Yes, the headaches, slight nausea, lots of energy, heart palpitations (or higher normal blood pressure) with hot flash and difficult to settle down in the evening to go to sleep.

I have been holding on to the feeling of inadequacy since childhood. I was told “in a since” I was not “good enough” with behavioral, educational and other things. I have struggled to perfect everything I do to prove I am “good enough”. My wife is a big supporter of me and tells me “not everything has to be perfect”, especially when I am building something, repairing something or trying to communicate in exact words. I like to see the results of my labor, focus and workmanship. This gives me the feeling of “good enough”. I struggle for approval of others in order to feel “good enough”. I know that has helped mold me into who I am today. I see, I went through and still am going through that pain, so others don’t have to. I hold up others up and encourage them, so they can have a better life than I did and do. One of my 1st graders started crying at practice on Monday evening. I asked him what was wrong. He told me “I’m not good at football.” I comforted him and told him he is still learning and the doesn’t mean he’s not good at football. I told him “I am a coach and I am still learning stuff about football all the time.” This allowed him to stop crying. I told him to try or do his best and that is all that matters. What others think doesn’t matter. I told him to go back out there and practice football. I had a sigh of relief and gratitude I could help him, but I still carry the “not good enough” pain and seem to “collect” that negative energy from others when I help them. At least he is no longer feeling that right now and he is happy. That’s why I do it. I feel like I am protecting others and “lifting them up”.

@Resilient Empath I agree that there’s nothing wrong with being “self-centered“ in a positive manner. During a recent counseling session, I told my counselor that I was self centered, and she kind of looked at me with a confused look. She said, I don’t think you are self-centered. I told her it was in a positive way. And she suggested wording it differently because of the negativity associated with that phrase. I thought about it for a moment and told her I would start using the phrase “self focused“.

That’s right girl! You set your boundaries and be firm with them! People have to treat you anyway they feel like as long as you do not resist. People will not respect your boundaries unless you are firm with them.They will “walk all over you” and feel justified through some irrational thought. I’ve had family and friends get upset because I started enforcing my own boundaries. I explained to them how I felt and told them they had to respect my boundaries if they wanted to be around me, otherwise they could make the choice to not be around me. They would take it as some sort of personal attack on them. They would say they didn’t see what the big deal was because their actions had been accepted in the past. I would tell them that I’m no longer accepting or allowing that action or behavior around or towards me anymore. Some would continue to be upset with me and some wood respect my boundaries and tell me they would work on respecting those boundaries. Those that accepted my boundaries would apologize if they broke those boundaries in the future by mistake. The others that were upset with me would tell me that was my problem and I could not dictate their actions, behavior or words. Those people that chose to not respect my boundaries are the ones I chose to spend very little time with or no longer be around at all. You choose to be happy, no matter what and life will start to get better, day by day.

@Audra Key @Sherry Dolly @Casie Powell @Brandy Tibbetts The Tibbettian Oracle @Stacy Dexter I tagged everyone in this thread. I am an introvert at times and less an extrovert but a little. I too, am drained being a deep empath as well. I struggle with authenticity at times because I pick up on other’s energy, vibes, emotions and body languages. I want to “balance” people, conversations, the environment and universe. Audra, I like the colors but your house is too eccentric for me. I am glad you are “doing you”. It has so much “going on”, I can not focus on one thing or color and my ADHD anxiety goes into overdrive. I feel overwhelmed and yet I want to encourage you to do what makes you happy. Which one is my authentic self? Are we “programmed” in society to not be honest when we don’t necessarily agree, like or prefer with someone or something? It’s draining at times. I would like to know from you, another empath, how do you traverse these things without draining yourself? I truly don’t know at times how to handle it all. I also feel “spirts”, “souls” and other things I cannot see with my eyes, yet I can see with my “mind’s eye” at times. These “things” tend to drain energy from me when they try to “connect” or communicate with me. They seem to come to me when I am calm, at peace and completely relaxed. I think it is because I have “let my walls down” and am open for them to try to communicate with me. Ladies I don’t know if this affects you but, when men pee standing up, we have to be relaxed and allow it to flow. We have a bladder and a prostate (a small muscle about the size of a large pecan that wraps around our urethra). Both of these have to be relaxed to pee. Anyway, I have received these “things” in public bathrooms, when I have to be completely relaxed, when my guard is down and I am open to the universe. It is very draining at times.