How do I know I’m an Empath?
One of the most common things I see, when people e-mail me for advice is: Am I really an Empath?
They have looked at all the signs and can relate too many of them. They don’t always fit all the traits of an Empath. There are very few who do. However, they certainly fit many of the major ones, including being told that they are just too over sensitive or highly emotional.
HSP or Highly Sensitive Person is a signature trait of being an Empath. Â It means that you react with a heightened sense to everything that is going on around you.
If something bad happens, your reaction will seem to be over the top to others.
It might be something along the lines of having a bad day at work. You believe you’ve made an error and now you feel very guilty about it.
Maybe someone reacted in a way to something you said or did that you didn’t think was positive and you feel bad or even guilty about how you made them feel.
Perhaps a partner or a friend is having a hard time and you can’t enjoy yourself around them because they don’t feel happy. You feel obliged to make yourself miserable so you can empathise with them.
You might even be cautious or afraid to let others know your true feelings because you don’t want to come across as uncaring or indifferent. You will make yourself feel unhappy because that seems to be your best option.
The Empath will feel obligated in some sense to react in a way that allows others to see that they are not alone and they have support.
This is generally unhealthy for all parties concerned because it simply feeds the negative energy rather than healing or helping anything.
As I said, it’s common for an Empath to be highly sensitive. They take on the pain and discomfort of others around them, no matter if it’s human or animal or even plant.
Generally, if you ask yourself if you’re really an Empath, the very act of asking is a good indicator that you are. Non empathic people won’t ask and won’t even care. They will dismiss it out of hand.
Chances are high that if you ask the question, you are an Empath.
Drawing provided by Anneli Rufus. Thank you.