Empath Guide to Social Anxiety and Toxic People

Social Anxiety and the presence of toxic people are two of the most important problems Empaths will come across and have to face throughout their lives. We have established by now that Empaths feel the emotions of other people and can be overwhelmed by them to the point of them not being able to know which emotions are theirs and which emotions belong to other people. This inability, at first, of the Empaths to stay in a crowd for prolonged periods of time may lead them to develop depression, elevated stress levels, and social anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder is mainly the nervous and uncomfortable reaction of people during social situations. The stress associated with being present in social situations cannot be handled in an effective way by those people who have it and can lead to panic attacks the least.

Some examples of situations people with --->>
Social Anxiety Disorder will have problems with are:

2020 to 20201 MONTHLY HOROSCOPE
CHOOSE YOUR SIGN

Talking in public places.
Conversing with strangers.
Having an intimate relationship.
Maintaining eye contact.
Entering rooms full of people.
Having a meal in front of people.
Attending work or school.
Starting and continuing

For some people, these situations may not pose a problem, but for people with social anxiety, these happenings may seem as a herculean task. Empaths have an added reason to develop social anxiety, especially those who don’t know how to handle their gifts or even that they have them. They can feel everyone’s emotions as their own and when this is not addressed, the Empath may feel the need to isolate himself or herself and dread being present to social situations. They will also try to organize their days according to their anxiety and avoid a situation or a person that triggers this anxiety.

The symptoms of social anxiety include:

Sweating.
Blushing.
Trembling.
Excessive heartbeat.
Nausea or stomach distress.
Short breaths.
Dizziness.
Headaches.
Loss of control.
Tense muscles.
Fear of being judged by other people.
Being nervous about potential embarrassment or humiliation.
Fear of everyone having their eyes on you.
Avoiding situations and people due to this anxiety.
You are overwhelmed by others and extremely emotional in social gatherings.
You spend many hours afterward thinking about the emotions of other people and if anyone noticed your discomfort.

There is no particular reason that triggers social anxiety except genetics and emotional overload. For example, if someone in your family had this type of anxiety, you are more at risk than other people to have it yourself. Other factors that may play a role in social anxiety are the experiences of childhood teasing, abuse, or bullying. Social anxiety can affect the life of an Empath the worst if it is not treated properly. Empaths will suffer from extreme levels of stress, physical pain, and their energy will be drained continuously.

There are ways to deal with social anxiety as an Empath and the best choice you have is to try everything before you reach the conclusion of which strategy is appropriate for you.

The first thing you can try is to know and set your boundaries. It is not your job to alleviate everyone’s pain. You need to realize when your abilities become damaging to you and stop practicing them. There are people who are draining your energy, so identify them and spend less time with them or try to not speak to them so much. When you notice that you are extremely tired and left with no energy after going out with a certain person or group of people, next time decline their invitation kindly until you feel ready to go out with them again. You have the right to say “No” and keep in mind that this is your right.

Try to discern which emotions are yours and which aren’t. Are you happy and suddenly you are sad? Do you feel a great number of emotions hitting you at once? Are these emotions yours or do they belong to the people you are out with? If you weren’t sad, angry, depressed or anxious before, chances are you are witnessing someone else’s emotions. If you succeed in separating your feelings from the ones belonging to other people, you will manage to minimize the number of emotions you take in from other people and stop them from having such a huge impact on you.

The importance of spending time alone is extremely important for Empaths. This way they can refill their energy levels and destress more effectively if they were in the company of other people. You could meditate, do the things you love, dance, listen to the kind of music that soothes you or soak in an Epsom salt bath. This way, you will take a step back from technology and the external stimulation that is harmful to you. You have to enjoy the things that help you express your true self.

You could also plan a whole day and spend it surrounded by nature. Take in the beautiful green scenery, sit under the tree and read a book or listen to some music, whatever makes you feel better. This way, you will focus on the beauty of nature and shed all the negativity you may have from previous experiences.

Another thing you could do that is not solely applied to Empaths is to engage in cognitive behavioral therapy. This way, you will learn to alter your thoughts about social anxiety and develop new behaviors to apply in situations that are most likely to trigger your anxiety. This therapy will help you see your life and your gifts in a more positive way and teach you the joys life has to offer. You will know any negative thoughts you may have about yourself and your abilities and replace those with the truth of the situation. For example, you may believe that your skills are a curse when they are a gift or you may have guilt and anger caused by a past problem that now shouldn’t affect you.

Empath or not, we all know that life is hard and we are programmed as the years pass to think only about the problems we will face in life, making us having anxious thoughts. With cognitive behavioral therapy, our brain will be re-programmed to think in a realistic and more positive way than before. This practice will be extremely useful to Empaths since their gifts, at the first stage, will be too much to bear.

ALSO READ :

The Zodiac type of Empath

Zodiac Signs have actually a very good story to tell for each of us revealing the magical potential behind our physical talents. Although just the zodiac sign cannot tell the whole truth – we need to see the bigger picture, the whole natal chart – it’s a very good start.

Mindset - by the star