True Empaths Who Absorb Everyone Else's Energy Experience 12 Specific Things On A Near Daily Basis
Mimagephotography | Shutterstock True empaths have a gift, though it doesn't always feel like it. Sometimes, absorbing everyone else's energy can drain you all the way to your core.
If you personally have experienced these 12 specific things on a near-daily basis, you're likely one to two percent of people are true empaths, according to psychology professor Dr Michael Banissy and his team. For many, being an empath can feel like both a blessing and a curse, but it is a rare gift, no matter how you see it.
True empaths who absorb everyone else's energy experience 12 specific things on a near daily basis
1. Feeling other people's emotions
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One of the most fundamental traits of an empathic person is feeling the same things other people do, a trait that goes well beyond standard empathy. It's not just being able to imagine how they feel, you feel it along with them.
Dr. Judith Orloff, an expert in empathy, said that being an empath is much like serving as an “emotional sponge” to the world. Like a sponge, you soak up what you come in contact with.
But beyond feeling another person’s feelings, an especially empathic person will be able to understand those emotions. You won’t just be met with a jumble of emotions; you will be able to identify what you and someone else are feeling.
2. Uniquely sensitive
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Anyone who feels empathy could be described as sensitive, but being an empath means you are even more sensitive than most people are. An empath's sensitivity is multi-sensory.
Licensed marriage and family therapist Kim Egel said, “Empaths have a higher sensitivity to outside stimuli such as sounds, big personalities, and hectic environments. They bring a lot of heart and care to the world and feel things very deeply.”
Someone more empathic will feel especially sensitive to everything, not just feelings. Sounds, visuals, and atmospheres may be overwhelming. This could mean you are a highly sensitive person or HSP, which often goes hand-in-hand with being an empath.
3. Easily emotionally drained
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If you feel so many different emotions in such deep ways, it’s only natural that you would also feel emotionally drained. Shuffling through so many emotions isn’t easy, and picking up on what many people feel means you're almost constantly fending off an onslaught of feelings.
When you get overstimulated, it’s easy to feel drained. Because of this, you may need to take more time to recharge and rejuvenate and spend more time alone or with your closest family.
This is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, it’s a form of self-care and a sign to the universe that you’re preparing yourself to empathize with more people.
4. Overwhelmed in crowds
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Picking up on others’ emotions can seem helpful and even magical one-on-one. When conversing with a friend, understanding where they’re coming from and what they’re feeling is a gift. It can also make you an exceptional parent.
But this feels the exact opposite when you’re in a large group. You’ll probably feel many emotions hitting you at once, and you’ll have to untangle them so you can focus on one at a time.
Unlike someone who is present in their own emotions or only feels the feelings of a limited number of people, being in a crowd can be overwhelming for the genuinely empathic.
As Dr. Orloff explains, “Let me explain the dynamics of empathy: the more people per square foot, the more our energy fields intersect — thus the tendency to become overloaded in high-density areas.” You’re simply picking up on too much at once.
5. Feeling other people's physical pain
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When we think of empathy, we tend to think of emotions. However, being empathic can extend to physical sensations and feelings as well.
The Cleveland Clinic points out that someone who is exceptionally empathic might feel the symptoms a sick friend is experiencing. This is beyond just feeling someone else’s happiness or frustration. It could also leave you with a stomach ache, cough, sore throat, or anything else that’s ailing someone close to you.
This can be disconcerting as there is no medical reason for you to be feeling these things. You don’t have the flu or a stomach bug, but you still feel them because you feel a little bit of everything.
6. A struggle when enforcing boundaries
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If you’re feeling everything someone else is, how can you possibly set a boundary with them? It’s a problem that has plagued empaths since the beginning of humanity.
Marriage and family therapist Joy Malek told PsychCentral that there are three reasons why you may struggle with boundary-setting and enforcing as an empath.
