Empathy is the capacity to be able to put oneself into another person’s shoes and understand their thoughts and feelings. An empath is a person who has the ability to resonate with other people, on many different levels, so that they can accurately feel their emotional wellbeing.
It is not yet known how empaths have this ability, but many believe that it is innate and is handed down through our DNA.
As for how it works, everything in the world resonates to an electrical energy; it is thought that empaths are able to sense the changes in this electrical energy around them.
Empaths are typically regarded as being sympathetic, caring, sensitive to the feelings of others, and compassionate souls. So would it surprise you to learn that there is a dark side to being an empath?
The very nature of empathy means that many people rely on empaths for support and guidance. It also means that empaths see much more of the world than we do, and as such, this can cause problems in different areas of their lives.
You would think as an empath is well-versed in emotions they would be experts in handling their own, but the truth is they are in a constant battle to keep these emotions in check. Because they feel others’ emotions so keenly, particularly others’ sadness, it can sometimes bring them crashing down into depression.
They find it hard to distinguish between their own emotions and others’ and have to find other empaths to share their thoughts with.
Empaths have to deal with a huge amount of information from their sensitivity to electrical energies. This can make them feel overwhelmed and extremely drained as they try and make sense of it all.
They are particularly susceptible to negative energy, as this upsets them greatly. When all they can sense is negative energy, they can swiftly become fatigued.
Because empaths are trusting souls who always believe in the goodness of people, they are quite often taken advantage of by the less scrupulous amongst us.
Empaths are typically generous and kind and are givers by nature, this can lead them to attract those that only take and never give back. When an empath finds out that they have been conned, they can easily fall into a deep depression.
The problem with being empathetic is that you feel sorry for assholes too.
-Unknown
As empaths prefer to give to others rather than receive, they are more likely to neglect their own welfare, including their mind and body.
This is the dark side that is all too common, as empaths are fatigued from the stress of what they experience, is it all too easy to forget to take care of themselves.
Because an empath has seen all the cruelty in the world, they find it extremely difficult to give themselves totally to someone. They hold a little piece of their heart back, just in case they are going to be hurt in the future.
They cannot allow themselves to fall deeply in love because they are fearful of experiencing all that passion, it could be too much for them to handle.
Empaths are selfless people who are bombarded by sensory information on a daily basis. They feel that their role in life is to help others, but this places an enormous burden on them, as they cannot possibly help everyone that they come into contact with.
Despite the harm to themselves, they would still rather carry another’s person’s problems than let that person down.
Empaths should realise that the problems of the world are not theirs to solve. To prevent the dark side of empathy from taking over their life, they do not have to give themselves to every single person they meet. At the same time, they should let down the walls of their heart once in a while.
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As an empathetic person, I agree with many of the points in this article as I have experienced them. Though this article was disheartening with its "wow" effect added. having spoken deeply with many empaths and those you have no empathetic comprehension has given me a deeper understanding of this skill I have. It's easy to disregard empathy as innate or an anomaly, but it's a skill that can be honed and utilized if you choose to do so. However it's something you can easily get rapped up in and lose yourself, spending too much time diving into the emotions of people around you can easily be disorienting, overwhelming, disheartening, and can leave you feeling sad and empty inside. To find a healthy balance of being a supportive and considerate person, and someone who looks out for themselves is something I've yet to achieve. Though I hope to one day do so as I'm no use to anyone if I exhaust myself to the point of breaking.
I love being empathetic, but as this article states - it's difficult at times and can lead to you closing off your heart and yourself from those around you. Especially if you're someone easily hurt and find it hard to recover from those scars.
Being an empath isnt a gift or a curse. It simply is a label applied to people who are so sensitive to emotions that somewhere inside you have to learn to control them or die. That learning to control also makes you sensitive to emotion in others around you. I have a personal theory that bpd is the consequence of an empath who cant learn control, and there are many stops in between. In my case I became very strong in everything except the experience of grief and betrayal and rejection. I am still sensitive to these beyond all reason and it matters to me that people never have to feel them. Other than that I am a very type a personality. I can block the intensity of those feelings until they come from someone I have opened to and let myself love or care for and trust for my equilibrium. If they make me feel that friendship or love or emotional contract is being lost, I will collapse inside somewhere and I to all intents and purposes become a bpd in the full throes of rejection. I am more afraid of that than anything in the world physical or mental or what. That same anger or rejection from someone I havent opened to is sad, but not destructive. I dont know if I'm explaining it well as an everyday empath I agree with the person who said you can actually manipulate people of situations and I consider that an important work of helping and healing . I'm not so fond of the fact that if I see a person being treated wrongly I can destroy the one causing it within seconds physically or under extreme circumstances lashing out psychicly
. That has happened three times and it scares me and I dont want to know how to do it by decision it only happened accidentally and I dont want to know how.
I just wanted to say though that no one deal here with the immense pain and sorrow and grief of an empath who has believed in someone and given their all and then been betrayed and lied to
Well, that's me in a nutshell. Don't know is it scientific or not, but being empath all my life, and in addition I am professionally carer to old people with a variety of helth conditions, all this emphaty is just drains me. I have a problem with stress last couple of years, and recently got angina pectoris, which tells me: I have to start to look after MYSELF and less to others, otherwise, I will be soon kissing goodbye this world.
Being empathic my entire life ....I can clearly say ...its NO gift.....I realize others might disagree...But from my life experiences..... It has only drained me of my energies....My entire life force.... Has been depleted from time to time over my lifespan of 51 years.... I have studied read and learned as much as possible on this subject and Psychology in general....But still to this day ..... I feel too much.... I feel so deeply it's to the essence of my soul.... It has literally brought me to my knees several times.... Very close to be end.. To close...
I'm well aware of the dark sides of being empathetic.... Taking on others' feelings and emotions along with your own you become so confused to the point of insanity....
I have learned how to try to bubble myself to save myself.... Doesn't always work but it has helped me.... Meditation yoga clearing the mind... Big benefits for an Empath.... Really helps you sort out all the feelings.... I walk around trying not to read people at times trying not to touch them because I absorb it all..... I know there's a lot of us out there I've researched it.... As with most human beings we have are good sides in our bad sides... But as an empath we feel things so deeply we truly believe that the world can be saved with love and compassion..... So we tend to get really disappointed throughout our lives with people that we come in contact we have to remember we don't all have the same hearts and some people are just not capable of understanding ours.....
Blessings to all Peace & Love and light....
Thank you for this description of being an empathic person. I do not know if I am an empathic person. I do know that I have been "MR Fix-it" for all my marriage and raising 4 children, I have the T-shirt. My profession is general contracting and in that, I am constantly fixing for others and just can't get to my / our stuff. It seems to be a way of life for me and my family seems to know or understand as our house is in a 24-year renovation. I have lived this all my life right from my teens. I hardly ever finish things for me. Friends or family always called on me to help fix or get things done for them.
My big problem is, I seem to live for others and through there needs I seem to evolve or exist in some way. That is OK!
My comments to my wife were always" Its all for you dear". " Its all about you, with love and devotion." Though my wife is my life and friend and Love. I miss her dearly in her passing and thus can't find my groove to fix for us / me. Even though she is gone I am still having to do things for her and I have a hard time keeping my thoughts together.
Are there any things practices or suggestions that may help me get back on track? I can't even finish my thoughts as you can see! Thanks for your help!