Dear Feminist.com readers:

I am very excited about writing my column "Positive Energy for Women." It is devoted to women who want to lead vibrant, empowered lives but may often feel worn down by the many daily stresses we encounter. It is for everyone who is forever in a rush fending off exhaustion, or desperately overcommitted afraid to say no. It'll teach you how to deal with draining people, and also how to maintain a sense of calm centeredness to face a busy life.

I am a psychiatrist in Los Angeles who specializes in listening to intuition and building energy. As much as I respect the analytic mind, I also know how important it is to use intuition to stay in touch with our body’s signals, and trust our instinctual feminine impulses. I also believe that tapping into spirituality, a power greater than ourselves, is essential to maximize our energy and deepen our connectedness to others and the world. Women have powerful, intuitive natures. When our sense of intuition, spirituality and energy is awakened, enormous positive energy will flow from this. I hope you enjoy my upcoming columns, and my book Positive Energy!

Judith Orloff, M.D.
www.drjudithorloff.com

Judith Orloff M.D. is a psychiatrist and energy expert, author of the new book Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear Into Vibrance, Strength, and Love. She is also author of the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. She is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, has a private practice in Los Angeles, and leads workshops on the interrelationship of intuition, energy, and medicine. For more information on Dr. Orloff’s books and workshops visit drjudithorloff.com.

Do You Get Drained By Other People’s Energy?

Each day we encounter a wide range of energies, both positive and negative. Positive energy includes compassion, courage, forgiveness, and faith. Negative energy includes fear, anger, hopelessness, and shame. We need to be experts at dealing with energy so we don’t get demolished by draining situations or people who’re energy vampires.

Like me you may be an intuitive empath, someone who’s so sensitive to energy you pick it up but you’re also drained by it. This goes way beyond feeling sympathy for a distraught friend—we actually take on their pain either emotionally or physically. To cope we take refuge in solitude. We empaths are so attuned to others that we can feel what’s going on inside of them. This can put us on energy overload and aggravate everything from chronic fatigue to overeating.

Empaths, unintentionally, can make even a good doctor's life hell. They manifest so many "unexplained" symptoms, that frustrated physicians write them off as hypochondriacs. Empaths are notoriously misdiagnosed. Patients have come to me with obesity who’ve failed diets because they needed strategies other than eating to protect themselves from negative energy. Others were labeled "agoraphobic" or with "panic disorder," having received only minor relief from traditional treatments. Some were nearly house-bound. They'd all say, "I dislike crowded places where there’s no quick escape. Forget department stores, busy streets, elevators, tunnels. I just avoid them." Sounded very familiar. So I decided to take a history of how these people processed energy in the world, something all health professionals must be trained to assess. Voila! I found many were undiagnosed empaths. For me, this changed everything. My job as a physician then became teaching my patients to center themselves and protect their energy.

How do you know if you’re an empath? What are the signs?

Quiz: Are You an Intuitive Empath?

Ask yourself:

• Have you ever sat next to someone at a dinner who seems pleasant, but suddenly you're nauseous, have a headache, or feel drained?
• Are you uncomfortable in crowds, even go out of your way to avoid them? When someone is in pain, do you start feeling it too?
• Do I overeat around people I’m uncomfortable with?

If you've answered "yes" to one or more questions, it's likely you have experienced intuitive empathy. Responding "yes" to every question indicates empathy is draining your energy.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ENERGY

1. In crowds or stressful situations take a few deep breaths to exhale negativity from your body

2. Meditate daily to center yourself—visualize roots going through you and planting firmly in the ground

3. Take daily baths or showers. Water is a potent purifier and can get rid of the negative of energies.

4. Eliminate energy vampires from your life or set clear boundaries with them.

Judith Orloff, M.D. is a psychiatrist, energy and intuition expert, and author of the bestseller Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear Into Vibrance Strength and Love. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA with a private practice in Los Angeles. Her other books are Second Sight and Guide to Intuitive Healing. She leads workshops on the interrelationship of intuition, energy, and medicine.Dr. Orloff is offering a special workshop at Esalen Instiute Oct 5-7, 07 "The Power of Intuition and Positive Energy to Heal" For more information on books and workshops visit www.drjudithorloff.com.

Read an Excerpt from Positive Energy:

• Awaken Intuition and Rejuvenate Yourself
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I’m pleased to offer, “The Art of Remembering and Interpreting Dreams” which was filmed in my livingroom in Los Angeles. Dreams are a powerful source of intuitive knowledge. Ever wonder what it means if you dream you're naked before a crowd or you're running away from a malevolent pursuer? Tune in and find out! Even if you have a hard time remembering them this class will show you how. I hope you enjoy it! For more information on dreams refer to my book Guide to Intuitive Healing or drjudithorloff.com.

TO WATCH VIDEO CLASS: http://www.youtube.com/judithorloffmd

Copyright © 2005-2007 by Judith Orloff, M.D.