“You don’t know your needs in the first place, and only realize that a boundary was necessary after the fact," Malek explains.“You fear that the validation you receive for being so caring and nurturing will disappear, and when you say no, others will no longer see your value. And many of the suggestions on boundary setting stress assertiveness, which to you might actually feel aggressive.”
While setting boundaries is healthy, someone who is very empathic may feel that doing so is taking a step too far and will damage the rapport you have built with someone.
7. A deep connection to animals
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When someone is genuinely empathic, it can be difficult for them to be around other people. Animals, on the other hand, are another story.
“If people drain you easily, consider adding a pet to your life,” Healthline writes. “Empaths may connect to animals more intensely and draw deep comfort from this bond.”
Dr. Orloff agrees. “Though all people with loving hearts can feel their goodness, empaths are especially sensitive to absorbing the pure unconditional love that cats, dogs, and other animal companions so generously bestow,” she stated.
While humans can display complicated and conflicting emotions, pets are simply there for you. They don’t put the same strain on empaths that people sometimes can.
8. Unique challenges in romantic relationships
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For many, having someone to share life with, whether romantic partners or a soulmate-level friend, can be more rewarding than anything else. However, a true empath who absorbs everyone else's energy may prefer to be alone.
An empath's experience with a constant companion means constantly absorbing their emotions. They always pick up on that person’s emotions and feel them strongly, perhaps even more so because of their loving connection.
Writing about empaths and romantic relationships, Dr. Orloff explains, “For emotional empaths to be at ease in a relationship, the traditional paradigm for coupling must be redefined. Most of all, this means asserting your personal space needs, the physical and time limits you set with someone so you don’t feel they’re on top of you.”
9. A deep connection to nature
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Getting out in nature is the opposite of being in a crowded place, making it ideal for true empaths. If you feel particularly empathic, it can be helpful to disconnect from those around you who are feeding you their emotions and instead be present in nature. Sometimes, you may even feel unique energy from the wildlife.
“Highly sensitive people and empaths typically love to be out in nature and get energized by the quiet and beauty. It’s a wonderful place for sensitive people to live. Empaths also have an intimate communion with nature, including with the earth, plants, and animals,” said Dr. Orloff.
If you're a true empath who absorbs everyone's emotions, try sitting outside without headphones or distractions. Just lie still or ground your feet in the earth. You might find a peaceful pause in all of the emotions you typically experience.
10. A creative streak others find unusual
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A deep empathy level can also be linked to a strong creative side. University of Notre Dame professor Chris Adkins states, “Empathy begins with attention. Creativity does, too. In both cases, you pay attention to the data you take in. In Latin, attention means to ‘stretch toward.’ When you empathize with someone, you’re stretching outside of yourself and stretching into that person’s world.”
The emotions you feel because of empathy can cause you to create magnificent things, regardless of whether they are ever shared. While carrying so many emotions may feel difficult, being able to express them in such a way is beautiful.
This talent is so unique, others may look at what you do and find it magical or even weird. That's OK, as a true empath knows that it's their superpower.
11. An internal 'alarm' when someone isn't telling the truth
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When a true empath who absorbs energy senses a lie, they'll feel a sort of internal alarm go off. Sometimes it's hard for them to name that feeling, but it's there, even when they don't feel comfortable speaking up about it.
If you're an empath, you likely can also sense the discomfort of lying, big or small. The Cleveland Clinic explains that rather than making people wary of you, this will show them you’re a good listener and ready to help. As long as they're not lying, then they may stay far away from you as an empath.
12. A drive for healthy relationships that feed positive energy
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While choosing to be with someone else in any setting can sometimes be challenging for a true empath, they still crave relationships. A healthy empath, however, is looking for a healthy connection that will feed positivity both literally and energetically.
It’s easy for someone to pour out all their problems on empaths and make them feel worse. It takes strength and maturity for them to do the opposite and be there in return. As a gift, they get a partner or close friend who not only cares how they feel, but understands innately.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.
