sensitive?

[Dissident]

@Love of reason: Maybe you're a nice INTP?

Hey, mythical creatures dont count!

 

[Agent Intellect]

Loveofreason and NoID10ts thought processes are eerily similar to how i feel during any sort of social outing (even family reunions).

 

[Kidege]

Hey, mythical creatures dont count!

Now you're being insensitive!

 

[spockguy]

I knew there was an online test for 'sensitivity' and I've rediscovered the link:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm

If you ignore the somewhat new-agey self-help our-book-can-help-you pathologising tone it's worth doing the quiz to see what's catagorised as sensitive.


I have to agree about the impact of beauty. One of the things that hurt me so about much of human effort - the results are so ugly! Beauty by contrast is like oxygen. Life fails without it.

This is where I seem to deviate from the norm in terms of typical INTP "sensitivity". I scored a whooping 4 on that test. Never in recent memory have I felt completely overwhelmed by stimuli in my environment, get startled easily, can't concentrate from stimuli, sensitivity to "food texture" (which I thought was ammusing when brought up), etc. Although it's odd for me when it comes to a specific atmosphere, I'm sensitive to atmosphere of past events when it comes to reminiscing (If sensitivity is even the proper word), but to the current events around me, I tend to be completly oblivious to sensory input in many cases.

I particularly noticed this when my brother (INFJ) and I went to Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago to chill out and listen to some good tunes. After the thing was said and done, we were discussing the fest among each other and he said he could remember every little detail of the bands, knows the whole set and order of bands, and when hearing a song from the concert, he can clearly remember exactly what was going on during that song at the concert.

This was almost completly oppisite to my typical reminecent experence of the concert as a whole. I don't remember specific sets, order, songs they played, etc... What stuck out in my mind was the atmosphere, the general feeling and emotions that were being communicated while I was there watching them tends to all come back when hearing a song by that band. Is this at all similar to any of you guys? Or am I alone in this camp?

Oh, and a side note, I'm extremely sensitive to music, but more in abstract terms. The general atmosphere, reactions, and emotions music gives off fascinate me to no end, and I'm very grateful to be sensitive to it.

Aynways, Sorry if this is alittle off-topic from the general discussion now, shit, maybe i should read more than the first 3 pages before I respond, o well.

 

[NoID10ts]

This is where I seem to deviate from the norm in terms of typical INTP "sensitivity". I scored a whooping 4 on that test. Never in recent memory have I felt completely overwhelmed by stimuli in my environment, get startled easily, can't concentrate from stimuli, sensitivity to "food texture" (which I thought was ammusing when brought up), etc. Although it's odd for me when it comes to a specific atmosphere, I'm sensitive to atmosphere of past events when it comes to reminiscing (If sensitivity is even the proper word), but to the current events around me, I tend to be completly oblivious to sensory input in many cases.

I particularly noticed this when my brother (INFJ) and I went to Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago to chill out and listen to some good tunes. After the thing was said and done, we were discussing the fest among each other and he said he could remember every little detail of the bands, knows the whole set and order of bands, and when hearing a song from the concert, he can clearly remember exactly what was going on during that song at the concert.

This was almost completly oppisite to my typical reminecent experence of the concert as a whole. I don't remember specific sets, order, songs they played, etc... What stuck out in my mind was the atmosphere, the general feeling and emotions that were being communicated while I was there watching them tends to all come back when hearing a song by that band. Is this at all similar to any of you guys? Or am I alone in this camp?

Oh, and a side note, I'm extremely sensitive to music, but more in abstract terms. The general atmosphere, reactions, and emotions music gives off fascinate me to no end, and I'm very grateful to be sensitive to it.

Aynways, Sorry if this is alittle off-topic from the general discussion now, shit, maybe i should read more than the first 3 pages before I respond, o well.

This is interesting. When I read this I remembered that when I was in my teens I went to several concerts and had a very similar experience. That is all but gone now. I hate crowds with a passion. I just can't deal with them anymore. I wonder if it is something that develops with age. My anti socialness feels like it is intensifying with every passing year. The thing is, I don't want to be old and bitter. I think I need to be on the loookout for that.

