Forgive me if this has been answered before

[Caffiend]

When you get overwhelmed by problems, stress, etc. do you tend to withdraw more from people? I'm curious, I'm fairly empathic, and seem to withdraw when I can't handle everything.

[Gypsy flower]

I withdraw gather my energys and get better after a while :o

[Rowan MoonDragon]

absolutely! and I shut down too. I tend to do nothing.

[Bethra]

Yes very much so. I seem to require a lot of time in my own little hermitage. When things get on top of me I need plenty of "me" time or I end up a wreck. :collapse:

[Contra Mundum]

when i'm really overwhelmed i just shut down and feel nothing.
for me it's a coping mechanism that sets in whenever things get too much.
i become really numb ,locked inside my own world and notice no one ,so i can deal with the issues that have been given me.

[Pesha]

Yes I do hun. I will even stay away from the puter as well. If I don't I get overloaded and sick.

Hey kiddo good to see you here in Empath land. :hugz:

BB
DS.

[Caffiend]

Thanks gang! These past few months have been pretty much survival mode for me. Just do the bare minimum and regroup. I've been slowly getting off medications and have noticed that my empathic abilities are back in full swing. That and all the crap that's been going on in my life has thrown me into a tailspin. Been a total hermit. Trying to nudge myself out mroe now. Feeling a bit more like me.

[BrigidMoon]

I totally need time alone. When we were planning the wedding this summer. I retreated and read THREE HP books. LOL :)

[Teresa]

I think that is a part of our natural instincts and it helps to keep us from overloading so to speak.

[SammieAnn]

yes all the time

[LadyAriana]

I totally need time alone. When we were planning the wedding this summer. I retreated and read THREE HP books. LOL :)

Back to back?! Talk about a retreat...hehehe...unless your a lightspeed reader that's a LONG hermitage :)

[MoonLyte]

Yes, i tend to withdraw from people, i seem to go into autopilot for a while where i find it difficult to feel anything.

[Autumnsong]

I can think of an extreme case of withdrawing, back in the summer of 2003. An incident happened then that had me so heartbroken and crushed that I couldn't think straight. I ended up drawing so totally into myself that my best friend (also a strong Empath) couldn't Sense me anymore.
He was terrified that I'd done something to myself and contacted all of my friends and called my house to see where I was and stuff..

I'd gone out of town to get away from the familiar things in an effort to get my mind straight.

I can't say that I've ever had to do that again, but I do tend to withdraw to a minor degree when I'm stressed out. *nod*

[Lunacie]

Hey dearling, good to see ya, I wondered where you were keeping yourself. I do the hermit thing pretty often, but it's been a few years since it lasted longer than a week or two. Funny how I stop checking email first, eh? I visit about 3 discussion boards pretty regular and generally stop checking in at all but one of them. I guess that's how I simplify and reduce the pressure and stress but still stay connected and sane. If the hermit phase lasts more than a few days I find I change which forum I visit.

I'm a little worried about traveling with my sister next week, we'll be gone five days and I won't have any place to "hermitize" myself. Emotions are going to be pretty heavy since my sister has cancer, just had a siezure on Sunday, we'll be visiting a brand new baby who was born Cesearean and a toddler sister who may be jealous, along with a butt-load of my niece's inlaws who are all strangers to me. Well, I haven't needed a really strong shield in a long time, guess it's time to dush mine off and recharge the battery.