A coworker asked me today if I was an empath and I had no idea what that was. I asked her to explain and it was basically “someone who knows what other people are going through.” It’s way off from what I assumed it meant (I thought she said “are you in N-PATH” and I assumed it was a certification program lol). But isn’t this just someone with empathy?

    • keepcarrot [she/her]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Attachment disorder? Tbh, no one uses "empath" in my circles and I hang around a lot of goths, hippies, and needs. I just feel like there's a clinical term for this.

      • JamesConeZone [they/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        I honestly don't know enough about it. I asked my therapist if HSP/empath was bullshit. She said no, but it's basically different language to describe how trauma effects various aspects of personality and/or coping skills, like it'd describe a broad presentation that is typically associated with similar trauma but isn't specific enough like c-ptsd, bpd etc. So like my partner might present as an HSP, but they actually have OCPD which makes them highly sensitive to things like perceived criticism or routine changes.

        The one person I know for sure that could be an "empath" is also codependent, enmeshed, and either anxious or disorganized attachment. So they may present as an empath, but it's because they fear abandonment and are trying desperately to connect. So yeah, there may be something there too with attachment