So I heard a woman introduce herself as an Empath, "I feel what others are feeling" she said. This piqued my interest immediately, I had to know more about the subject. I thought I would share. A quick search brought up several articles instantly. The first I clicked on was "Seven signs you're an Empath". In it the author, Isabella Snow, in meaningful detail explains the arduous life of these special people. The first sign was this:
1. Do you feel overwhelmed with inexplicable emotions, while in public?
Yes, I'm very sensitive to the change of mood or the change in energy emanating from either groups of people or specific persons. This is one of the reasons for my interest in psychology and anthropology, I want to know why people do what they do so well that I can predict their movement and behavior. I have often tried to explain it to people how I just know when someone is hurting.
2. Do you experience other people's physical ailments?
Yes, I avoid hospitals like the plague, as well as nursing homes and other institutions where pain is a constant variable. It makes it difficult to come up with appropriate excuses as to why I'm not able to visit friends or family in hospital. The few times I've gone in the last ten years, maybe four times total, I feel drained and exhausted afterward and crave a shower (negative ions for energy).
3. Do you feel overwhelmed when watching something horrible in real life or even on television?
Yes, I used to be disgusted by people who could slowly drive by a gruesome car accident and gawk at peoples pain as though it were a past time. When I would mention something to my car-mates they would laugh and say:"What? This is what humans do, they are curious about these kinds of things." Also I am unable to watch "scary" movies, not because they scare me, but because they pervade my reality and waking life so completely, that its difficult for me to discern in memory whether it was a movie or something that actually happened to me. Horror movies, and especially violent movies are not a staple form of entertainment for me.
4. Do you ALWAYS know what someone really means?
Yes. People tend to assume once they get to know me that the reason I am always spot on with everyone is because of my ability to "psychoanalyze". I've been alright with this conclusion for the most part, though I realized from an early age that to psychoanalyze took conscious effort. I pay a lot of attention to sentence structure and tone of voice, emphasis on certain words or letters, accent and intonation. I may analyze after speaking with you, all the possible meanings taking into account your background and culture.
5. Do you need to care for anyone in pain, no matter who they are or what they’ve done to you?
Yes. I tend to befriend broken people, people who either have self-esteem issues or people who carry a lot of emotional baggage. I'm warier now than I used to be however, I may be compelled to help but then I weigh the pros and cons of such a gesture before I commit to help the individual. This may seem cold to some, but I find it necessary to survive.
6. Do people open up to you – even if you don’t want them to?
Yes. There was a time when I would only go do my food shopping early in the morning, think 2 or 3 am. I found it necessary as complete strangers would find me out and tell me all matter of embarrassing things. It progressed to the point that I had to carry a pair of headphones around just to keep from attracting too many people from expressing their complaints and desires. I do not like to listen to music in public as I feel its a distraction and unsafe, so I would just stick the end piece into a pocket and try to look like I was listening to music blaring into my ears.
7. Can you heal?
Yes. I was raised in the Christian Faith and was told my entire childhood that there were certain gifts bestowed upon His people that were designed to help others. Though I never enlisted in those beliefs, nor healed in order to give praise or glory to a Higher Power, I assumed that the healing I was doing was detrimental to myself. My mother was terminally ill while I was a child, and I remember instances where I would tiptoe into her room without a sound and just absorb some of her negative energy to help her have a better day, because my little brother often asked where mother was or why she was always in her bedroom, and all I wanted was for life to be as normal as possible. Currently, I have strict rules of engagement when it comes to the act of healing. I find that these parameters help me to stay healthy.
What about you? Are you able to relate to others without even trying? I'm glad that I stumbled upon the woman who said she was an empath because her words have given me a label. The idea that what I have, others have, and its A-OK! Maybe you have a similar/dissimilar gift you would like to share? Please do. If you think that you might be an empath you could check out this link Empath Quiz . I was surprised at my results.
I wonder if there is such a thing as male empaths, or if this tends to be a female characteristic?
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