Study Links Social Anxiety To Being An Empath

Yep. I relate. Also, not surprised at the findings. Being highly aware of every little thing around you and picking up on all kinds of things like emotions, vibrations, energies etc all the time from everywhere gets tiring. Also, having a very visual mind, it can really wear on you. I would not mind participating in their study if they were looking for people with diganosis and high scores. I am straight up disabled by this stuff. I hate it. Though at the same time, I feel lucky cause it seems to come in handy (empath stuff not anxiety stuff) and I have been able to help people and that makes me feel good. Though, my anxieties make it hard for me to know how or what to say to deal with a situation properly.

I thought I was nuts for having anxieties of different levels due to things like changes in the weather and such. i see I am not alone in having them. I notice patterns with it too, if certain criteria are met, like for instance, today I spent most of the day feeling highly anxious for no real reason but it was the first sunny day in a few days and I had gotten plenty of sleep last night. For some reason when I am fully rested, and it is clear and sunny after having been cloudy or rainy I feel that anxiety.

Crowds are awful indeed. Driving is a nightmare and I avoid it at all costs. I am a good driver and I usually can sense what people are about to do and usually it helps but wow the negative emotions that we are exposed to and also get driving is just so tiring.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Some of us are so empathic it is catastrophic, until we recognize that telepathic is even far more of the unspoken problems.

For instance, the electricity readings I get when scanned by a company gave readings they cannot understand, or calculate, yet if I got excited I could have damaged the equipment so I "controlled myself" while there.

It has taken me many years, but even my overly Christian family has started to realize that not only will I never join them in believing their take on GOD, but I am far more connected with the Spirit they are looking for than they could ever imagine to be, and this was always the case.

Empathic children who cannot reconcile the religion with the truth, are my main concern, because the stronger ones, CANNOT AND WILL NOT be able to accept this, and they will be attacked and damaged by the fearful believers of Christ, who would not know Christ if it knocked on the door.

In gaining control over myself and what is going on, I now struggle to not deflect the prayers of the concerned ones for my souls to harshly , for it can physically damage them, even the strongest "full of the spirit" people with all manner of technique and knowledge of SPIRIT from these backgrounds now fear to challenge me, it is interesting, like a new day is on the horizon, the prayers and guilt based systems used I now know, and can completely override and totally own them if I wish.

My parents invited me to a church where they do powerful faith preaching and goal setting, as soon as I walked in, it was dead silence , a force the guy could not understand, and amused me much, for these guys claim to be full of the SPIRIT, but when confronted by something more powerful outside the system they use, they are done.

Anyways, I hope they leave the children alone, stop telling them they need to be saved, stop destroying the incredible gifts they have, and please before we actually force a change, STOP SMASHING EXACTLY what has been waited for, but no longer fits the descriptions of the CHRIST IANS.

Honestly, I never realized how affected I was by other people's energy until I moved to 2 acres on the Sonora Desert.

In the city I feel crowded, even when I'm alone.

a reply to: Realtruth

I agree. or you can usually "see "people for who they are, and try to love them anyway...
Or maybe you feel everything.
understanding others from the emotions they seep around them.
Myself, I get overwhelmed. I feel it. And see it in their eyes, expression and by what is said.
I try to help always. That is my nature. and if someone cries i will too.
My husband is encouraging me to pursue a career in helping others. lol
as I do it anyway. after I finish what I'm studying now.

a reply to: Insidedaheart
Empathy also is what equates to humanity... A sociopath or psychopathic person, lacks the very thing that unites him or her to the rest of humanity... empathy.... aren't we all empaths to some extent. maybe some of us are just worn out...

originally posted by: Realtruth
a reply to: FlyersFan

Empath's are people that use, or tune into a extrasensory perception. One that most people consider does not exist, or is just a myth.

The reason more people today are suffering from anxieties, panic disorders is that they are not acknowledging, developing, and learning how to use their extra senses.

It's not taught in schools, college, home, or work, in fact many times extra senses are ridiculed as a girly thing, but let the truth be known it is the one of the strongest, and most reliable senses we have here on earth.

s+f

I couldn't agree more. Every living thing that has ever existed is empathic. Humans are just conditioned to ignore or suppress it. We're all born with the same radio in our heads but most not only don't know how to use it, they're not even aware of it's existence.

originally posted by: whitewave

When in social situations/crowds in which I can retreat into myself without being too obvious I noticed that the majority of feelings being generated by others were those of fear: fear of rejection, fear of judgment, fear of being alone, fear of failure. It was around that time of discovery that I tried to calm or reassure those around me and found that empathy is not a one way street. If you practice, you can actually alter the feelings of someone else by projecting your feelings outward.

