Thursday, May 19, 2011

7 Signs You're An Empath


1. When in public, do you constantly feel overwhelmed with inexplicable emotions for which you can’t determine the reason?
Example. You drop by the mall one Saturday morning. You feel great. You get into the mall, walk past a crowd of people -- and start feeling a bit strangely. It can be anything; you can feel very down, very angry, very sad, very excitable. (The key word here is very.) And you won’t have any explanation for it, you'll just feel it. In other words, you’ve suddenly gone Bi-Polar without actually having the biological deficiency that causes it. And what’s worse, you can’t turn it off. You can carry on, trying to ignore it, but eventually it will be so overwhelming to the point you just want to go home and be alone. This is the reality of an Empath – one who hasn’t yet learned how to block other people’s emotions out. Being around other people is such a harrowing experience that most of them prefer to keep their own company, living the life of a hermit. And they usually find it very much worth it.
2. Do you experience other people's physical ailments?
This is most common with those you have an emotional connection with, but can occur with anyone. A very good example of this would be suddenly feeling very lethargic and fatigued for no reason, and having to remain in bed for a day or two. You’re not sick – not really. You’re not ill. Yet, you feel that you are. Profoundly. You later find out that your “illness” coincided with a lover or family member’s sudden fatigue (resulting from legitimate illness) even though they were in another country at the time and you had no idea until after the fact. Symptoms can also manifest in the form of chest pains, cramps, migraines, etc. You basically experience it all, without contracting the actual illness.
3. Do you feel overwhelmed when watching something horrible in real life or even on television?

This one sounds silly, but viewing the news or depressing commercials designed to induce sympathy and open wallets can debilitate an Empath for several hours. While most people get upset over homeless dogs and cats, an Empath will often feel like their hearts have been lanced. That’s a literal definition, by the way. It’s not something as shallow as sympathy or even ordinary empathy. It’s a feeling of guilt and moral empathy that cannot be easily assuaged. Crying is very common, and not just during that time of month when all the emotions are out of whack!
4. Do you ALWAYS know what someone really means?

In other words, can you always, always, always tell what it is someone meant to say to you? More importantly, can you tell why they didn’t? If an Empath is face to face with someone and has just been lied to -- they will know. And they will know why. They will know if the other person is trying to spare feelings; they will know if malice was involved. In other words, they will know the intent. You cannot lie in the face of an Empath and not be caught out. While they will not often be able to suss the specifics of what you’re hiding, they will know if you mean them well or not. No exceptions. This is more than good intuition and this isn’t a hunch; this is knowing.

5. Do you feel compelled to care for anyone in pain, no matter who they are and what they’ve done to you?

7 Signs You're An EmpathA true Empath cannot walk past someone suffering and not feel a need to stop and help that person. Homeless people can be particularly difficult, as they are everywhere and little can be done to help them unless the Empath has an occupation related to this. A true Empath feels compelled to go to anyone they feel pain from, be it angst or something physical. And a true Empath's compassion will usually be accepted on the spot: People in pain, regardless of how they might normally react to strangers, will receive an Empath with open arms. They know instinctively that their pain matters to them.
6. Do people open up to you – even if you don’t want them to?

Some Empaths are the new-agey peace-loving types who want to hold hands with everyone, but many just want to be alone because they have difficulty processing everything they absorb from other people. (This is usually because they have yet to realize their abilities and haven’t learned to deal with it yet.) For an Empath, however, putting on a grumpy face doesn't keep people they barely know from drawing near and seeking compassion and empathy from them. The ill, the suffering, the weak; they are all drawn to the unconditional understanding and compassion an Empath emits. And Empaths emit it whether they want to or not.That’s not to say Empaths can’t be mean and nasty people -- they surely can be. But those particular Empaths tend to be those with profound sensitivity who've broken down inside and have no other way of keeping other’s emotions at bay. Again, these are Empaths who don’t know of their abilities.
7. Can you heal?