 

[spockguy]

I'm 17 right now and as of the concert which was only a month and a half ago. Anyways, I was seeing what part of development of the INTP this kinda recollection could be attributed to, and my first assumption was the tertiary, Si. So I went to http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/ and found this tidbit of information about Si:

"Sometimes the feeling-tone associated with the recalled image comes into your awareness along with the information itself. Then the image can be so strong, your body responds as if reliving the experience. This could be seen as a source of feelings of nostalgia or longing for the way things were"

Now, what is confusing me is your comment:

"When I read this I remembered that when I was in my teens I went to several concerts and had a very similar experience. That is all but gone now. I hate crowds with a passion. I just can't deal with them anymore. I wonder if it is something that develops with age."

Typical to Myers-Briggs typological theory, the tertiary grows and blossoms with maturity (and I do believe is consciously realized, but not always, in young adulthood and continually grows from there, but of course there will be anomalies).

I'm curious now, at what point did the hate of all things that is crowds come into realization? Any idea as to what triggered it? I'm just assuming it was a gradual thing with no exact pinpoints to show, but eh...

 

[Ermine]

I've noticed the same thing with concerts. I remember the atmosphere and exhilaration a lot better than the exact music that was played.

 

[NoID10ts]

I'm 17 right now and as of the concert which was only a month and a half ago. Anyways, I was seeing what part of development of the INTP this kinda recollection could be attributed to, and my first assumption was the tertiary, Si. So I went to http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/ and found this tidbit of information about Si:

"Sometimes the feeling-tone associated with the recalled image comes into your awareness along with the information itself. Then the image can be so strong, your body responds as if reliving the experience. This could be seen as a source of feelings of nostalgia or longing for the way things were"

Now, what is confusing me is your comment:

"When I read this I remembered that when I was in my teens I went to several concerts and had a very similar experience. That is all but gone now. I hate crowds with a passion. I just can't deal with them anymore. I wonder if it is something that develops with age."

Typical to Myers-Briggs typological theory, the tertiary grows and blossoms with maturity (and I do believe is consciously realized, but not always, in young adulthood and continually grows from there, but of course there will be anomalies).

I'm curious now, at what point did the hate of all things that is crowds come into realization? Any idea as to what triggered it? I'm just assuming it was a gradual thing with no exact pinpoints to show, but eh...

I've never liked crowds, but I would say the intense frustration with them began sometime in my 20's (?). I can't really say. The intense sense of nostalgia you refer to has never left and it can manifest through all sorts of memories. Concerts would never trigger that for me now, but a quiet moment on the beach or something like that can. I also have other issues such as depression that may be a factor. I'll leave the mbti analysis stuff to Decaf. The mbti is still a very new world for me. I only found out I am INTP a few months ago.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i think the negative part of being at a concert would be the thing i'd remember the most (Loveofreason and NoID10ts hypothetical transcripts). as far as feeling nostalgia, i don't know. if i think of a happy memory, i usually end up becoming depressed that that memory is over and that i'm not experiencing it right now.

 

[spockguy]

i think the negative part of being at a concert would be the thing i'd remember the most (Loveofreason and NoID10ts hypothetical transcripts). as far as feeling nostalgia, i don't know. if i think of a happy memory, i usually end up becoming depressed that that memory is over and that i'm not experiencing it right now.

Yeah, it seems to me, if the Si is what does control these memories of general atmosphere and feelings, then if you do indeed go to a concert, or a place where you feel uncomfortable from the crowd or whatever, then yeah, the negativity would be what is remembered. So it seems I'm naturally nonsensitive to the negativity of large crowds, or most of the negativity involved in events like this, therefore I'm yet again naturally attracted to concerts due to past experiences. What strikes my interest though is why I seem nearly devoid of these negative acknowledgments at these venues unlike some others on here.

I'm sure it has plenty to due with the sensitivity towards external stimuli opposed to me just being lucky to only go to concerts that are void of such. What might cause a natural tendency of avoiding these events or activities that give off a similar negative vibe, while others, even though they are INTP as well, don't mind them as much? Any thoughts?

(And in response to NoID10ts: Leaving Decaf to the analysis is probably a good idea )

 

[loveofreason]

@Love of reason: Maybe you're a nice INTP?

Be careful the rumours you start!


As for what makes the difference - why do some people develop sensitivities when others don't? I'm lead to believe some people are just 'wired' a little differently. eg. more receptors for certain chemicals or higher production. There must be a range of normal and some of us are just at different ends of the scale. Or spidergram, or however multi-dimensional the complex is.