I think that's one of the biggest problems for those of us that are aware of our non-physical senses. Whether you're aware of them or not, everyone has the same senses and abilities. So you end up with people with their proverbial thumbs stuck on the transmit button, broadcasting their thoughts and emotions at full volume. You can't expect someone to use a tool properly when they not only weren't taught how to use it, they're been conditioned to believe it doesn't even exist.

You know that neighbour that always plays their music way too loud? Imagine trying to tell them to turn it down and they reply with "what music?" They can't turn it down because they don't even realize they're doing it. If you try to teach them how to do it they just look at you like you're crazy and turn the volume up! There's really not a lot you can do in that situation - You either ignore it, find something louder to drown it out or you move. If it were actual music you could call the cops and report them for disturbing the peace, but in this case that would just get you thrown in a mental ward...

a reply to: FlyersFan

F&S&

...I can relate - and know that overriding my "gut response" with "reason" is a big mistake. Others, I'm not so sure. : (

There's a pretty simple explanation for this when you have what they call social anxiety, you do more listening than talking.

You have the time and desire to focus on the other person.

I notice outgoing people also tend to be mean and uncaring. Again, it's because they focus on themselves.

Of course, it's not a perfect correlation but it's something I noticed though out the years.

a reply to: CretumOrbis

I guess that would explain why some people are sought out by needy souls.... and why some are naturally a magnet to others.
It would encompass animals too. just knowing whats going on when caring for wildlife some people have an affinity with Gods creatures and can't explain why...

a reply to: TonyS

From my point of view it seems like empaths internalize external information inwards changing their feelings and energies when surrounding them. That can be a problem since one of my empath friends have a hard time knowing if it is her or someone else that have the feelings she is having.

If people wanted to really prove this scientifically then they would have done it already. The question is not if it exists but on what level it exists. But it is funny playing around with boysen scanning with people that are sensitive to energy (some people are sensitive without being empaths). With eye closed tell me where I am holding my arm over your body. Easy test to see who are sensitive in their bodies to the flow of energy, the more sensitive the more spot on.

a reply to: JamesCarrot

Low level laying of hands without the hands. . Western religions call it light, eastern religions chi/ki/kundalini. And yes every human have potential. Practice makes your potential greater.

I figured this out in my teens... bingo.

Now the interesting questions arise from wondering where the info comes from... the usual thousands of clues from body movement (involuntary and not) and knowledge of basic psychology ... or some esp... or a mix.

I'm of the opinion we have more senses than we commonly think we do... but the little cues we pick up on from purely known senses is amazing.

In the immortal words of Exene Cervenka, 'some people give me the creeps...'

Mine stems from when I was 10. I was the kid who's mom got murdered, by a family member. I could feel everyone judging me. It has cleared with time, but I still feel it.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Thank you for the post... It explains a lot for me...

Its more than just reading what a person feels. Some will read or feel what they are and act in a certain way. For example a person who needs help doesn't ask for it but some people can tell . Some will help some wont. there are many factors that no one study can complete.

originally posted by: LittleByLittle
a reply to: JamesCarrot

Low level laying of hands without the hands.

. Western religions call it light, eastern religions chi/ki/kundalini. And yes every human have potential. Practice makes your potential greater.

It is more than practice. It is meeting people and trusting your judgement.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

You need science to explain why you can't explain things?

I typically use whatever the people around me believe to explain things. My explanation is that I don't need an explanation, I'm fine without labeling it.

I still have a hard time believing that people can believe some of the things they believe, like the student in my abnormal psychology class who said he believed bees can read "thought waves". I think he should have been one of the subjects under study, but I'm sure he would disagree vehemently, as would a number of the other students in that class who appeared to believe similar things.

If what is true is really only socially determined, I'm strictly an antirationalist.

a reply to: FlyersFan
I have known this for a very long time....

But this is the first time ive seen it put into words and explained so accurately. I can vouch that this is real, so real it would seem like telepathy to somebody who doesn't know any better.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Great post, S&F.

Maybe that's why I work in human services. I'm very introverted and have quite a bit of social anxiety. I've been told that I have a knack for reading people, and being attuned to their emotions. Nice to have an actual study that proves that.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Flagged and starred. I'm tellin' ya - this stuff is real.
Hypersensitive = empath = pain.

I self-medicate to keep it under control.