Empath?

I don't think there is such a thing other than in the movies. Most of the people I know who have ADHD take on the personalities of others. I avoid mean people and I shy away from sad people. Thankfully most people who know M. understand I J. can't be around it so if I am hiding in a corner, don't take it personally.

I know when people are lying to M. but I couldn't tell you why. I think that is what drives a lot of my questions here. You would be amazed how many times people do what I consider lying, I don't understand why drives it, I want to understand.

I mean for the most part people are good people. You really wouldn't have to be a hermit to avoid negative vibes. People really can be toxic to M. but I think that is why I am the local comedian. If I can make people laugh I can be around them, ya know?

As Jo mentioned... the ADHD thing means if I'm not super careful I absorb absolutely everything from everyone around M.. It's part of the social disconnect that happens with ADHD... we're 'reading' what people are really feeling, regardless of what they're saying. The gut response is to respond in kind / take on other people's stuff.

That's part of my cardinal rule of 'never get emotionally invested in an argument with a child'. Having an ADHD kiddo... he'd react to my emotions by mirroring them. So if he's losing it, and then I get upset, he would get even more upset. But if I stay calm, his gut response is to calm down (which ticks him off, because in full flail he doesn't WANT to calm down).

It's a thousand tiny, MINUTE, body and facial expressions. In the face, they're called 'microexpressions' (and last for typically 1/5th of a second)... but the body has accompanying ones. J. as an example; disgust on the face, pair with a tiny movement of the sternum = self loathing... even when someone is outwardly smiling and 'happy'. Pair it with a fractional shoulder movement, though and it's not self loathing, but reviling another person.

One of my psych profs thinks I'm super fun, because she can show M. a short clip of a video... and I can tell her a story of what's going on with someone... and then she plays the video some more, and yep. It totally plays out J. like I said, or she brings up the case file from a year or two later. In microexpression parlance, it's called being "a natural".

Most ADHD people I know are, and apparently, most abused kids learn that same kind of hyperfocus in order to predict in dangerous situations. ((I was never abused, for the record)).

I could NEVER do clinical psych work. Being around people, and sifting sorting what they're actually feeling with what they're trying to project (and a hundred different kinds of trauma/ etc.) is EXHAUSTING. The sifting and sorting is, socially, having to remember what they're TRYING to project versus what I actually know is a pain in the tucus. It takes a LOT of energy to ignore people and block them out, because my body responds to what they're not saying.

Before I learned to block people out / aka not actually look at them, I was a hot mess. Even still, the most RELAXING people to be around are either high energy sorts, other ADHD people, and Aspies (who, in GENERAL, are pure honesty. They say exactly what they're thinking and feeling, so there isn't the mental exhaustion of trying to block out what their bodies and faces are screaming in order to hear what their mouth is saying).

So not true empathy, although a lot of people who don't know better, think I am. Nope. J. very, irritatingly, observant.

I am very sensitive to other peoples emotions. I can walk in a room and "feel" the emotions of others. I usually know when I am being lied to, I don't know how, but when I suspect that someone is lying they usually are.

Sometimes I know why the person is experiencing the particular emotion that they are having, other times I have no idea what is wrong, but I still "feel" the emotion. Sometimes I know why someone is lying and it is for obvious reasons.

I am not psychic and cannot tell the future. I can pick up on peoples emotions and if I am not careful, I can experience their emotions. If I am aware and stay tuned in to my own emotions, I can avoid the other persons negativity. I feel their emotion and consciously let go of it. As far as joy - I like to experience that emotion when someone else is experiencing it.

I do try to stay away from people that continuously have negative emotions because, I feel them, and it brings M. down if I am not careful. Again that is why, I have to make a conscious effort to let go of the other person's emotions. They are not mine and I have to give them back to the rightful owner.

When my kids get hurt - I get a quick sharp pain through my stomach.

I often know the outcome of something before it happens - but not in a psychic way - I don 't see anything or predict anything - I J. know.

I grew up with a very "moody", unpredictable much older brother, a very needy mother and a volatile father. I think as a child I learned to sense the emotions of these people so that I could "avoid being at the other end of their problems and prepare myself for whatever mood they happened to be in that day.

