I have often found, in my work with the addiction and recovery population, that a majority of my clients resonate with being an empath, as well as attributing much of their use to trying to numb out the intense sensations they experience, the overwhelming experiences of soaking in other people’s emotions/energies, being impacted more intensely by trauma, and/or just trying to be able to fit in with, or keep up with the rest of the world around them