The Nation: Frontier People

Share

Are you an empath? Take the test here to determine your empath score.

Take the test >

 









Summary of Article

Dr. Orloff is accomplishing for psychiatry what physicians like Dean Ornish and Mehmet Oz have done for mainstream medicine — she is proving that the links between physical, emotional, and spiritual health can’t be ignored.

In Dr. Orloff’s book Empath’s Survival Guide she discusses how medication affects empaths and sensitive people which can be more intense than you may think. Since many empaths experience chronic sensory overload, anxiety or depression, conventional physicians often send them to psychiatrists for medication.

In addition, Dr. Orloff is also fascinated by new research about how pain medications can inhibit empathy. Ohio State University researchers recently found that when participants who took Tylenol (Acetaminophen) learned about the mishaps of others, they experienced less dismay than those who didn’t get the drug. So, if you have a conflict with a family member and you had just taken Tylenol, this research suggests that you might be less compassionate. Knowing that Tylenol decreases empathy is important since 52 million Americans take a substance containing it every week!

According to Dr. Orloff it’s important for sensitive people to listen to the wisdom of their bodies. Many physicians go straight to antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications when treating empaths, but, in general, initially I recommend not using them with such sensitive souls. Sometimes, my patients just need to be kinder to themselves and make certain adjustments which make their lives easier.

If empaths have been chronically depleted by trauma or stress, they may require medication for depression and anxiety to balance their biochemistry. She recommends prescribing these mainly for the short term. Interestingly, she has observed that many empaths require a much lower dose than other people to get a positive effect. For instance, a sliver of an antidepressant can work wonders for highly sensitive patients. A mainstream physician might write this off as a “placebo response.” Dr. Orloff disagrees.

 

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 written The Empath’s Survival Guide and Thriving as an Empath, which offers daily self-care tools for sensitive people. She integrates the pearls of conventional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, empathy, energy medicine, and spirituality. Dr. Orloff specializes in treating empaths and highly sensitive people in her private practice and online internationally. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Oprah Magazine, the New York Times and USA Today. Dr. Orloff has spoken at Google-LA, TEDx U.S. and TEDx Asia. More information about Dr. Orloff’s Empathy Training Programs for businesses, The Empath Survival Guide Online Course and speaking schedule at www.drjudithorloff.com.

Connect with Judith on  FacebookTwitter and Instagram.