Am I An Empath?

4 Traits required to be an empath; 4 signs of an empath who has not yet done boundary work. AND 8 traits commonly mentioned as being signs of empaths, which I question! These last 8 "signs" can actually be shared by many types of people, including narcissists! Let me know your thoughts!

00:00 Introduction
01:15 Four Key Traits of an Empath
04:38 Four Traits of an Empath Before They Do Boundary Work
07:25 Signs That Do Not Necessarily Indicate You Are An Empath That You WIll Hear Frequently
14:54 Emotions Make Life Worth Living
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Disclaimer:
This video was created by Barbara Heffernan, LCSW for educational purposes only. These videos are not diagnostic and provide no individual consultation. Consumption of these materials is for your own education and any medical, psychological, or professional care decisions should be made between you and your primary care doctor or another provider that you are engaged with. Barbara Heffernan is not available for individual consultation via YouTube, social media, or email, and provides services only in the manner mentioned above

[lml]

1. Feel the emotions of others.
2. People come to you for support.
3. Highly intuitive
4. You wish you could relieve others from suffering.

🙋🏽‍♀️

[SamanthaEcho]

You made a really good point about the fact that not all animal lovers are empathic. I have known a few people with narcissistic traits who are much nicer to animals than they are to people because animals can’t try to upstage them or disagree with them.

[ThePowerAndControlWheel]

It was always difficult for me to understand that not everyone felt the same, noticed, cared. Took over 50 years. And oh boy, what a massive amount of damage I walked into or allowed in, damage I did to myself, I allowed others to do to me, my life, my loved ones, my agency, my life choices

[jeffhogueison]

Those boundaries are important. After being sucked dry by a narcissist, it is very difficult to heal from the emotional damage. Knowing about boundaries could have avoided the pain but yet I doubt if I could have learned my lesson without first hand experience.

[kathyking]

I've gotten better with not taking on others' emotions, and I don't try to fix other's problems anymore. I've been working on myself more.

[jenniferwutt]

I love how you distinguish the empathic traits with and without boundaries, and empathic introverts. This breakdown is so helpful in discovering where the work needs to be done. Someone who is truly empathic does not resort to manipulating people. It never even occurs to us. We are too busy caring and trying to fix things in order to alleviate suffering.

[khyemali]

I started crying when you said, "Care." I have no idea why. I feel this way often and tend to take on others' worries as my own. It's like this gnawing, aching pain in the pit of my stomach to relieve whatever pain is ailing another person. I used to tell myself I was being dramatic or annoying because that's how my family would treat me just for showing empathy for someone else's suffering. It's a huge relief to know I'm not alone in feeling.

[daizeofgrace]

I agree overall. I’m turning 65 and it took me yrs to realize who I am and part of that is that I’m an empath. It also took yrs to learn what that truly meant and how to set boundaries. What a relief and freedom I’ve experienced once I did. I still struggle at time but I more quickly recognize that what I feeling isn’t coming from me and it helps so much. I love being an empath especially as I’ve grown to love who I am.

[Blackfox_Kitsune]

the 4th can be numbed off when people make you tired. people can and will push you to a point where you are so burned out you just do not or can not care any more.
to empaths getting to this point. do you and others around you a favour, if you are getting to that point, WALK AWAY, its ok to say no, it's ok to take time for yourself, its ok to not be ok.

[texasgal]

Well, I always knew I was an empath, and #4 is the one that really gets to me, because I feel way too much, more than is good for me. I've always been extremely sensitive, my parents knew that, it made my dad mad at me because I would get hurt easily, and the 4th one is the one that always got to me the most, always feeling others feelings, always knowing there is something wrong, and it drained me. Everything you say is me to a 't'!

[nolankylie]

I am very interested in learning how empaths are either born this way or made. My therapist has often said to me I just had too much empathy even as a very young child. My life got better with boundaries. It is a super power knowing what is going on with people but knowing is also a lonely place to be, sometimes I wish I didn’t know.

[sugahbabydoll]

I like this video. I am 40 & just starting to learn, heal & understand.

As a child I was always criticized & told that my sensitivity was a downfall.
I cried too much, & was not brave or smart bc I avoided confrontation.

[christinalively]

1, 2, 3 and YES 4TH!
It has taken me years to try and protect myself with boundaries... Need to work in this. I'm m 63 and exhausted!

[mday]

Thank you for clearing this up for me. I now understand I'm an Empath who needs to do more work on my boundaries and heal my past. This is by far the best educational video on Empaths. Thank you again.

[amuppet]

I work in health and social care, and being an empath helps me do my job. I can feel how the others are feeling and alter my approach based on how they're feeling.

[jenniekotoff]

Boundary work has been HUGE in allowing me to move through the world without so much emotional contagion! It makes being an empathetic person more of the gift that it is, than an overwhelmingly exhausting experience. This video is so helpful!

[RisaPlays]

When you spoke about connecting to and valuing emotions and needing to heal, I almost started to cry. I've shut so much of myself away from an early age because of people in my life devaluing my emotions and needs and perspectives.

[thelighthouse]

Thank you for this.. The main and important differentiating factor is an Empath truly cares for ppl even a stranger, you will never see again or can do anything for you. It is so annoying that a lot of ppl are categorizing ppl who are hyper-vigilant due to trauma and or HSP as empaths. A lot of them are selfish and have a lot of victim mentality over any real care for others. After the TikTok Narc diagnosis, this is the next over-falsified term wherein ppl take a lot of delight in calling themselves with they clearly aren't or even worse, Narcs who are using it to disguise themselves.

[lorrireich]

I am a "true empath" and I feel you got it spot on. Great job! When I was younger, b4 I knew that I was an empath, absorbing others emotions really confused me. Sometimes I would be wait a min I was in a wonderful mood like 30 sec why am I freaking out and crying now???
I thought I was then my mom told me I was an empath.

[jenniferjardee-borquist]

Holy crap, spot on. I have someone in my life who states they are an empath, and I truly believe they have undiagnosed BPD. I believe they think they are empathetic because they emotionally disregulate and think having big emotions is what empathy is. The issue is that they are only feeling their feels, not others. My therapist describes this as self-referential and I think that's really good term and would love to hear other's perspective on that.