented physiological differences in multiple bodily systems that include Neurological, Neuroanatomical, Psychological, Metabolic, Hormonal, Gastrointestinal, Sensory & Sensitivity, and Genetic.
- Gifted people are often perceived as different by regular, neurotypical folks - they're more intense, very sensitive, hyperaware, and likely to question what they are told. They struggle finding peers and a sense of belonging, they are at increased risk of being bullied and "othered", and are more prone to existential distress, anxiety and depression.
- Most medical and psych providers (physicians, pediatricians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists and other healthcare providers) are not aware of the differences with gifted people, which leads to common mis-diagnosis of both physical and mental health issues for Gifted people.
- The most common mental health mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (OD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Mood Disorders such as Cyclothymic Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Depression, and Bi-Polar Disorder. (SengGifted.Org)
- These common mis-diagnoses occur due to lack of knowledge among medical and psych professionals about the social and emotional characteristics of gifted people, and those traits are then mistakenly interpreted as signs of pathology and disorder.
Physiological differences of gifted persons include: Neurological, Neuroanatomical, Psychological, Metabolic, Hormonal, Gastrointestinal, Sensory & Sensitivity, and Genetic.
High intelligence: A risk factor for psychological and physiological overexcitabilities:
"Those with a high intellectual capacity (hyper brain) possess overexcitabilities in various domains that may predispose them to certain psychological disorders as well as physiological conditions involving elevated sensory, and altered immune and inflammatory responses (hyper body). The present study surveyed members of American Mensa, Ltd. (n = 3715) in order to explore psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) processes among those at or above the 98th percentile of intelligence....Highly intelligent individuals are at a significantly greater risk for mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, and conditions involving inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune disease, and ASD when compared to national averages." |
Karpinski, R. I., Kolb, A. M. K., Tetreault, N. A., & Borowski, T. B. (2018).
High intelligence: A risk factor for psychological and physiological overexcitabilities. Intelligence, 66, 8–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2017.09.001 |