Our endocrinological systems are primed at birth for the conditions they recognise as normal. The biological mandate for stasis sees us returning throughout our lives to this set-point. There must be a genetic component that provides the potential and a circumstances component that determines what of that potential gets expressed. Birth and the compounded formative experience from early childhood that govern the outcome of neural pruning are the critical shapers of genetic potential.

Also, certain life events like prolonged or sudden trauma can change brain chemistry, often permanently.

 

[Agent Intellect]

a lot of it, i suppose, is just that everyone is different (because of things like what Loveofreason said), even among personality types. the personality type, as i see it, is more of a general picture frame, where your individual personality is the unique painting that it holds (how artsy of me). people with an INTP frame are going to all have the same sized painting, but the painting itself is going to be different for everybody.

 

[Jesin]

Bad analogy, but yes.

 

[Agent Intellect]

it was a masterful analogy! i defy you to find one single flaw in it!

 

[Wisp]

Oh dear. Agents at it again...


I was a 13 on the test. I CAN enjoy rock concerts, if I'm in the mood

(Weird Al in concert! HELL YEAH!)

But if there's no focus to the crowd, and I'm just in people, I get VERY VERY pissed, VERY VERY quickly.



@ Agent

*sticks knife in canvas* hah! it's flawed.

 

[NoID10ts]

Did I/we scare away Shaz? She hasn't posted since my introspective moment on concerts. I hope she didn't break up with her INTP boyfriend because we INTP's "have issues"!

 

[Dissident]

I hope she didn't break up with her INTP boyfriend because we INTP's "have issues"!

We do have some issues dont we? Maybe you did her a favor

 

[Decaf]

We definately have issues, but I think we are pretty good when it comes to picking mates. We give people unilateral freedom to be who they are. We are attracted to adventure, but we don't push people into things they're uncomfortable with. Extramarital romance is generally too much of a hassle to bother with. We never think someone is "too weird" unless they're psychotic, delusional or religious (I'm just kidding folks ).

Now if we can just keep our unintentionally aggressive advice to ourselves and remember some birthdays, we're golden.

 

[Shaz]

Don't worry, I haven't run away, it's just that I don't have that much time to browse the forum these days (I'm still a bit shy though it's true, hehe, I do find time for the infj forum after all)

It doesn't even take a big event like that to get me started down that road. All it takes is a trip to a crowded supermarket.

actually, most infjs - if would say ALL infjs if I had a dominant judging function - hate supermarkets. I would hate being in the middle of a concert if there wasn't the whole meaning I find in sharing my passion with others. I don't go to concerts often at all - so I guess it's all or nothing, the sensitivity of my Fe depends entirely on my internal perception of it - generally overwhelming, but sometimes a great source or thrill and energy. I still don't quite understand how something that is exatcly the same from an external point of view can have opposites effects on me depending on my internal dispositions - I do hope I can try to influence it in a positive way in the future, because I could have a huge power on my self and my own well-being.

Shaz: I'm questioning whether I'm Ni dominant rather than Ti, so your perspective is very welcome.

I relate to the downside of sensitivity, but not the upside that you're relaying. This may be a matter of history and circumstances more than it is a reflection on function preferences though.

mhh... so you could be intj, right? They've got Ni dominant and they're not (openly) sensitive... It's mainly the Fe with us. Or are you thinking of an F trait you could have? Sometimes borderline Fs can end up using their T more I think, because it's safer and easier to use in the world we live in... I would have a bit more to say on it, but it's off topic I think. Or is it?
Oh, and I will look at other threads, I promise! I actually have but in most of them I don't feel as naturally disposed to answer, because they aren't really in my field of knowledge - very very interesting though. INTs minds are quite fascinating to me.

I particularly noticed this when my brother (INFJ) and I went to Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago to chill out and listen to some good tunes. After the thing was said and done, we were discussing the fest among each other and he said he could remember every little detail of the bands, knows the whole set and order of bands, and when hearing a song from the concert, he can clearly remember exactly what was going on during that song at the concert.

It's funny... Infjs are generally described as having close to no interest in the past (Si is the least developped of our 8 functions, as opposed to the dominant Si ISFJ - maybe he's not a strong N? Or maybe he just has an exceptional memory for an infj!), and having very fuzzy memories. I get very nostalgic at times (but apparently no one else on the infj forum does that much), but my memories aren't made of details, they're rather an idealised, blury version of the past.