Most Empaths have the ability to heal. Yes, that means physically. This isn’t about Reiki or any other alternative modality, though they may seem similar in concept. An Empath heals instinctively, usually by drawing the pain or ailment out and accepting it into their own bodies. For obvious reasons, this is not recommended for anyone who doesn’t know how to keep from becoming ill in the process. In today’s day and age, everyone seems to want to be psychic to some degree. That’s probably due our evolution of consciousness as human beings. Therefore, many people reading this will likely think themselves Empathic. I cannot stress the following enough: There is nothing fun about being an Empath. It’s often a very draining and miserable existence in which you feel like you have to be entirely alone in order to survive. It is not glamorous, it is not exciting and it is painful more often than not.
You're not crazy!

Being an Empath doesn't have to be so overwhelming, but this is not something most would aspire to so don't get upset if none of this rings true for you. Everyone's got "otherworldly talents" and you needn't be an Empath to excel in the realm of conscious endeavors. If you *are* an Empath, you will know this is you, you will not be saying “Hmm.. maybe… hmm…” If you feel (without hesitation!) these apply to you as I’ve just described, then also know there are ways of coping, and I’ll get into them in future articles. With a little self-awareness you can turn your curse into gift, especially when it comes to being able to ease the emotional and physical pain of others. For now, take consolation in the knowledge that you are not crazy!

21 comments:

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  2. Greetings, I am Diamon.

    I have all of these symptoms of being an Empath. I agree though, it is NOT fun being an empath, that is a definite. And its like I cant go into a place without being bombard by all these overwhelming emotions, especially in a grocery store or a place where there is selfish rage and anger. It drives me CRAZY. And the fact I also tend to feel other people's emotions and pain through the internet. I am not sure what is going on but it isnt fun.

    And another thing about being an empath, people naturally are drawn to me and open up to me without giving them a reason to. But at most I am usually a trustworthy and compassionate person.

    But that is besides the point, why would anyone in their right mind want to feel all this overwhelming things as an empath? I am not saying its a curse, but those who want to be an empath is because they want in some way to feel special or that they have some ability. I really do feel for these people because I was like that at one point, I was lost, confused and not sure where to go and needed something to fill up that void.

    But now I am going through changes and learning to let go of this and I been able to cope with this better and help people

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  3. I am an empath and I come from a long bloodline of empaths as well, so the being alone part is actually very good for me. I increase my energy and am very intune with my spirit when I'm alone in my home and with my family. I am curious about the physical healing, I know that I am very good at healing others emotionally which is why I became a life coach. I never have an issue with carrying others emotions on after helping them ...BUT...I'm married to a man that is total opposite and struggles with his own inner depression and anger and he is the only person that I absorb his energy and emotions for a long period of time (which is understandable, becuz im always with him). I really need guidance on ways to fight off his negative energy because it literally leaves me drained, fatigue and shut down to the point that I thought I had some type of illness but after bloodwork came back fine over and over again, I realized I only feel ill when Im around him. This is going to destroy my marriage if I dont find out a solution because he is really a good person but his lack of facing his past is wearing me down. Please help !!!!

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    1. It's important for your overall wellbeing that u develop ways to protect yourself from those on a lower energy, check videos on shielding on YouTube, otherwise you will always be prey like a host to a parasite.
      Once you learn to protect yourself, you will become powerful. Oprah Winfrey is a perfect example of a powerful empath capable of improving all the lives she touches. Best of luck!:)

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    2. Thank u soooo much. I will check out as many videos as i can.

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  4. I have been noticing these signs in myself more and more. I'm very in tune with animals and, oftentimes, prefer their company to human beings. I, sometimes, have trouble consoling people in the sense of saying the right thing. Like if someone close to them is ill or has recently passed, I feel "I'm really sorry..." and those same phrases are just meaningless so I struggle with the right words. I just want to listen and I tend to take on their emotions. I keep to myself a lot these days and I love my solitude, to the point of feeling isolated but people feel the need to connect with me when I first meet them so much of the time I've lost count. I've held sales jobs where I have more than excelled in the art of persuasion, people love to tell me everything about themselves. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, "...I can't believe I'm telling you this..." I really think I'd never have to worry about money again. I've had service industry jobs such as bartending and serving which have yielded the same results. I've felt people's and deceased people's thoughts and intentions and had them pop into my head. I could go on...

