I am an empath. I have been one since I was a child. I had horrible nightmares and being in large crowds was terrible. I learned to shield very well. No one told me to do it or how, I just did it. However, every once and a while, I get distracted and lower my walls in public. I get this wave of emotions. I also have a dilly of a headache, if I can't get them back up fast enough. Does this happen to anyone else?

Thanks,
Claddaugh

MM RaevynKiss

It's good to know I am not alone. Sometimes I can tell who the emotions are coming from and sometimes I can't. When I can, I am always tempted to ask them to turn it down. Yeah, I know,not nice, but anger from someone else is icky feeling. lol.

Claddaugh

I find the best way to deal with it is to sheild, with more of a filter, to lessen the effects caused by the onslaught of energies, and emotions, rather than a sheild that makes me feel more like I am walking in a coffin.

When I do know I am going into these situations, like to toy shows, or gem and mineral shows, and things of those sorts. I will sheild with a thicker filter, because in some instances people emotions and energies ruin higher than on normal days, which are bad enough.

When I go to funerals, funny enough, I go sheildless. I enjoy knowing, and feeling, the overabundance of the energies and emotions. It is helaing in a sick sort of way. I know then I am not alone in my feelings. And usually you will find the love, and joy of the person from when they were living, will overtake the pain and sorrows of their passing.

We all have to deal with it the best way that suits us.

I want to thank all of you for posting on this topic. Sometimes it is nice to know that others feel as you do. Sorry, I haven't thanked everyone sooner, but my husband dropped our laptop on it's head and it didn't make it. Had to get a replacement. Anyway, thanks guys.

Claddaugh

i been an empath all my life and had no clue til i was in my 30's what i was and i still cant handle crowds and really keep to myself

It wasn't until I met my girlfriend who is also an empath that I realized that I am one myself...
Perhaps I shoulda caught on that somebody walking into a room in a funk of a mood was enough to bring me way down, but I always kinda assumed I was just picking up on facial expressions and other cues.  Then msn came along and I realized that I was feeling my friends emotions the moment they logged on.  No visual cues there!  It took me a long time to realize though because I've gotten good at shielding, too good.  It's kinda like Novia said, I'm in a coffin, I feel absolutely nothing.  When my shields are up  I feel like I'm wrapped in a cuccoon, cut off from everything, not in tune with nature, and hardly even intune with myself, just totally shut off. I find I go to this state most around my family.  Ours is a very emotionally charged household, my dad, though in action is a sweet  guy, a real teddy bear of a man, has an anger that burns white hot, sometimes just below the surface at almost all times. My brother's also angry, but with him it comes in spurts, hits you out of the blue, you never know when he's suddenly gonna lash out, or snap.  Mom is often contradictory, and especially at certain times of the month a real emotional roller coaster.  We don't get along too too well so often that translates into hostility or disaproval.  I think my other brother feels too. So his reaction to any of these emotions circling our house is to get deeply saddened, he's a real sensitive boy. Somehow I've learned to shut right off.  But because I don't know when I'm doing it, or what I'm actually doing, I've got little or no control over it.  After a calm week with nothing but loving little psychic hugs, and empathizing with my girlfriend, when my friends are in good moods, I'll go home and be blindsided by the wave of emotion.  Other times, Dyl, my girlfriend, will have to call me on the phone and say where are you? I can't find your energy.  I need to pick something like the egg and conciously work at it, and practice it, making it thicker and thinner, dropping it all together, because I also get headaches and sometimes even feel sick to my stomach! But shutting completely off isn't the answer either, because there are things I wanna feel...
hmm well sorry if any of that didn't make sense, I'm just sorta spilling it out as it occurs to me.  I think I'm gonna go take a long hot bath now and think more about this, thanks for making me think!
Kathartica

I have often read about empathy, but have never really related it to myself until I read your posts.  So I went back and looked it up and found a lot of things in there that really DO relate to me.  I guess I have always thought that when I picked up on others' emotions, I was picking up on what I "thought" was their emotion and chalked it up to either low self-esteem or my imagination.  After all, that's pretty much what I've always been told.  However, lately I've been finding that with people, most of the people I meet, I'm spot on about either personality traits, whether I can trust them or not, or whether they need some emotional attention.  I'd always been told I was a "good counselor" although I'm not trained by any means, but it seems that I understand how to solve many emotional issues in others (even though I have trouble solving my own...lol!)  I do get extremely nervous in crowds but I thought it was because of my impatience.  Maybe my impatience is with the emotions I'm feeling.  I do so dislike being social!  (and I'm a teacher, go figure.)
So, does this sound right or am I just "wanting" to be an empath?

Nope seamonster, doens't sound like a case of wishful thinking to me!  

OMG! Wait, there's a word for that? Like a title. Because that describes me in a nutshell. Pretty much. I can't believe there are other people like that. OMG. This is awesome!
I've always been able to feel other's emotions. Especially if it's high emotion. I get sick to my stomach and really tired. (That's if it's negative energy - anger, fighting etc). I can get through crowds pretty well. But then again I'm not around crowds alot. I guess now that I think about it I've learned naturally to put up walls. I never knew there was a word for it. That's great! YAY! I'm all excited now.

hello from another empath here!  Shielding is so important when you're blessed(?) with this gift.  There are days when you can feel like the world is just beating the heck out of you without good shielding. The headaches are your body's way of telling you "Shields up and retreat for alone time!"   And my need for "alone time" is so important.  I'm so lucky to live in the country where I can walk out my backyard and into state lands where I can be completely isolated (from people that is).  Crowds are like kryptonite to empaths!  (Except maybe at the Ren. Fair - those crowds can be kind of fun because there are more like-minded people there!)  But you can also use your empathy to do alot of good for other people. It seems to me that people today are starving for alittle affirmation and empaths usually know exactly what to say.  People are drawn to empaths for this very reason.   Making other people feel understood and affirmed can only add positive energy to the world and that's a good thing!

hello empath and other mental abilities. i was born with my gifts the problems i had as a child was when i realized not everyone could do and see what i could. as for dealing with the onsaugh of emotions from dealing with crowds and other people is atleast for me i carry protection stones that i have keyed to protect me with that and a rainbow sheild i don't have much problems anymore.