Wow, I didn't know empaths had their own site. Very cool. I will definitely have to check that site out...

Re: your questions/ponderings about empathy and the borderline personality. I think you have described matters quite well.

Being highly sensitive would naturally bring to the fore of one's personality, empathic strengths. It is also an innate quality of most children - a natural or instinctual protection of sorts. Since we, as children, are unable to formulate logic and reason to protect ourselves, "feeling" our surroundings is really the only "personal" protective mechanism we have.

I have found (and also think I read it somewhere) that this ability tends to disappear as we grow and are encouraged to use more logic and reasoning skills in its stead. If I had to guess an age at when this change of thinking/feeling occurs, I would say, around 12 or 13 years-old, when emotionality is no longer an acceptable way to express ourselves.

I, myself, was VERY MUCH AWARE of this transition in my own life and was about at that age. I distinctly recall my mother saying to me that I had to start thinking more "practically," and to pay no attention to my "psychic/empathic" feelings (her motives were tied to religious fears as well as just being a logical, practical adult advising her young child - both valid points, really, AND seemingly unharmful to a child's psyche - when she didn't/couldn't know otherwise). It made an incredibly powerful impression on me now that I am looking back...it shook my world and not in a good way! I almost felt evil (religious aspect) and tried to quell those instincts. I didn't want to, though. I knew in my heart those strong feelings were there to protect me and I don't think I could have ever entirely shut them off. As a matter of fact, they have kept me alive on more than one occasion, especially when I have been in the extremes of my illnesses and addictions.

We also live in an era where (pure?) logic rules the world. Logic - cold and calculating - does not have the capacity for empathy, feelings, biases or any such thing. Indeed, it is meant to be that way - that is what logic(science) is. (And it would screw with their perfect equations if they had to include the highly chaotic nature of "feelings" into it - no longer a "beautiful" work of art would it be! Just a messy, nonsensical pile of numbers and symbols?!) Just joking! I am constantly in awe of what science has been doing these days.

In our time of technology, science and logic are considered THE ONLY STANDARD by which to judge; where "logic" is the only acceptable answer. Oh, sure, it may seem as though people are more spiritual these days, but really, we are all affected by this standard completely. C'mon, just look at how people are perceived in general society when it is made known that the source of their knowledge is gained through something like intuition or empathy or telepathy? They are considered to be ILLOGICAL; unbalanced, weird, not "right," ill(?) - mentally ill! They are even studied; themselves as a science project.

So, yes, I do believe it is trained out of us. And for the most part, I believe to a degree, it should be. We are, after all, a combination of both logic and emotion. It would not be too wise to COMPLETELY rely on intuition all the time. We would end up totally paralyzed or dead. Not even the highest of empaths/telepaths solely rely on their intuition and/or instincts. They couldn't - how could they get on with life?

Oh wow, I babbled on so much, I forgot my point...wait...
um...

Oh yeah, as an empath and a borderline, you gotta find balance - as we all do. VERY COOL that you experienced results so quickly as you changed your thinking and behaviours. At least you know that what you are doing can work and will give you hope in the future when things are again, in a whirl.

You do know that BPD's have very strong minds, don't you? That is why we are considered to be "notoriously difficult to treat..."

Thanks for the empath path. It was an interesting read.

Like all good BPD's, I am gonna apologize for rambling. Hope this makes sense and I hope I answered something for you! I'm not quite sure now. I may have just got you caught up in my...

Altered State