Is being an empath a mental health condition?

A person with empathic ability tends to be a highly sensitive person who is able to experience other people’s feelings. An empathic person can take on negative emotions and emotional pain from others.

There are a variety of different types of empaths. For example, here are some of the empath types: Emotional Empaths, Physical Empaths, Intuitive Empaths, Animal Empaths, Earth Empaths, Dream Empaths, Telepathic Empaths, Plant Empaths, Medium Empaths, Healing Empaths, Geomantic Empaths, Cosmic Empaths.

Interestingly, a person in pain may feel better after spending time with an empath. Empathy can be therapeutic.

Unfortunately, people’s emotions can be fatiguing and even harmful to sensitive people with an empathic nature. An empath who takes on too much emotional pain from others may be at higher risk of substance abuse.

Excessive substance use can lead to addictive behavior. An empath may find themselves caught up in active addiction.

Empaths may become addicted to opioids or alcohol to cover up emotional pain. It is also possible for empaths to get addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine, which they take to overcome the emotional energy drain caused by being around people who are in emotional turmoil, or by being targets of energy vampires or narcissistic attackers.

Medication-assisted treatment programs can help empaths who are addicted to opioids or alcohol. Buprenorphine treatment helps people to taper safely off of opioids, and The Sinclair Method can help people to taper off of alcohol, using naltrexone therapy.

Addiction treatment programs are often not designed to take into account the specific needs of the addicted empath. In addition to substance use disorder, an empath is also at high risk of becoming benzodiazepine dependent. It is important that the empath gets expert help to overcome addictions and drug dependence, and also to learn important protective techniques, such as empathic grounding and setting safe boundaries.

Maladaptive coping mechanisms and narcissistic abuse can lead to dependence on medications or drugs.

Imagine what happens to the empath as they absorb emotional energy from a person who has an unlimited supply of negative energy. A narcissist, or a person who has narcissistic personality disorder, may inflict significant trauma on an empathic person with a never-ending stream of negative, hurtful emotion.

In a healthy relationship, the empath who understands how to set healthy boundaries is able to flourish. They provide therapeutic empathic support for their loved one, who in return respects their need for resting and recharging from exposure to the emotions of others.

A narcissist, on the other hand, has no respect for boundaries, and many narcissists target victims who are empaths without an understanding of their own empathic abilities. The attacking narcissist can entangle their victim in love addiction and emotional overload, leading to mental health issues and even physical symptoms.

An empath may end up in mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment to overcome an addiction developed as a result of narcissistic abuse. During the recovery process, the empath may be told that their addiction is a result of defects of character and shortcomings.

If the individual learns about their empathic nature, after reading the “Empaths Survival Guide” by Judith Orloff, M.D., or by reading other authoritative guides, such as “Supernatural Recovery,” they may begin developing life strategies to protect themselves. Avoiding narcissists and learning how to set emotional boundaries is the beginning of the healing journey.

Is group therapy helpful for the empath?

A standard part of traditional addiction treatment includes regular group therapy meetings, where rehab clients meet to discuss their recovery-related issues together. Group therapy is thought to be highly therapeutic for people with substance use disorders.

Unfortunately, group therapy, where each member shares what they are feeling with the group, can increase the emotional stress load of the empath who attends the meeting. While empaths may benefit from some groups, others may be overwhelming for them.

If a particular therapeutic group is designed and moderated specifically for empathic clients, then it may be ideal for empaths to attend for therapeutic support. An empath aware moderator can ensure that the meeting provides the best possible setting for comfort and healing for each empath in the group.

There are a variety of group therapy techniques that can be employed for empaths. While the traditional large group circle used in rehabs and 12-step programs can be daunting, there are more intimate alternatives.

For example, the Circling Method is a small group therapeutic technique that splits a large group into very small individual groups with careful moderation instructions, and a return to the larger group. Circling may be adopted further in the future by addiction treatment programs to help clients to recover from addictions. Empaths especially may benefit from this therapeutic alternative.

What about empaths on benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines are drugs prescribed to treat anxiety. In recent years, doctors have learned that benzos are not ideal drugs because of long-term adverse effects and serious withdrawal symptoms.

Many people who have taken benzos for years are now looking for help to taper and quit a result of benzodiazepine toxicity. While the drug is known to have possible toxic effects in the brain, it is not safe to quit cold turkey or to taper too quickly.

Benzodiazepine dependence is not benzodiaziepine addiction in almost all cases. Quitting benzos is not easy because of the severe withdrawal symptoms, but this is not necessarily a sign of addiction.

Empaths are often prescribed benzodiazepines and other psych drugs, because life can be difficult when you feel other people’s feelings, so empathy can be mistaken for a psychiatric condition. When a person goes into a psychiatrist’s office, they typically walk out with a prescription for one or more psych drugs.

Benzodiazepines dull the sense and cover up feelings. An empath may find the effect peaceful at first, but long-term, suppressing emotions and feelings is not ideal.

Fortunately, there are benzo-aware doctors and benzo-aware pharmacists who can help empaths who would like to quit benzodiazepines and be benzo-free. As an empath, a person with powerful innate empathy skills has the potential to help people and to live a fulfilling life.

Empathy is like a superpower. Benzodiazepines and other psych drugs can be like kryptonite for the empath. However, it is critical to only taper off of these drugs under expert medical supervision at a very slow rate, to avoid serious long-term adverse effects.

Empaths: We need you to overcome your addiction or drug dependence.

Society needs empaths. If you are an empath, you can do a great deal of good for your family and loved ones, and others in your community.

If you are struggling with an addiction, it is important that you get help to overcome that addiction. As a recovering empath, you have the potential to help others in recovery as well as people struggling with a variety of emotional issues.

While your first priority must be self-care and taking care of your needs and boundaries, with careful use of your empathic abilities, you can learn a great deal about people. You can be an important force for good in the lives of others.

Recovery from addiction can lead to a life of fulfillment and happiness. As an empath, you have the power to choose to be happy, enjoying and having gratitude for your empathic abilities.

Now is the best time to start planning your recovery. The best first step is to reach out to an experienced doctor, therapist, or coach who can guide you in the right direction to getting started with the empath addiction recovery or empath drug dependence recovery process.