Number 3: They’ll find themselves sucked into other people’s drama despite not wanting to be involved.
Empaths, especially damaged empaths, tend to struggle with setting boundaries. Occasionally, not setting boundaries with their friends, coworkers, or partners can lead to them getting dragged into people’s drama when they have no reason to.
Sometimes, they’ll believe that they can solve any conflict and will attempt to mediate the drama, but instead, end up feeling responsible for everyone’s hurt feelings and bear unnecessary stress. They lose sleep talking on the phone, consoling a friend, and maybe even get shouted at for defending someone they shouldn’t have.
Empaths aren’t ever dramatic out of malice, but sometimes, their good intentions can make matters worse. It’s important for empaths to pick their battles and accept that they don’t need to help everyone.
Number 2: They might turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope.
A sad reality is that anyone, empaths included, suffering from depression or other mental health problems may turn to substance abuse as a way of coping. Because empaths experience their emotions so strongly, sometimes they will use alcohol or other drugs as a way to numb their feelings.
Using any substances as a coping mechanism can cause major physical health problems and make depressive symptoms worse. If you or someone you know is struggling with substances, ask your doctor for help on how to address the issue.
Number 1: They may turn apathetic rather than empathetic.
If the empath has been damaged badly enough, their empathy and emotions might become so depleted that they become apathetic. Once a warm, passionate, and enthusiastic person, an empath can become void and detached from their former interests and self. They might feel that they have been hurt too many times before for trusting their emotions and letting their empathy guide them, and instead turn off all feelings, become numb, and not let anyone invade their emotional boundaries again.
An empath turning apathetic is a sad, but real possibility for many empaths who never let themselves heal their wounds. If you’re wondering how an empath begins the healing process, we’ve got a bonus for you! We recommend that if anyone is feeling depressed, damaged, or broken, the best person to talk to is a doctor or therapist. However, if you want a head start, here are three bonus tips for healing a damaged empath!
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