Therapist told me I was an empath.
I've always known I was fairly empathetic, could read people well, & understand how they felt. And yes, I absorb some of the emotions of the people around me, even when I'm not interacting with them. I've always resisted the idea/label because of the stereotypes surrounding it.
I feel like I've been sentenced for a crime I didn't commit. I was explaining to my therapist that I recognize when my husband is stressed before he even does. It makes me anxious. I'm a people pleaser. At parties I have to get drunk to be able to enjoy myself, or else I spend the whole night catering to everyone around me. Even while blacked out & operating on auto pilot I'm helping people. Putting their wants before my own needs.
How am I supposed to regulate myself when everyone else just lets their emotions flow?
How is it that I struggle to feel & process my own emotions, yet everyone else's emotions get a free ride through my central nervous system?
How will I know which are my emotions and which are others’ influence over me?