 

[ChaosTheory]

I'm just going to reply by saying people can easily annoy me. I don't have a large threshold for annoyances. Like my one friend was a drummer. He would always tap his fingers on the table, tap his hands on the steering wheel while driving, and always sings the songs we listen to on his iPod while driving. I can't handle that. I don't like those repetitive sounds, and I can;t stand singing when I'm trying to enjoy the song.

 

[Dissident]

I'm just going to reply by saying people can easily annoy me. I don't have a large threshold for annoyances. Like my one friend was a drummer. He would always tap his fingers on the table, tap his hands on the steering wheel while driving, and always sings the songs we listen to on his iPod while driving. I can't handle that. I don't like those repetitive sounds, and I can;t stand singing when I'm trying to enjoy the song.

I usually tap my fingers on stuff, but not when Im listening to music, then I instintively do weird orchestra-director-like movements with my hands (when noone is looking, that is )

 

[Jordan~]

I thought I was the only one who did that! !

It's almost like a type of synaesthesia for me: music seems to be inextricably linked to a certain pattern of hand-waving!

 

[ChaosTheory]

I don't mind that. I mean like obnoxiously loud, ongoing pounding.

 

[Carnap]

Are you guys sensitive to non verbal cues? I feel I am. I always say stuff like "oh, so and so looked like he was going to cry" or I feel like I know what people are thinking just by a twitch in their face or a very subtle movement on the face.

Some people think I'm delusional about this. How can I know otherwise?

 

[Jennywocky]

I've never liked crowds, but I would say the intense frustration with them began sometime in my 20's (?). I can't really say. The intense sense of nostalgia you refer to has never left and it can manifest through all sorts of memories.

I have pretty intense nostalgic feelings that I internalize, and I'm very aware of change and the passage of time. I constantly feel the moments slipping away, and note what has changed since the last memory.

It's not my primary sensation (I'm more interested in the big picture and the future in terms of driving things), but I grieve a lot inside of what is constantly being lost and can't just blow it off despite moving forward all the time. For me, when I read people, I am examining the content of what they say and do, as well as how they say and do it, and the context, and their body language, and whatever else -- all those various elements of the interaction.

Are you guys sensitive to non verbal cues? I feel I am. I always say stuff like "oh, so and so looked like he was going to cry" or I feel like I know what people are thinking just by a twitch in their face or a very subtle movement on the face. Some people think I'm delusional about this. How can I know otherwise?

It's hard to tell if you're just reading into things or not. It's definitely a possibility, you might be picking up on stuff, sure. People can be hypersensitive to slight cues and changes in their surroundings and learn how to read those cues appropriately.

 

[Invoke Ninja's True Power]

I consider myself to be hypersensitive, its hard to put into words...it can only be felt

 

[nemo]

Carnap:
That happens to me too. I get a feeling as to what they're feeling, and I feel for them for it. (Did that make any sense?)

For the test, I got 19. I've been really emotional lately. I guess I always have been though - I remember starting to cry because a classmate was crying. >___> I'm not INTP by the way, it's ISFP/INFP for me.

 

[Miss Led]

I knew there was an online test for 'sensitivity' and I've rediscovered the link:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm

If you ignore the somewhat new-agey self-help our-book-can-help-you pathologising tone it's worth doing the quiz to see what's catagorised as sensitive.


I have to agree about the impact of beauty. One of the things that hurt me so about much of human effort - the results are so ugly! Beauty by contrast is like oxygen. Life fails without it.

I checked out that link. My 7 yo son is that person! He is startled by laughing and sneezing and sees and hears every minute detail around him. I feel rather sorry for him!

I can have times where I feel hypersensitive to sounds and business*. I don't like tv's in the background, or yard equipment. I don't like crunching noises either.

If I am in Manhattan though, I don't notice anything at all, it is like I walk around in my own little bubble in the city.

*Edit note: Okay...WTF does "and business" mean? Why would that even come out of my head and onto a vitual piece of paper?!?!? That makes NO sense....

 

[Tyria]

I scored 22 on that test. Wow, I need to relax a bit lol.

