If you have an anxious attachment style, dependent personality disorder, or you live with diminished self-esteem, you may also find yourself feeding off of someone else’s energy and emotions.Ĭoined in the 1990s by psychologist Dr. You may have developed similar traits like sensitivity or empathy through epigenetics (environmental factors), like trauma or childhood experiences.Īlso, some people may have such a strong presence that they can shift or drain your energy with their voice, tone, body language, communication style, or relationship dynamic. They encourage us to imitate others and are more active in the brains of HSPs.”Įven if you’re not an HSP, other people’s moods and energy may affect you. “Mirror neurons kick in to gear in our prefrontal cortex, our area of the brain that also controls things like morality and planning around consequences. “Research seems to indicate that certain neurons - mirror neurons - act differently in the brains of HSP than in the brains of non-HSP,” says Amanda Turecek, a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed addictions counselor in Parker, Colorado. Highly sensitive people (HSP) in particular can have SPS. having a greater awareness of subtleties in the environment.

having increased emotional reactivity and empathy.being able to process greater depth of information.If this happens constantly, though, you might have an inherited personality trait called sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). Everyone adopts other people’s emotions or moods from time to time. Can we really ‘absorb’ other people’s energy?

It's affecting me