I think I might be empathic. When others were hurting, I would feel pain, thinking that it was normal to sympathize with others in that way, like when someone says "I feel ya".

Now, I think it might be something else. When others have animosity towards me, I feel the same, and get dragged into their shallow, idiotic arguments, knowing how stupid it is, but being unable to help myself. I have ruled out anger management issues, because when they're happy, or feeling distressed I feel the same as well (also, I learned to somewhat control my anger as a child, as I got into a lot of fights). Can anyone tell me what it's like to be empathic, and if you think I am? The emotions feel somehow not a part of me, and I can't really explain it in detail...

What you describe is experienced by many of us here. I call it picking up people or being someone else... the emotions that linger are often those that I need to work on myself.

I find that once I recognise who I am picking up the physical feelings, the emotions, or the symptoms disappear.

It's a bit different for me, as I am finding out. When I notice whose feelings i am picking up at the time, I have to put a conscious effort into making them disappear when I don't want to feel them. Which is strange because I don't have to try hard at all to control my own emotions, which confuses me. Is this normal (consider that by normal I mean by forum standards )?

I don't know if it's considered normal for an empath, or not, but I'm certainly looking forward to more response for you because I'd like to know more about empathic abilities myself. I have the hardest time still trying to discern whether what I feel is my own or not. (Dealing with that very question, this very minute, actually.) ~ Z.

I hope to find out more as well. I hope to soon find an answer, and I wish the same for you.

I would say i work similarily to Victoria, when i notice a sudden change in my mood i have to stop myself and ask "what am i feeling exactly? where could this come from?"

For example yesterday was the first day of jury duty. So i waited patiently for something to happen, i waited for some sort of progress, like being called or something. then for some odd reason later that night I got really frustrated annoyed because my hubby insists on eating foods high in saturated fat and refuses to get a physical. Like he's waiting for something to go wrong because that's the only time he goes to the doctor and I want to prevent the bad stuff from even happening. I was fine all day but my lack of patience, and frustration of waiting for someone to call like the 100+ people in the room came to head in that 1 moment. Plus my hubby was frustrated that i essentially sit and wait all day as opposed to being productive.

But when i pulled away and asked myself 'what am i feeling and why' savey the people at the jurors lounge bored and 'waiting'. I took a bit much home with me apparently lol

I'm on day two now and today I decided to pack a lunch and then take a walk in the park to ground this energy out as opposed to coming back during my lunch break and absorbing any more energy. I'll probably do the same when the day is over.

don't know if that helps, but i wanted to add my experience to the thread

I am the same way. I'm very empathic, and I feel the same way others are feeling. Sometimes before I even talk to them, or from a total stranger that's just walking by me! Sometimes it confuses my emotions, but lately I've been able to identify what emotion is really me, and what is the empathic side of me. I actually have learned to use this to my advantage. I've felt this way ever since I can remember, and it wreaked havoc on me for years. But, my friends would always come to me for advice growing up, because I gave the best advice. That was because I could feel exactly what they were feeling, sometimes it was even intensified in me, and they didn't feel it as bad! lol But, I use my ability to 'feel' other people and their problems. It helps me to give better advice because I can actually relate to how they feel, literally. So, if you like helping others, then use it to your advantage. Feel the emotion, but realize that it's not you, per se, but the other person feeling that way. Then if they need advice, go with your gut feeling on how to guide them. Once you REALLY try to recognize this ability and control it, it can be a wonderful thing. Sometimes very frustrating, though. I hope I helped. You will find a way to use it productively, just as I have learned. Just go with your heart, gut feeling and what your body feels. You know yourself better than anyone else does.


Kassandra

Thank you, Kassandra. I appreciate the advice. I feel exactly the way you explained, though I was never a person people went to for advice, being that I was a self-asorbed brat who didn't think about anything but what I wanted. I came to the same conclusions, mostly, which makes me feel even better about my choices. Once again, thanks!

I'm glad I could help you out. I hope all goes well for you.