Question for you long term traveling empaths

[WalkaboutTed]

I don't know where else to ask this personal question, since it concerns only longer term travelers who are also empaths.  So here goes (sorry about the fonts):

 I've been living the mobile life for a year.  Hubby and I spend months apart, so it's just me and the dog.  I have found that in the last few months, I can barely tolerate a fake, negative person or a person experiencing severe emotional or physical pain. It is almost a physical force pushing at me and it's all I can do to be in the present and keep from turning around and literally running away.  I don't want to be rude, but I'm finding that I can't abide the presence of some people. It didn't use to be that way, my profession was based on the my abilities.  It's disturbing. No other negative psych or emotional issues are in my life, it's all good.  What gives?

Anyone else experience this? To have this happen at my age, out of the blue is truly puzzling.
Thanks,
Ted  

 

[Blanch]

I’m finding that I am changing in similar ways. I find it excruciating to be around certain people I used to be able to tolerate. All this alone time allows me to completely relax and not have to deal with the behaviors of others. Then, when I have to deal with it, I’m out of sorts and uncomfortable, and often intolerant of others.

I do not have any answers, but I have similar issues.


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[WalkaboutTed]

I forgot to mention this too, but I have grapheme and mirror-touch synesthesia and both if those are getting more noticeable. I assume they are all related.
Ted

 

[WanderingRose]

When we are working, or otherwise immersed in high people contact environments, we are constantly managing, and maybe suppressing, our reactions to others.

Traveling mostly alone, we have to do less of that, and I think sometimes feel a bit smacked in the face by personalities.

That’s been my experience, at any rate.

I don’t have so much problem with people in emotional pain, more so with the superficial, snide, gossipy types, which I absolutely can no longer abide.

 

[John61CT]

If you were in constant contact with thousands of normally-screwed-up and averagely-evil people conforming to modern mainstream society,

as those living in our larger man-swarms are forced to deal with daily,

desensitization would kick in to protect you, as it does with soldiers in battle, medical workers, teachers etc.

Perhaps be grateful you have the choice to be somewhat removed from the worst of our insane world, at least in large numbers at a time.

Or consciously expose yourself and toughen back up.

 

[Cammalu]

Ted, what is mirror touch synesthesia


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[GraceinMotion]

Life is short. Sooner or later many of us decide we're sick of people sucking away parts of what little time we have left.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

For me mirror touch synesthesia is if I touch someone, I feel it in the same place on my body. It can be pretty interesting. It was a problem as a nurse, that's why I went into Labor & Delivery-I wasn't causing the pain. Then I went into telephone nursing, which was even easier. But the empath thing even works through the phone, so you can imagine how it can be in person. I isolate because if it. And I am really limited on what kind if media I can watch. So you can see that as I'm becoming more sensitive to it, it can be pretty unpleasant.

 

[Moxadox]

Hey Ted, I totally relate. It's painful to feel so much! I feel like my ******** meter is constantly pinned in the red these days. I think John hit the nail on the head: we have to either accept the stripping off of the layers of insulation, and find a way to adapt, or dive back into the barrel of nails and get desensitized again. I have had to go with fairly complete isolation. The noise of other people's emotions and thoughts and states is just too annoying. It's like living in a f*cking Crackerbarrel restaurant, if that makes any sense at all.

I'd love to meet you, but I don't go where there are other people, much.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[RoamerRV428]

Empathic. Never had anything like that in my life but I sure understand what it is to want to back away from people. I am finding myself doing that exact thing right now. I have no tolerance left. I even say to myself I ain't right in some way cause I was not effected by people that much, but now, even the slightest bit of stupid or trouble or misery or _______ makes me want to turn and run. And I find myself wanting that, not avoiding doing it at all, I long to turn and run and silence from it all. And I am accepting it as me now. I am not fighting against it at all.

 

[Bobflhtc]

Sorry to hear about your condition. Last winter I was camped out in the desert when a group (WIN) decided they liked my spot and camped on top of me which aggravated me although they never knew it. I figured if I stayed there it was my own fault since there are plenty of other places to go so I moved. Besides a shooting involves too much paperwork.