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  5. Hello, I went to see a Medium yesterday for the first time. 2 of my girlfriends asked me to go with them. This Medium comes highly recommended. I decided on our drive up to see her that I was going to keep an open mind. I would let her start the session by letting me know what she is getting. She started off with a few things such as my health some names etc. Then her pen stopped working. She commented on this as she said the next thing I want to talk about I have to use a different pen. She told me I am an "Angelic Empath". She said she has been doing readings for over 30 yrs and always if she would ever come across an Angelic Empath. Today I decided to google what an Empath is and I came across your site. As I was reading your :7 Signs You're An Empath I started to cry. I was always a loner growing up and constantly picked on. I have no self esteem. What is weird is sometimes I feel like I am Dear Abby. People open up to me and I always give them strong advice and I don't know why and where it is coming from. I would think to myself you know when I need a should which is often I have no one and I am alone. I am crying because what I read here makes sense to me but at the same where do I go from here? How can I grow, learn and protect myself now. I still feel alone although I have my husband and my son. A lot of times my husband doesn't know how to deal with my emotions. I have found that for years I have closed myself off emotionally. Now I feel I need to open myself back up.
    I decided to write a comment asking for help and/or guidance with being an Empath. I want to embrace this and grow. Kindly let me know in which direction I can follow. lsmig@live.ca

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  6. kageboshi i was born with alot of shall we say gifts one very empathic the one thing of many advices icould offer is always stick with nature tap into its many vastelemental powers for grounding relax and the answers should just come to you and just keep things simple it gets easier in time TTFN

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  7. How do you know if your indigo, crystal, star etc ?

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  8. Hello... My name is Joshua and I am having trouble defining myself.

    I found God or he found me when I was in the about7 or 8 years old in 2nd grade of primary school on the playground during recess after I was philosophying after a Scripture class at the age of 8 I looked up into the Sky and asked and tried to fee out God's presence and love....
    It hit me like a lightning bolt instantaneously... Love coursing through my entire body head too toe the second opened my mind and heart too him...
    I am very confused if I am an Empath or a Human Angel...
    I know I am definately not the caretaker type

    I am defiantly an Empath or a Human Angel.
    Most of the others I have read they're similar stories all too mine however there are some major differences.

    I have an exceptionally high intuition.... It's surprise my own self how detailed or how specific the feeling or central thought in another persons mind is, that I can feel or see the thought purely all in its entirety for a split second as clear as day and then it's gone when they're train of thought moves onto the next thought....

    Now the difference are number 1... I'm male and I beleive this is an uncommon ability in men....
    #2 my ability to lock onto feelings or thoughts in others or being comlletely overwhelmed by a heart reaching world hunger commercial is common in empaths from what I understand...
    However when I walk through a crowd, or a mall or passing strangers in the street... My ability will not manifest itself...
    I have to lock eye contact with another for it to work if it's a stranger...to read the feelings behind the eyes... However if it's a close friend I know and care about it becomes far more obvious and apparent what's going on the second they walk into the room that I'm present in...
    Recently I have started having pre-cognitive dreams for the first time in my life... I'm 28 years old now and I feel kind of as if I am waking up for he first time in my life...

    I can't remember my life before this one but I feelings about serving a higher purpose and been explicitly told by a higher power multiple times of the Imperitiveness and seriousness of the need for me to stop smoking.....

    I always seek out the truth and and believe word leaders have a responsibility to serve the people and not themselves...

    I have a real passion for people and a flare for languages... My Life Path numerology number is 2 into 11.... Which is extremely spiritually charged...
    I always thought that my ADD mind I posses has been a curse & Super power was at the same time...
    I am currently being struck after a long one of hardship with effortless inventions that seem to flow freely to my mind.... I suspect if I begin meditating I can type into a creative power from a higher realm....