 

[ntfbfi]

I can be both senitive and insenitive. They surface from time to time. I feel it myself and I heard those comments from my friends. I remember once my friend broke up with her bf, she cried land behaved like she would committed suicide anytime. At that time I felt like I wanted to give her the world, and no I wasn't in love with her. However, when her family immigrated to AU and she asked me to meet her up the night before she left, I just couldn't bother, I did not feel anything, and the fact is, I haven't contacted her since then even she tried to get in touch with me a few time afterwards.
An other example is sometime (but rarely happens) I have a strong feeling like peacefulness and joyness when i am alone, sitting on the top of a mountain or a building, having a good scene in front of me. Yet, I didn't feeling anything when my grandpa died (and we were quite close)

 

[aracaris]

I knew there was an online test for 'sensitivity' and I've rediscovered the link:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm

If you ignore the somewhat new-agey self-help our-book-can-help-you pathologising tone it's worth doing the quiz to see what's catagorised as sensitive.

I don't really get why physical and emotional and chemical sensitivity are all included in that test, those are all very different things. It's possible to be extremely sensitive to physical stimuli, and be about as emotionally sensitive as a rock, or vice versa.

And I'm pretty sure that hunger can disrupt anyone's mood and concentration, but if such a response to hunger does happen to a greater extent and more quickly for someone than for the average person, then it can be a sign of another physical ailment (such as blood sugar problems), not of being a sensitive person.

 

[Waterstiller]

I can't believe I never responded to this thread. Maybe I'll go through it a little more tomorrow. I'm extremely sensitive to stimulation. I quickly become overloaded and need to retreat.

But yeah.. I've been reading the Highly Sensitive People book that is mentioned on that site where the quiz is located and it's helping me quite a bit.

 

[Veritas]

I'm too lazy to take the test right now...I'm sensitive to physical stimuli. I can't sleep if there's any sort of noise, movement, or light. (Gah way to go with living in the barracks and having a roommate!) I'm content with spending hours listening to the same song on repeat or staring at a sunset behind the mountains. I hate large crowds, but I'll join in if I've been hiding for a few weeks, though I tend to retreat back to the room by the end of the night. As for concerts, I zone out in the music and try to refrain from punching the person next to me for being in my area. I can see why many of you wouldn't like them though. Too much stupidity and way too many people. As for emotional sensitivity, I'm not easily swayed by anything or anyone. If I see someone or hear someone crying I'll probably ignore it, though wonder what their problem was. The only people who can get me emotionally triggered are the ones who I've connected with(and at this moment there are none). There's also the occasional movie with one of those ridiculous themes that turns me into a girl for a moment or one that fights for the inherent rights of humanity and the values that i hold close to my heart...

 

[bdubs]

I think my test results are useless because after taking the test I'd say I fall somewhere between 7 and 16 depending on how some of the questions are defined. I think cryptonia said it best when he explained he could not complete the test accurately.

I don't generally like concerts because the overly loud music combined with the logistics of standing so close to a large number of people tends to cause me physical pain. However, I was in the student section of the OSU/USC football game with a few of my roommates from the previous school year last night and despite experiencing most of the thoughts that NoID10ts outlined earlier, I managed to cope reasonably. For some time now I had been curious how the experience of a big football game would change if I was in the student section. I must say that I enjoyed the energy of the crowd.

Now I have to ask myself the question, "would I do it again?". While I would like to attend another game, I'm glad the home team only plays nearby once every week or two. Although I enjoyed myself the experience was a huge drain on my energy reserves.

 

[Ashenstar]

There is a lot on this thread so I risk being redundant and useless and I'm having a hard time concentrating on all the posts with my coworker going on about .. I don't even know what anymore. I must say something because I have been dwelling on this for about 2 weeks now.
I am definitely HSP and am becoming more and more convinced that I am INTP.
HSP is definitely physical, correct? So your personality test and acronym are completely separate from your sensitivity. Your nervous system is fantastic, basically. On the test I scored 23.
My sensitivity used to be so bad I would have panic attacks at Starbucks. Just.. all the .. movement.... and smells.. and noise.. it's just too much.

I'm much better but my brain still shuts down from too much. When I'm at work I have hundreds of people walk by me during my work shift. There is noise from the other desk people greeting the people coming in.. from the greeters saying goodbye to the people leaving.... from the people in the gym doing martial arts.. from the person talking to me... from the people to my right a few feet away having a conversation... also there are the brownies baking in the cafe inside my work, the unpleasant temperature. I could go on and on and on. Most often at work my brain just shuts down. Someone will be trying to spell their name for me so I can book them an appointment I will completely jumble it even if it's a simple name like "Savage".

