If your friend doesn't reciprocate by being there for you, it can quickly weigh you down mentally, emotionally, and sometimes even physically. Emotional draining can leave you feeling like you are shouldering another person's problems and absorbing their stress (while getting nothing in return).
When the demands on a person exceed their personal resources and their perceived ability to cope, it can result in feeling emotionally drained. Ways to recover from feeling emotionally drained include exercise, a healthy diet, and seeking professional help.
There are plenty of reasons why people develop energy-draining behaviors, such as mental health conditions, certain attachment types, and past trauma. Some people — including empaths — are more susceptible to being emotionally drained than others.
They always ask for more from you than you can give. The classic sign of an emotionally draining personality is someone who constantly demands your attention and energy but never gives anything back. They may expect you to do favors for them or give emotional support without ever returning the favor.
Short answer: Other people drain your energy because you allow them to and because your energy tank is running on empty, leaving you without the fuel you need to deal with them. Short solution: Shift your focus from trying to change other people and instead focus on making yourself feeling better.
Relationships where there are a lot of conflicts, lack of authenticity, minimal attention, or little reciprocity, are exhausting. In those cases, the connection may even feel outweighed by the stress, frustration, or resentment. You may even feel so "used" to this person that the state of exhaustion feels normal.
Every couple is prone to the occasional disagreement from time to time. But if you're constantly feeling stressed any time you think about your partner, or if you feel physically exhausted from spending time with them, it's possible that your relationship is seriously impacting your mental health.
Empathy fatigue has also been thought of as a secondary traumatic stress disorder. It's the type of stress that comes from helping people day in and day out or witnessing or helping a person go through something awful. The stress and hardship of what you're experiencing, seeing and feeling starts to take a toll on you.
very tired: You look completely drained - why don't you go to bed?
Another reason why talking to people could be exhausting for you is also related to your mood. You might be feeling insecure because you don't know who to talk to about your feelings. It's also important to mention that feeling blue can make it difficult to pay attention and actively participate in social situations.
Here are some telltale signs that your friend may be mentally draining. Your relationship or friendship is emotionally or physically exhausting, and you experience anxiety, fatigue, or frustration when you talk or hang out with your friend. You regularly make sacrifices to make sure your friend's needs are met.
As an empath in a tense moment, your heart rate may quicken even more than normal. Your anger may feel heightened, your sadness more intense. It's harder to control your own emotions because you have your emotions and your partner's emotions running through your body.
There's No Emotional Connection
One of the key signs your relationship is ending is that you are no longer vulnerable and open with your partner. A cornerstone of happy, healthy relationships is that both partners feel comfortable being truly open to sharing thoughts and opinions with one another.
"A one-sided relationship can be defined as a relationship that lacks balance and equitable reciprocity. A relationship that lacks balance or equitable reciprocity may look like one person investing more time, energy, effort, emotional or financial support than the other," Mychelle Williams, M.A., LPC, tells mbg.
What are red flags in a relationship? Red flags are warning signs that indicate unhealthy or manipulative behavior. They are not always recognizable at first — which is part of what makes them so dangerous. However, they tend to grow bigger and become more problematic over time.
If you're not being satisfied emotionally, sexually or intellectually, it's probably time to move on. Ending a relationship is hard, but it's sometimes the only correct thing to do. If you and your partner aren't connecting on the most fundamental levels, it will be best for both of you to move on.
Some signs that you might be growing apart as a couple: Lack of attention: You don't pay attention or listen to each other. Lack of intimacy: This can include a lack of both physical and emotional intimacy. You feel like you don't know your partner anymore or that they don't know you.