Personally I don't like traveling in a group. It stops being an adventure and scheduleing starts to manifest itself. One of the things I love about this lifestyle is living in the moment. Of course it can get lonely. I could always settle down and live near one of my kids? Naw I'm not desperate enough yet.

 

[John61CT]

Ted, what is mirror touch synesthesia?

Example here from Jeff Goldblum

 

[John61CT]

Then ineffable Michael Leunig

 

[towhee]

I see similar changes in me now in my 4th year of nomad. I am less willing to be around grouchy people.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

John61,
About the video: Touché!
Ted

 

[GypsyJan]

Part of the reason we crave nomadic life is to escape the artificial drama of "normal' life.

I can't go to action films....every time an actor is wounded, I find myself holding that area of my body. By the time the film ends, I leave the theater crouched over and gripping an elbow here and a knee there... LOL.

 

[Element Gypsy]

I too run from the emotional vampires.
When dealing with everyday things, what I suggest is find tools that work for you. ...
one needs to pull up their big boy or girl panties, get psyched in your strength, mind, being...pull up your boots to wade through the crap and don the invisible wonder woman bracelets to divert the negative energy. Armed with these types of visions, tools, concepts, one can achieve almost anything with out taking on other people's pain or emotions. I can teach you tools.

 

[Rubydragon@i90]

I'm a an empath and its part of the process as you become aware of your super powers you are like a lie detector. I got validation about my feelings you are describing and I learned a whole lot by watching videos on you tube title how do you know your an empath or why empath can't stand being around certain people try doing some research on being an empath on youtube and it will help a whole lot you will be liberated by having validation about why sometimes you have to leave a situation quickly or want to get away from.certain persons. And how to protect your sensitive soul empath feel everyone's feelings around you and sometimes it hard to know where your center is and you might all the sudden get angry if your around someone and your picking up their vibes doing Utube research is liberating and validating feel free to contact me if you want x o

 

[ckelly78z]

I have a really low tolerance for people who are suffering from emotional, or physical pain. I call it a lack of empathy, but maybe my life experiences have jaded me to the point of not caring.

My wife, and I joke that my nine lives are up from having SO MUCH major health problems over my life.
17-Hit by a freight train while driving a Pinto
23-YO-develop Hodgkins lymphoma
24-nine months of daily radiation treatments
26-Deep Venus Thrombosis DVT blood clot in my chest
29-re-occurance of Hodgkins 10 rounds of Chemo
35-congestive heart failure CHF from one of the chemo drugs
42-another CHF
48-hit broadside by drunk driver 17 broken bones (off 6 months learning to walk again)
49-Blood clots in both legs from inactivity after accident.
52- New pace maker for failing heart.

With all of this, I still show up every day to work, and run a 10 acre farm, cut 5 cords of firewood, and hike, and bike as much as possible while camping. I refuse all pain meds, and havn't ever needed emotional support for any of this.

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU, MAKES YOU STRONGER !

 

[maki2]

It sounds to me that after working around people who are in a lot of trauma and pain of various types that you have developed a variation of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. It is not at all surprising that you might have developed this. Being in a medical profession in civilian life also brings with it some of the horrors of being in battle field situations where people are in stress and pain all around you. Constant immersion in such an environment is very stressful.

Post Traumatic stress can manifest itself in various ways including the over reaction sensitivity you are experiencing. That is because those individuals you meet are triggering the post traumatic stress. I would suggest you do some reading on this subject and how it relates to health care workers. Then find some support groups or counselors who understand the specifics of what you have experienced in the past and what you are experiencing in the present. Recognizing the cause is the start of coping with it.

Many people who are full timers on the road are elderly and more than a few of them have had emotional situations that have caused them great pain. It is natural that you want to run away from them to protect yourself from the pain that slams into you with the post traumatic stress disorder. But fortunately there are things you can learn to help you cope with this. No cure for it, but better coping skills can be achieved for yourself. Best wishes for you, remember you are strong and your medical background will help you understand what is happening to yourself much better than many others with this will be able to do for themselves.