Questions for the Empaths

Do you feed off of them. Their passion, their anguish, their suffering, and their joy? I don't post on this side of the boards, but I have questions that need answering. Do you taste their ecstasy? Do you eat their pain? Are you an emotional vampire?

Do you know what emotions are yours and which are theirs?

Sometimes it is hard to tell. I know we don't feed on it, or at least i don't. I have no control over it. Sometimes when emotions run high in my general vicinity I just feel sick. Sometimes it is like an overwhelming wave that just tries to sweep u away with it.
Angry feelings are the worst though. I get headaches and nausea. But I can tell most of the time that it isn't me, that I'm picking up on the emotions around me because I'll be irritated or angry when I have no reason to be.
As far as feeding on them no. It is more like an intrusion than a feeding because you may not want to feel that way but it is almost forced on you.

a reply to: quercusrex

a reply to: quercusrex

Im an empath and for me personally no.Its rather like an infection seeping in,other people's negative emotions and intentions.Sometimes one can block it.For instance i had some aquaintances who are total wilful hypochondriacs,and very pessimistic,self pitying negative people.So when i would go over for coffee+a chat occasionally,i would block much of their negativity.I cannot describe how i do it,its a mental thing.Im there,but not there..that sort of thing,disengaged.

I knew a woman once,we were friends;still are,though she's moved to another province.Not an empath but a total energy vampire.She is a really nice down to earth woman with a good heart but tremendously draining mentally and physically,and her presence never failed to depress me completely.I really liked her though but could not spend much time with her.

a reply to: DarkStarRising

Have you ever assumed the role of the guilty party just to appease the accuser even though you are not at fault?

Does the exchange come easier with animals because they are natural projectors?

Second post im on cell and posting can be tricky.About the energy vampire friend,other people also felt drained by her,not just me.A mutual friend actually was so physically depleted she had to go to bed and rest after a visit from our vamplady friend.

Its difficult being in large crowd,there were times when it actually feels like being in a swarm of buzzing bees stinging me-but i would feel irritation instead of stings of course.Sometimes with individual people i get a knowing that i do not like them,that there's something bad about them,and that i should have nothing to do with them,however nice they appear on the surface. Ive always suffered when i ignored that inner knowing or 2nd guessed myself.

a reply to: Raxoxane

Isn't their intensity addictive? If they feel and project love, joy, pain, and anger so perfectly, can't you draw energy from that? Can you take it in and become fulfilled regardless of the basis of their energy. I only ask to understand.

I'm not sure about animals. Actually I have never thought about it. Me and my wife have 3 dogs and now that you mention it I do seem to have an affinity with them I can't explain. I can really tell when our chihuahua is upset but I think that may be because he has been with us for so long.
As far as assuming the role of a guilty party I think I might have done that with my brothers when we were growing up as I would end up in trouble for things that they did. But I never truly thought of it that way.
a reply to: quercusrex

a reply to: quercusrex

I've never tried the drawing in.Because ive been a sufferer of major depression all my life ive tried always to just block and contain unto me what i perceive as far as humanly possible,to be my own sovereign emotions.To make it easier for myself to cope with life,and to keep as much control as possible.Its a fulltime job as it is.I am very very sensitive to emotions and undercurrents from other people so i enjoy life far more in a semi-hermit type of way,and choosing very carefully who i associate with.

I would guess it could be addictive in some ways. But i can most of the time tell what emotion is mine and what is not. As i said before it seems almost like an intrusion to me. Kind of like feeling something you are not supposed to. I try not to intrude on people's emotions as much as possible as I feel like I'm doing something I should have permission for.

reply to: quercusrex

I agree. Also in the last few years I have found myself dreading being around large crowds. Like amusement parks or now even shopping malls. The mass of emotion has a tendency to make me feel sick and give me headaches.
My greatest escape is getting on my motorcycle and just finding a deserted road to go ride. Just the road the wind me and my bike.

reply to: Raxoxane

a reply to: DarkStarRising

I think that there are those who absorb and are overwhelmed by others emotions and they develop defenses and then there are others that feed off of them whether they be positive or negative. The latter not only take on the projector's joy or pain but feel the need to satisfy it. This becomes not only a pleasure but a way of life. A feeding, if you will.

Thank you for the answers.

There are different personalities in all realms of life.

a reply to: quercusrex

I would encourage all other empaths reading this post to respond. I would like to know what you think/feel.

a reply to: quercusrex

Simply no doubt that it happens. My best friend does something like this. I'm probably the only person in the world he's told. He showed me things and I have to believe him.

a reply to: Snarl

That he shared that is a sign of great love and a feeling of safety with you. I am sure that he has fed off of you, but not in a bad way, or he would not have shared that.

a reply to: DarkStarRising

We live out in the African Bush,so thats a blessing for me.We go into the provincial capital once a month,and my hubby usually does most of the grocery shopping in the town some miles away.In my country before the internet there was not really any info on empaths and sensitives,so i was relieved when i found out what was the deal with me-i spent a great deal of my life suspecting that i was looneytunes and tried to cope with life best as i could

a reply to: quercusrex
I'm sure you've heard the saying "you are what you eat" ?

From what I have gathered in my experience, there are times that it is inevitable to taking in the negative energies unwillingly unless you are adept at countering it. It is draining for most to do this and I am guilty of just 'going with the flow' at times.

It is best, for me at least, to approach with a humorous attitude and not let it affect me in these ways. Not sure it is as easy for others.

My professions have centered around being a care-giver mostly to animals that are not always in need but there is a calming when being around those that are older and have lived full loving lives. You can really tell how they feel by just their body language alone and it has helped me gain an understanding of a deeper bond with life forms not so unlike us humans.

In the past it was really difficult to surmise what was what, energy wise, and the direction or source they were radiating from. With time it has shown me and taught through others that there are other aspects of existence most ppl choose to ignore.

For me, it isnt a lot of fun dealing with being empathic. I dont know of anyone personally that feeds off of it, like said above, its more of an infection/intrusion not many of us enjoy. A lot of my day is generally consumed with different emotions and sorting them out, so to speak.. it's exhausting! And yes, I just made an account to say this, lol long time lurker though none the less. Good day kind souls!

a reply to: quercusrex

I don't know if I would call myself an empath...Although I've had many experiences where I truly am feeling another's emotions and it can be mentally exhausting. Social interactions can be the worst,especially around those who are quite negative and toxic.

Which is normal for most people I suppose,with me though I feel their toxic energy and it almost quite literally consumes me as their emotions resonate so deep with in me it's hard to ignore. Sometimes to the point where I become a different person,this is the same sometimes with being around positive people.

When I was younger it used to be really hard to differentiate between my own emotions and others,eventually like with auditory perception I learned to tune out people's emotions. It was tough at first,but I found that being around animals was the best way to learn to do this.

Glad to know I'm not the only one... Some people see intense empathy as a gift. I see it as more of a curse, as the world is full of people suffering on a daily basis and to feel that suffering from people hurts more as there's nothing I can do to stop it.