15 Signs You Might Be an Empath All me

Major empathy
Easily overwhelmed
Strong intuition
Love of nature
Dislike of crowds
Deep caring
Problem solving
High sensitivity
Need for rest
Dislike of conflict
Trouble fitting in
Isolation
Boundary issues
Unique view
Easily overloaded

Yes. I've been able to sense peoples emotions around me since childhood. I could sense when an adult was telling me a lie, tell if they didn't like me. I can't watch the news much because it gets me so upset with anxiety and sadness. A murdered child just sends me over the edge. I hate those ASPCA animal commercials with the abused animal pictures because I get so upset. I met a new neighbor, suddenly got a feeling she'd lost someone by death; I asked, and yes - a child. Hubby and I were foster parents before we adopted our girls - we would be assigned sexual victims because our social worker said I could "read them" better than most. I could get them to talk to me.

I work volunteering with a veterinarian who runs a huge homeless pets adoption/rehab charity nearby, for the last 20 yrs now. Since I'm disabled, he'll bring the dogs, cats to me, terrified - rescued homeless animals. I know the ones that are lost, the ones that ran away, the ones abused. A dog will give me an intuition that she doesn't like her bed because it hurts her back, or another will give me an impression of someone who kicked him in the haunches and yanked him up to beat him - and that's why he pees when anyone comes to his cage of tries to pick him up. I have no idea how it works, I have no control over it, and cannot "conjure" it. I can't force feelings out. But our family adopts older, sick dogs with depression and rehabs them. They're not adopted out again, we're their last stop. My vet calls me an animal impath , my husband says I'm an animal magnet. Whatever, but I have people come to my house now along with the vet, usually vet students, to show them signs that give me these impressions about the animals. True, it can be a curse. I hate it when one of our dogs look at me and tells me that its time to go. And when we take him to be euthanized, I'm strong in front of him, our family gathers around him and just holds him and talks to him as the medicine goes in. But when its over, I just fall apart with grief. I'm glad to give comfort when I can, to let these poor souls experience love before they pass, but it hurts terribly.

Yes!

I believe everyone has empathy and shares similar feelings. However some are more in tuned with others.

Definitely probably my best personality trait

Completely. It can come across as psychic or witchy to some, but empaths are constantly making subconscious observations about variances in subtleties of those around them (us).

I find it overwhelming at times, and have realized (this year actually) that I shy away from friendships and tend to seclude myself...

yes for sure and more for animals

Unfortunately, I’m too empathetic sometimes. I feel too much, which causes me even more anxiety. Also unfortunately, I’m devoid of empathy. I feel nothing, which causes me anxiety. Or anger. Depends on the situation. Lol.

I was told when I was a kid I was really good at this. Not sure if that was parents boosting my ego or what but now that I'm older it is harder sometimes. The biggest thing is logically understanding how or why someone feels a certain way vs actually feeling and respecting it. I had a political debate with my Mom where I was pointing out that she can't trust either side of the news and somehow she kept changing the conversation into democrats were always wrong. I couldn't figure out why she couldn't see that she was only using half of her own logic to mindlessly defend a point I wasn't even attacking. People are confusing. I guess we do our best.

I'm not really very good at this.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Oftentimes, expressions of deep emotion just feel awkward. I don't know what makes the difference, though — why sometimes I feel more in tune with another person's emotional state than at others.

A bit, yeah, I hope so. I am a professional psychotherapist, so I hope I can usually pick up on that kind of thing.