    So please tell me...
    Who am I...? ? ?


    Joshua....
    The only biblical name in my entire family... Also the only one in my family except my Grandmother to hold any faith & acknowledgment of a higher power , The Lord of the lift light, He who is love himself.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Please forgive my spelling, I wrote everything down as quickly as it came to my thoughts

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  9. Hello, I'm an Empath as well. i have all these signs mentioned here from ever since i was a child. The worst part is that, my Father was a traditional healer and i followed his footsteps as well. i see things before they happen and this is draining me a lot cause when this happens, its either i experience pains, get sick or get overwhelmed.Even when someone phones me, i already know who before i could pick up the phone! Most of the times my dreams involves me crossing the river full of water. Even at work, there is nothing that can happen without me seeing it first. Things like, when they employ new people i see them before they get accepted them and when they make sitting change around the office i see that too. All these tiny little things that don't really matter in life i see them.This is weird! Im finding it difficult to accept that im an Empath because i feel very different from other people and i keep asking myself "why me?"

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  10. I really liked your article. Very informative! Some great comments too.
    Who in their right mind would choose to be an empath? . It's cool in a sense, but I reckon most empaths have problems in regards to shutting things out when all that "extra" information starts to become overwhelming. That's the sad part. On a positive note, the sooner you can put a name to your gift/curse, the sooner you can start researching ways to protect yourself. That's where I am now, trying to learn to protect myself. Once I get that figured out, I will be more than willing to embrace my gift (no longer would it be a curse), and give give give!
    Good luck and Blessings to all of you!

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  11. I hate being an empaths. I can't function in real life, I need to be alone. If I encounter negativity, especially directed at me, I am drained, depressed and want to kill myself to make the pain stop.

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  12. Hi, I'm Faythe. So I'm an empath, but I'm also a star child. Everything you said does apply to me in a way. And I have talked to a few people and they've told me I am both, but that people like me are called something else, something like "Terrors," I think. And I'm just wondering if you think this could be true?

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  13. I'll be short and sweet and to the point. I know I'm an empath and have known this for years. I agree it feels like more of a curse but as crazy as it may seem I wouldn't have it any other way. I get very. Very all the time. Care and knowing is scary. People who know me can sense I know. And does make them feel uncomfortable at times. It is as if we are picking their brain.

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  14. I'll be short and sweet and to the point. I know I'm an empath and have known this for years. I agree it feels like more of a curse but as crazy as it may seem I wouldn't have it any other way. I get very. Very all the time. Care and knowing is scary. People who know me can sense I know. And does make them feel uncomfortable at times. It is as if we are picking their brain.

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  15. Me too! I've alwsys had this strange understanding of what isn't being said., in fact I hear more clearly in ones silence then spoken words. I didn't understand why I knew things but I did. Often I would have a thought then the very thought would manafiest itself in reality. I would be in awe and tell another that I knew this would happen but because it hapoened do often yo me I frlt thst my intuition was tskrn as a know-it-all or just a need for attention. But I knew, I reslly knew. This still happens yo me today, I hsve taken time to journal these hsppenkngs ehen I recognize thrm as bring a message. This helps me find deeper u understanding. I dont share these ferlings or thoughts as often these days as I find other fo not relate or hsve the ability to understand me.

    Much to my surprise I sm also understanding thst I have a gift gift for healing. I didn't relate this to anything other then I felt compelled to touch a loved one when they were ill. Not like a regular touch but a deeper drive in me to touch them in hopes to alleviate pain. The most compelled to touch another was when my mother in law had cancer. She was in her final days and a great deal of pain. I was drawn to her feet and lower legs. I asked her if I may massage her feet withnthe intent to relieve some of thempain she was in. WhennI began nto touch her Imfelt as thought my hands were energized. I felt a current through out my entire body and I felt a natural way of moving my hand to not break this energy. It was so natural for me. I didnt know why this urge came over me and I didnt think twice about it

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  16. Thanks for sharing this nice blog. I read it completely and get more interesting knowledge from this. I again thanks for sharing such a nice blog.
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