highly sensitive people, empath, high sensitivity and anxiety, anxiety relief programs, anxiety relief products

Absorbing the anxiety of others

Dr. Orloff: My body absorbs energy and that can be extremely agitating. And if you don't know that you're absorbing the anxiety of others, or even the anxiety of the world, everything that's going on, then you can be a lightning rod for anxiety, and it's not even your own.

Douglas: Yes. And that's really a powerful point to make. From what I've read and done interviews with a number of creative people including... well, maybe particularly - actors. A number of them are highly sensitive, if not empathic.

Do you find that with people you work with, that they're particularly susceptible in this way?

Dr. Orloff: Oh, yes. Creative people are extremely sensitive. Their neurologic systems are wired, very finely tuned, and open to all kinds of energies from the outside.

So it's important that they protect their energies and nurture them, and not be overwhelmed.

And learn strategies that center themselves, and not absorb everything around them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to really create and manifest all their fantastic talent.


Douglas: Yes. I think it was in a summary of your book, that had a statement that you show how to "identify the most powerful negative emotions and transform them into hope, kindness, and courage."

Dr. Orloff: Yes.

Douglas: It's a really hopeful statement. So we've been talking about anxiety, but certainly there are other negative emotions. What struck me was the idea of transforming them. This isn't just about covering up or masking these feelings. Is that right?

Dr. Orloff: Oh, that's exactly right. And this is what I really wanted to get across in my book, that if you experience fear, the idea isn't just to get rid of fear, it's to transform it with courage. You have to have point and counterpoint.

In traditional psychiatry, it's just about getting rid of an uncomfortable emotion, or understanding it rather than transforming it. But because emotions are energy, you need to transform it so that they don't stay stuck in your body and you can become empowered.

And so in the book I talk about transforming fear with courage, or transforming frustration with patience, or transforming anxiety with inner calm, or transforming anger with compassion.

No, it's a point counterpoint. It's a dance. It's a movement. It's not just "get rid of the anxiety and everything's all better."

Douglas: Right. And your book and your work as I understand, is really an outgrowth of what you list as your fondest loves - traditional medicine, intuition, energy, and dreams.

Dr. Orloff: Right.

Douglas: It's really a wonderfully exciting mix of disciplines and knowledge. Are you finding that you're able to bring all of that into your work? Or do you often use one approach, like energy management? I guess what I'm trying to say is, it sounds like you have a very eclectic background. Do you use that background in a full sense when you're working with people?

Dr. Orloff: Oh, yes, yes, yes.

I want to stress that when a person comes in, I tune in with my intuition to find out which approach is most appropriate for them. I don't have a preference. And so I just use whatever will help somebody.

You know, if traditional medicine is indeed what will help someone, then I am more than happy to go in that direction. But if they need something else in addition to that, I'm more than happy to go in that direction.

I intuitively tune in to what's most appropriate for the person. I never force anything on them, or say this is the only way to go. It's a collaboration between me and my patients about what's right for them.

Douglas: Yes. Well, you emphasize intuition in a lot of ways. Is the book about intuition, about using intuition and enhancing it?

Dr. Orloff: Oh, yes. It's about using intuition and helping us to transform negative emotions and tuning into intuition versus fear. That's as important... Intuition is the still small voice inside that will tell us the truth about things.

And often when you're anxious you're out of touch with it. Because the anxiety takes you away from your center.

So it's important to be able to breathe and calm yourself. And get back to that intuition, and listen for how it wants to move you.

"And listen for the goose bumps," as Quincy Jones said in an interview I did with him. Listen for those goose bumps. Don't act out of anxiety. Don't just make a decision because you're so anxious you've got to do something.

You have to stop, pause, and listen for intuition. I'm presenting emotions as the path to spiritual and intuitive awakening. When you begin to transform fear with courage or anger with compassion, it is light bearing. And it creates more light in yourself and the universe.

I see emotions as very sacred, but in order to really get a deep sense of what's going on with them you must get in touch with your body's intuition.

That will help you to shed light on anything that's blocking you from experiencing joy.

    >> Continued