Symptoms Of Empathy Deficit Disorder

The symptoms of empathy deficit disorder describe a fairly specific type of person. These are some who are unable to put themselves in the situation of others because they can not ignore their own mental boundaries. Furthermore, they are unable to make contact with the realities of others and often ignore them. These people are in constant conflict with others and therefore can not achieve satisfactory social interactions.

You probably think these people are narcissists. Surprisingly, a lack of empathy is something that lives in a large number of people who do not need it. You can actually live with someone with these properties and not even be aware of it.

For example, there may be a partner who cannot understand others and only prioritizes their own needs. It can also be the friend who is always angry because you do not see things their way. Then there is also the possibility that you are the one who lacks empathy. It does not hurt you, so you may not even notice it because they are not a stain on a garment that you can easily spot and remove.

Being empathetic is a human capacity that not only improves social conditions, but also conveys well-being. Thus , it may be time to consider whether you might be neglecting this healthy exercise.

What are the symptoms of empathy deficit disorder?

Empathy deficit disorder is not in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It is currently just a proposal published by occupational psychologist , psychotherapist and author Douglas LaBier in Psychology Today .

In this article, he explains an idea he has considered over decades of experience in psychological therapy and which researches human development. People are increasingly showing a serious lack of empathy. This is a clear and distinct mental state the world can overlook.

This ability to project yourself into others, understand their world, connect with their emotions and react accordingly is quite rare in this age. The cause is not due to the aforementioned narcissism or autism spectrum disorder or borderline personality disorder. In fact, you do not have to have a mental illness to lack empathy.

Often the desire to be self-sufficient, independent or climb the social ladder puts you on the edge of a cold abyss. Continue reading to discover the symptoms of empathy deficit disorder.

Other people’s feelings make you uncomfortable

Although there are three types of empathy, this article will focus on the emotional. That is, it defines your ability to detect, connect, and understand the feelings of others. However, there is a clear discomfort with the emotions and feelings of others in this type of deficit disorder. They bother and disturb them, and what’s worse, they can not understand them.

For example, if your partner is sad, you may think “they just want attention”. Similarly, if they seem upset or angry, it is easy to dismiss it by thinking “their problems are their own business, they will deal with it”. In other words, there is often a shield behind the lack of empathy. These people will not understand others because it disturbs them in some way.

An excessive focus on your own goals and needs

As striking as it may seem, the lack of empathy is often common among those who are most focused on their own personal development. It is also common in those who are obsessed with self-help. The need to be independent, strong, confident and assertive motivates them to obsessively focus on themselves and only they matter. Your problems are yours, they have theirs. In other words, they have goals to achieve, and that’s the most important thing.

You have to remember that this quest for absolute self-sufficiency often seems antagonistic. Empathy develops when people become aware that all people are connected. That people around you are as important as you.

They are related in a utilitarian way

Utilitarianism is about using and throwing away and only being interested in activities that can benefit you, or worrying solely about what only applies to you. This is another characteristic of this disorder. As you can imagine, something like that defines their relationship after the liquidity that Zygmunt Bauman talked about. That is, they have quite fragile ties with their partners and friends because they move around immediate needs and interests.

The same goes for their values ​​and social or ecological concerns. These are the people who claim that climate change does not interest them, because what happens to the planet in the future is not their business because they are already dead.

Empathy deficit disorder and rapid condemnation and criticism

Often people neglect the great function of empathy. It is the equipment that allows people to be careful about making stupid judgments. An empathetic person knows that they must make an effort to understand, get out of themselves, and connect with others and their feelings and needs before letting prejudice take over.

Similarly, someone with an empathy deficit disorder is quick to be critical. They are greedy when it comes to stamping, prejudice and reprimand. Such people often look at the world with great frustration. This is because everything becomes inconsistent when one is unable to process reality through the filter of emotions and empathy. That is, the world is against them and does not deserve their trust.

To conclude, try to realize one thing before you are such a person: You may be the problem.