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Why a fast brain almost always lives in a sensitive body
Karolien Koolhof •
It is often thought that a high IQ is a guarantee for success in school and in your career. But in my practice, I also frequently see the other side of the coin: highly gifted people struggling with chronic stress, overwhelming emotions, and a strikingly high incidence of physical complaints. Is it all in their heads, or is there more going on?
People with very high intelligence or a neurodivergent profile often have a nervous system that is fundamentally wired differently. The Polish psychiatrist Kazimierz Dabrowski noticed this decades ago. He discovered that highly gifted individuals experience the world through specific overexcitabilities. This can be physical (not being able to tolerate itchy clothing tags or bright lights), but also emotional or intellectual.
A fast brain is a brain that makes non-stop connections. That is wonderful when you need to solve a complex work problem, but it also means that this same brain worries and ruminates at lightning speed. Whereas an average brain goes into resting mode after a busy workday, the hyper-brain continues to ruminate on the day's events. Brain researchers, such as Leuchter and his team in 2012, have made this literally visible in brain scans: in people who ruminate a lot or are prone to depression, the electrical signals in the brain simply seem unable to shut off. The connections remain active, preventing the nervous system from ever fully relaxing.
Inflammations
But what does this have to do with your body? This is where psychoneuroimmunology comes in. This is the bridge between psychology, your nervous system, and your immune system. When your brain is constantly "on" due to intense sensory stimuli or simply because you notice every detail in a social interaction, your body registers this as chronic stress. The brain does not distinguish between an actual physical threat (like an escaped tiger) or a mental threat (like a conflict at work or the deep realization of injustice in the world). In both cases, the alarm sounds.
Your sympathetic nervous system is activated: the well-known fight-or-flight mode. If you are stuck in this for years, your immune system becomes dysregulated. The body thinks it is under attack and reacts with inflammatory responses. This so-called hyper-body effect was discovered in a large-scale 2018 study by Karpinski and colleagues among over 3,700 members of the high-IQ society Mensa.
Compared to the national average, these highly intelligent individuals had a sky-high risk for a range of both psychological and physiological conditions. They were over twice as likely to experience mood and anxiety disorders, but surprisingly enough, they also had a much higher chance of having environmental allergies, food allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. The hyper-brain and the hyper-body proved to be inextricably linked.
Recovery
Moreover, Karpinski's research does not stand alone. As early as the 1980s, researcher Camilla Benbow conducted a famous study among mathematically and verbally extremely talented youth. She too discovered that about half of these brilliant students suffered from allergies, asthma, or immune disorders. A much higher percentage than normal.
What does this mean for you? If you recognize yourself in the characteristics of giftedness and you are struggling with unexplained physical complaints, know that it isn't just in your head. Because what is in your head communicates with your body all day long. Think of it as having the nervous system of a Formula 1 race car. It is wonderful, but you cannot drive it over a dirt road full of potholes as if it were a simple city car. It requires different maintenance.
The core of this is properly regulating your nervous system. It requires sufficient recharge time, taking your sensory boundaries seriously, and learning to calm the constant stream of thoughts. Because only when the hyper-brain learns to rest does the hyper-body get the chance to recover.
About the author
- Karolien Koolhof is a coach voor introverts and gifted individuals
- Author of the book Introvert Leadership
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