Author: Judith Orloff

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Posts by Judith Orloff

Empathic Illnesses: Do You Absorb Other People’s Symptoms?

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Empathic illnesses are those in which you manifest symptoms that are not your own. Many patients have come to me labeled“agoraphobic” with panic disorders, chronic depression, fatigue, pain, or mysterious ailments that respond only partially to medications or psychotherapy. Some were nearly housebound or ill for years. They’d all say, “I dread being in crowds. Other people’s anger, stress, and pain drain me, and I need a lot of alone time to refuel my energy.”…
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How to Tell the Difference Between Lust and Love

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As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen how intense sexual attraction is notorious for obliterating common sense and intuition in the most sensible people. Why? Lust is an altered state of consciousness programmed by the primal urge to procreate. Studies suggest that the brain in this phase is much like a brain on drugs. MRI scans illustrate that the same area lights up when an addict gets a fix of cocaine as when a person is experiencing the intense lust of physical attraction….
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Emotional Contagion at Work: How to Stop Absorbing a Coworker’s Stress

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Research has documented that we can catch each other’s emotions, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion even at work. Judith Orloff, MD is a New York Times bestselling author with the upcoming book The Genius of Empathy: Practical Skills to Heal Yourself, Your Relationships and the World (Foreword by the Dalai Lama). She has also…
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4 Ways to Break Up with a Narcissist

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In my psychiatric practice I’ve seen how hard it is for my patients to break up with a partner who’s a narcissist. Narcissists can make you fall in love with them so hard that it feels like you’re giving up a part of your heart to leave them. And they use every manipulation in the book to get you to stay….
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Sensing the Energy of Others

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Over the many years of developing my intuition I’ve learned that as one begins to open up to it they start to get a sense of the bliss, joy, and pleasure that is all around them. Many of us cannot let that much pleasure in as we’re more comfortable staying with our own problems. I encourage you to develop your intuition and awareness of energy so you can inherently sense the ecstasy that is everywhere….
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The Four Secrets to Radiant Aging

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Radiant aging is possible. What typically makes the aging process a struggle? When we try to control it, deny it, fight it, or rigidly define the process. Truth is, to our egos, the idea of change is scary. It makes us feel that we’re not in control of our lives. Though growing older may present…
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