Being an empath is difficult. It can change the way you relate to others, and even to yourself. While empaths are expected to find it easier than others to navigate the emotional realm of a relationship, it is not generally true.
Because the mind and heart of an empath work differently, their relationships can often take on atypical forms. Some of them are healthy and others are not.
Ultimately, an empath is more likely to experience relationship problems than a non-empath. They will also respond to these problems in an unusual and not always healthy manner.
Discover 5 ways that empaths sabotage their relationships:
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1. By compromising their boundaries without having their partner ask them to do so:
An empath can feel the needs of his partner so deeply that he yields to them in a way that hurts them. They may decide to cancel a border that their partner never asked them to cross.
When they make this sacrifice without their partner’s knowledge, empaths open their hearts to anger and resentment. Their partner probably won’t understand what happened. As a result, they will feel deeply frustrated and confused.
2. By not expressing their needs in the relationship:
An empath can become so focused on the well-being of his partner that he neglects to take care of his own well-being. An empath tends to forget the importance of expressing their own needs and seeing that they are met.
This can set in motion a dynamic similar to that described above. The empath will feel unloved and neglected when their needs are not met, and their partner will not understand how to encounter them.
Recommended: 7 Weird Things You May Have Noticed About Authentic Empaths.
3. By neglecting their self-care:
Once again, empaths’ deep concern for others can come at the expense of their own emotional well-being. If an empath becomes too focused on his partner, he may begin to neglect the things that make him what he is.
This could mean spending less time with friends, less energy for leisure, and less focus on the work they find important and meaningful. As a result, their happiness and self-esteem will suffer. Their partner will wonder why they changed. It is often the end of the relationship.
4. By developing a parent-child relationship:
Empaths are nurturers. They will often try to meet the needs of their partner before they can even express them. This can turn into a dangerous dynamic of a partner taking care of the other in a one-sided relationship.
The empath will become resentful at their obligations. Their partner will also start to feel resentful because of their loss of autonomy. This dynamic is not healthy in a relationship between two adults.
Recommended: 12 Reasons why Old Souls Have so Much Trouble Finding Love.
5. By solving important problems on their head:
It is not uncommon for an empath to have a dialogue going on in their head, taking both sides of the argument. Often, an empath will resolve the dispute internally, without ever bringing their problem to light.
This process can eliminate the problem, but it creates many new ones. This is unfair for their partner, who is probably not even aware of the conflict. This deprives them of their autonomy, their chance to defend their point of view, and, above all, the opportunity to understand where their empath is coming from.
“Empaths did not come to this world to be victims, we became warriors. Be brave. Stay strong. We need all hands on deck,” wrote Anthon St. Maarten. Do not fall victim to your own inherent vices. Learn to identify the behaviors above and fight them. The fate of your relationship may depend on it.