I am a nurse and deal with peoples emotions all the time, I have the privaledge of providing very personal physical and emotional care to my patients. I believe that this line of work has helped M. develope an even more sensitive ability to pick up on other people's emotions.

A nurse manager once told M. not to own other peoples emotions. Over the years I have learned this skill - not owning other peoples emotions was the best advise that I ever got. It is o.k to emphasize with someone, but it is not o.k to "own" someone elses feelings. Their feelings are J. that and do not belong to M..

I do not isolate myself to avoid "feeling" other people's emotions. But, I may avoid certain people who always tend to have negative emotions.

O.K . I hope my answer was not too confusing.

I am a psychic/medium and an empath. I can pick up on the emotions of others. I do block it sometimes but it can be really useful.

i'm so glad i'm not one. i know a couple, and they have to be so very careful about how and with whom they go about in the world. i have good shielding techniques, but empaths (if they want to remain sane) have to develop amazing ones.
khairete
S.

Do I know someone who can "pick up" another's emotions? Yes.
Does this person know the reason? No.
Or know what to do about the emotions? No.

I do think this is real. I don't know why it could be though I have some thoughts on the potential (real) science of the matter. It makes it very difficult to tells what one is feeling from what those nearby are feeling. That's the real reason for the seclusion.

I am, and I do have periods where I shut out the rest of the world. I call it "going under". Sometimes it's to protect myself from unpleasant feelings. Sometimes it's J. because I feel overwhelmed with so much around M. (like at concerts or malls). It can take a while for M. to know what's mine and what's someone else's, and then if there is too much going on, then I could be really overwhelmed before I have it figured out.

I work in a hospital and have to cleanse pretty regularly. I have difficulty with phone calls because I hear lots of "chatter"--spoken words, tones, extraneous thoughts. It's easier for M. to communicate via email or text because I can sift through and compartmentalize much more easily.

I respond to people in my life based on what I pick up from them psychically and not always what they verbally say to M., so I have to sometimes emphasize focus on the actual words used. Even if they are not being honest with M. or with themselves, I think that I still have to respond to their words on some level, without actually saying in my ooky-spooky voice, "I sense that you are lying to M....or to yourself." Nobody wants to spend too much time with the person who says that all the time.

I feel socially awkward at times and prefer seclusion.

ETA: I don't mind feeling what others feel because I can let it serve its purpose and then "shake it off". The problem comes when I can't determine if the feelings are mine or those of someone else.

So, that's what that's called! I have this and believe my older daughter has it as well. People have always called M. extremely sensitive, but I knew there was more to it. I try not to cut myself off from the world, but it can be very difficult at times, especially when there is sadness or hurt. Sometimes, it overwhelms M. and makes M. very weeping and sleepless. I think I'm better at dealing with it now than before.

Definition - empath: a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.

I agree with Jo W. I also wouldn't call it empath, I do not believe that exists. I call it being hyper sensitive to others moods.

I have the gift. Sometimes it is more like a curse and I hide from people.
I have to be careful who I let close to M. or I feel overwhelmed.
The scariest thing is that my daughter has the gift and I am grown and not able to handle it so I am not sure how to guide her. Boundaries are our friend.

Both M. and my daughter are empaths. We surround ourselves with a protective "bubble" every day to ward off taking on other people's issues and problems and making ourselves sick.

For a while, I did, indeed, cut myself off from other people. I work at home, but for a few years, I didn't socialize much or go out with people a lot (and I'm an extrovert). I had buried my psychic gifts so deep inside for so many years (40 years, in fact) that I physically made myself very, very sick. Only now, as I'm getting healthier and stronger, have I made friends and opened myself up to new friendships, now that I'm better physically and stronger emotionally and mentally. My spirituality has also exploded, and I've been exploring spirituality, metaphysics, and making new friends in the metaphysical/spiritual community.

I also have a lot of other psychic abilities, and more are opening up everyday.

I had someone tell M. one of my daughter's is one... they said to put clear crystals under her bed and in her back pack.... areas where she spends alot of time to help divert the feelings coming to her.

everyone I know that has the "true gift" are not healthy people and often see things that arent there=( or overthink the things that are. i believe some people are very perceptive, can pick up on facial expressions, tone of voice and so on, but not know the future or someones complete internal thoughts