Empathy Burnout

Hello Family & Friends & welcome to My Private Journal. I was Skeptical about writing this and publishing this for the world to see, I really have a hard time opening up about myself and the things i go through. but i don't think it would be fair to tell everyone else story and not tell mines for my audience to know more about me.

First, I would like to say thank you for supporting me & thank you for going the extra mile to subscribe to my magazine to learn more about my train of thought. hopefully you are not the opposition that follow me off fake Pages everyday on social media but only time will tell.

What is Empathy Burnout ?

Empathy burnout, also known as compassion fatigue, is a state of emotional exhaustion and depletion that occurs when a person is exposed to prolonged or intense experiences of suffering and trauma. It can affect individuals who work in caring professions, such as healthcare, social work, or law enforcement, as well as those who witness or experience significant personal trauma. 

they absorb the energies, emotions, and stress of others like a sponge, often without realizing it, leading to emotional overwhelm and physical exhaustion. This heightened sensitivity can result from having porous energy fields, undeveloped boundaries, or a nervous system that is more reactive to external stimuli. Without proper self-care, including setting boundaries, self-awareness, and dedicated alone time, empaths can experience empathy fatigue, burnout, and even symptoms of adrenal fatigue

I chose to write about Empathy Burnout because this is how I've been feeling for the last couple years. and as i grow to understand why i been feeling this way it becomes more easier to explain.

Over the years i learned a lot about myself and one thing i learned is i care too much about others sometimes more than they care about me. I cared so much about others that when traumatic things happen in their lives its almost like i can feel everything the person is going through.

sometimes I feel… empty. Not in a dramatic way, just hollow. I’m always the one people call when their world is falling apart. Friends, coworkers, even people I barely know online. And I listen, I give advice, I comfort them. That’s just who I’ve always been.

But somewhere along the way, I stopped having space for myself. I honestly can’t remember the last time I cried for me. Every ounce of my tears feels like it’s already been used up on someone else’s heartbreak.

I noticed it the other night when a friend called me crying. I answered, of course I always do. I said all the right things, but I felt… nothing. Just this numb heaviness in my chest. It’s the same at work when people vent to me. I nod, I reassure them, but inside I’m tired, tired in a way sleep doesn’t fix.

Lately, I’ve been canceling plans. Not because I don’t care, but because I care too much. Tonight, I sat in my car after work for almost an hour. Didn’t cry, didn’t scream, just stared at the steering wheel. And I whispered to myself, “I can’t do this anymore.” It scared me how flat my voice sounded. The world outside kept moving people laughing on the sidewalk, cars honking but I felt invisible, like a ghost.

The truth is, I still love people. I still want to care. but that part of me died. sometimes i feel like I don’t have anything left to give right. And that makes me feel numb. Ashamed. Lonely in a way I can’t explain.

Empathy used to feel like my strength. Now it feels like the very thing that’s breaking me.