Now I'm having a problem with school. There are people everywhere! Mostly, they leave me alone.. thank the gods, but here and there someone bothers me even though I have headphones on. In class though, I have a really hard time because we are all so crammed in... the teacher is talking.. there is someone whispering.. there is someone crinkling a paper... someone else is moving.. the lights are HORRIBLY bright.. etc etc etc. In my Russian class directly after math.. the teacher has us engage in group activities for a total of about 1.5 hours of the 2 hours for the class. It's killing me! lol

So.. my mind has been shutting of in school... which is NOT going to help me pass my classes. I'm just trying to figure out how to cope the best that I can by doing things like sitting at the VERY front of the class so I don't see anything else but the teacher.

 

[Tunesimah]

I'm definitely sensitive. It takes so long to learn just how 'different' you are from everyone else. I thought I was 'normal' for most of my life... who really knows growing up. I know now that I notice stuff that people don't even register... that things affect me differently.

Stuff like textures of food, clothes, smells. I pick up on little patterns everywhere. I get overwhelmed if a bunch of people are talking.

I seem to have a switch like a circuit breaker... when I'm too overwhelmed it just all turns off.

I'm constantly moving my eyes, picking up on changes... shifting attention.

I pick up changes in other people sometimes, but I'm pretty hopeless to do anything about it.

I might be Aspergers... I don't know. When I'm extremely comfortable, most of this fades away... and I can operate on a level I'm happy with and don't feel like I'm Autistic... but it takes time a long time to get to that point.

When I'm actively seeking sensory input, I want something fairly strong... it's like a novelty. I like going on progressively faster roller coasters... eating spicy foods... simple music starts to bore me... I go for the complex constantly changing sounds...

I don't know if this in INTP though... when I'm operating at my best... and my sensitivities aren't flaring... I still feel like an INTP... just a more capable INTP.

 

[Ashenstar]

I'm definitely sensitive. It takes so long to learn just how 'different' you are from everyone else. I thought I was 'normal' for most of my life... who really knows growing up. I know now that I notice stuff that people don't even register... that things affect me differently.

Stuff like textures of food, clothes, smells. I pick up on little patterns everywhere. I get overwhelmed if a bunch of people are talking.

I seem to have a switch like a circuit breaker... when I'm too overwhelmed it just all turns off.

I'm constantly moving my eyes, picking up on changes... shifting attention.

I pick up changes in other people sometimes, but I'm pretty hopeless to do anything about it.

I might be Aspergers... I don't know. When I'm extremely comfortable, most of this fades away... and I can operate on a level I'm happy with and don't feel like I'm Autistic... but it takes time a long time to get to that point.

When I'm actively seeking sensory input, I want something fairly strong... it's like a novelty. I like going on progressively faster roller coasters... eating spicy foods... simple music starts to bore me... I go for the complex constantly changing sounds...

I don't know if this in INTP though... when I'm operating at my best... and my sensitivities aren't flaring... I still feel like an INTP... just a more capable INTP.

I feel the same. Still INTP, but a a more capable ITNP. Also.. you nailed it. It's like a switch. It just simply flips off.


Also, I forgot to mention with being HSP..... but being rather emotionally disconnected, I do tend to like things that evoke a strong emotions in me as long as I choose it. Sarah Brightman sings Figlio Perduto on her La Luna album. There is a point towards the end of the song where her voice gets very strong and the music gets so overwhelming it actually makes me instantly tear up. I was at school listening to the song and when that part came on my eyes started water up instantly and I had to change the song quickly before tears were actually streaming down my face. I like it though... .. I'm feeling something.

 

[Zero]

It's normal for N types to be easily overwhelmed, even more so if they're INs. I have an ENFJ (I think) friend, who is overwhelmed by our class almost everyday. He was doing okay for a while, I don't know what caused the change.

I use to be very easily overwhelmed socially and people took it to mean I was sensitive. I don't think that's exactly right, I was simply overwhelmed trying to live up to social standards and be what I was expected to be. It took me some time to overcome it. Having something like INTP to cling to, as a definition for myself, allowed me to discard the opposite expectations. I think it somewhat comes with age though.

I'm still overwhelmed at times, though I tend to know what I can and can't handle.

Asperger's is a syndrome, I don't know that you are one, rather you have it. For a while the learning disorder I have was associated with autism, now it's classified as it's own spectrum.