Episode Details

The Case: 

• Eva struggled with sleep issues, anxiety, and extreme emotions for years
• She saw doctors, functional medicine practitioners, and naturopaths and followed all of their advice with no results
• Medication, dietary adjustments, and supplements failed to help 

The Investigation

After years of seeing specialists in conventional medicine, she turned to alternative medicine. Unfortunately, naturopaths, homeopaths, and functional medicine doctors were also unable to determine what was causing her ongoing symptoms. 

That’s when Eva came to see me. She mentioned that she was frustrated but that she’s always been overly-sensitive. When I asked her if she’d ever heard of an empath (and explained what that was) she cried. 

Lori Kennedy is the CEO of The Wellness Business Hub, the host of the Business Of Becoming podcast and she is a mom of 2 kids. She’s also an empath so I was excited to discuss Eva’s case with her. 

What is an Empath? 

Lori explains that an empath is someone who is highly sensitive to stimuli.  This might be in the form of smells, sounds, light, other people's energy, or the environment. An empath will also feel other people’s emotions. Oftentimes, an empath can physically experience the emotions of another person, including their emotional reaction to physical pain. She describes the experience as absorbing the emotional experiences of others, which can be incredibly draining especially in enclosed, crowded spaces. Having the capacity for empathy is different from being an empath. 

Symptoms of Being Empathic

An empath may not recognize their symptoms right away. They may feel tired after being exposed to stimuli. They may also feel anxiety, restlessness, anger, frustration, an inability to cope, grumpiness, physical fatigue and they may have difficulty sleeping. Unchecked, these symptoms can lead to things like digestive issues and other physical manifestations as they did with Eva. Tests will reveal no cause, which may also be an indication of being an empath.

Diagnosis of Empath

There is no formal diagnosis of ‘Empath’ however, anyone one who suspects they may be an empath can start, as Lori did, with some online quizzes and researching their symptoms. Lori suggests books by Dr. Judith Orloff. 

Here are a few things to consider: 

1. Medical tests reveal no cause for physical conditions
2. Treatments that should cure a condition fail
3. Noticing that other people’s energy or moods dramatically affect your mood or energy
4. You pick up on other people’s truth (you feel like a human lie detector)
5. You’re a true introvert
6. You crave the outdoors and feel rejuvenated when you are outside
7. You’re highly sensitive to stimuli (light, sound, smells, environment)
8. You cry often and, after releasing the energy, you feel better

Dealing with Being Empathic

Recognizing you’re an empath is the first step in managing it and the physical manifestations of it. Lori says you have to learn what will trigger you and avoid those situations. She also says that you need to learn how to release the energy you’ve absorbed. For her, that means having sufficient quiet after being overly stimulated and also having daily alone-time. Recognize your limits and support your nervous system. Learning how to release energy you may have absorbed is also key - for Lori, that means having a little dance on her own. Moving your body is a great way to release that energy because energy can’t be destroyed; it can only be moved. 

Staying healthy with a nutritionally sound diet, watching your blood sugar level, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep are also ways to support yourself. 

The Gift of Being an Empath

While it ma