Empathy: Superpower, or Kryptonite?

The claim of being an empath is an idea or concept that I feel, quite like the term "narcissist" has become more of a buzz-word in the recent years, rather than more individuals coming to a rich understanding or first hand experience of what being an empath entails, or how it impacts someone's overall wellbeing. The problem with this is the people who keep coining the word and idea do not really have any idea what it is like living each day feeling emotions so deeply, especially the emotions of others. It makes the world more difficult for those who are true empaths and tends to only further isolate their ability to cope because people tend to see them as being more "dramatic" rather than comprehending the burden they often carry even when it is unwanted.

The most difficult part about being an empath is feeling the sorrow, the struggle and the pain of someone else that you’re close with or somebody you care about deeper than the average human being . It goes beyond wanting to just be a fixer. You have an innate drive and a deeply rooted passion for fixing things, not because they’re broken, but because you feel that sorrow, that pain so strongly, and you know the toll it can take on you, so you don’t want anybody else to feel that. I don’t apologize for feeling things I do as deeply as I do and I never will, but it does make it hard and makes you feel very misunderstood more often times than not.  I’m not trying to prove myself. I am not trying to gain favor with anybody by expressing how much I care. I truly just want to assist and support people that are important to me, or that are involved in my life, and it truly stems from the purist of intentions.