I'm far too sensitive

This thread has helped me to realise before helping others you need to put on your own oxygen mask. Mine is now firmly on.

Good for you (in a nice way!).
Now the trick is to keep it on and not offer it to a random person passing by!

A recent email to nhs warned not to use capital letters or exclamation marks!!!'😊

Daffydilly

biglouis

For a contented life make as little use of social media as possible.

But WhatsApp isn't really social media is it? It's similar to a text between friends or family, often in a group.

I had a chuckle when I read that. Pot calling kettle black 😂

Miss A
I’m watching this with my closest friend. Her mother died some weeks ago. My friend has a position in her church as did her mother.
She went to church soon after her mother’s death but because of what you alluded to hasn’t been since.
Very very sad as her faith is so important to her, and the people she helped there.

Oh no!
What did I allude to?
I genuinely can't remember.

I hope I haven't upset your friend more, Petra,.
Is this now me being too sensitive?

MissAdventure

Oh no!
What did I allude to?
I genuinely can't remember.

People keep coming up to you when your girl was ill.

Ah, ok.
Phew!
Just certain people.

Some would insist they know how I felt because their brother's ex sister in law's step mother was 103 and had cancer.

flappergirl

zakouma66

As a child growing up in a frightening household, I developed antennae that could pick up every nuance. I also believed everything was my fault and it was up to me to put it right.

Your comment applies to me too. I could have written those exact words about my childhood and its affects on my life.

Yes, this was me too. Add in a dose of ADHD where rejection/abandonment is prevalent in your thoughts and it can make life quite miserable when dealing with others especially if they are important to you. I take medication which stops me thinking like this.

I hope the OP has found some useful responses here. I think it might be useful for her to think about what is called 're-framing'. This means a new way to look at it if someone, for instance, seems to you to dismiss what you have said without listening or respect, and you get upset and hurt. You could re-frame this ( possibly) in this way: 'this person is perhaps pre-occupied with their own life problem and hasn't the emotional space to stop and listen and think about me. Maybe I could listen to them more deeply. ' Not sure if that example makes the point clearly enough, but hope that the whole idea of reframing is useful. It is too easy for us to assume that someone else has done something hurtful, when they in fact had no such intention. And if we can go a step further - someone who is hurtful is often themselves hurting....

What medication do you take?

Sorry that was to icanhandthemback

Sssd

What medication do you take?

I take Citalopram. I don't suffer with depression, or at least haven't for years, but this medication really helps ground my emotions so that I am not always looking for rejection. My DH can tell when I have missed a dose because I become quite touchy a little while later. Sometimes I haven't even realised that I missed a dose but when I check, I have. It has made the most amazing difference to my life. We are looking at dedicated ADHD medicine with the health service but I'm not sure that I want to risk things going backwards.

Applegran
More or less what I said a couple of days ago.

Thank you biglouis! Yes, that’s why we’re all on GN Social Media! 😆

Now, being an empath means listening and taking on the other's pain or burden, but should not be changing your disposition or mood in the process.

It takes a strong person to be an empath.

If this continues to stand in the way of how things make you feel, or affects your relationships, I would seek counseling. That would be a hard way to live without correcting it.

Best to shrug off the occasional off-beat comment, or snark - don’t take everything personally, move along. Everyone has a bad day now and then.

If they persist and you see the arrows being slung towards you, then you need to confront them and work it out or remove them from your life.

I’m definitely an empath. I didn’t used to be. Being an empath has made me a better person even though I get much more upset about people’s (family members) responses and get hurt very easily.
As you get older you gradually become the person you were meant to be.

It must be hard to understand if you're not natura empath
It can be exhausting as your brain/emotion reacts before you have time to assess, get into gear etc. At times I just feel u interested in everything, I guess it's overwhelm and a recovery time
I think mediation is supportive there are many short ones on u tube! Slow breathing listening to breath good

I agree with Applegran . Re framing is exactly what I do (never thought about it as re framing though which makes sense) It seems to me that it’s just a matter of seeing things from someone else’s perspective and realising that they may have different priorities at the moment taking up their time, mentally or physically, and not have the energy to think about or realise the impact their words or actions are having on you. Being an empath (this is a new word to add to my vocabulary) is emotionally draining and re framing might lessen the anxiety. Really hoping some of the other GN replies are helpful and you find a happy solution to lessen your pain.

Those of you who have never heard of the word Empath are obviously not Star Trek fans

You are so right JdotJ I have never watched Star Trek! Obviously I’m missing out lol

MissAdventure

NotSpaghetti

Have you read the thread about music that makes people teary?

Yes, and although some posts are genuinely moving, and i may have felt the writer's pain in my heart (and even thought about it later that day) they have not had an impact on the rest of my day...
I think that would be pretty extreme.

That's strange, because certain things I read on those threads do stay with me, and I think of them again, for years sometimes.

Oh dear.
Nice stuff or not nice stuff?

My memory is far worse than it used to be.
Which in several circumstances, is a bonus.
As I tell people, i can barely remember what I ate for dinner last night. Let alone remember what someone said to me 3 months ago.
I do not hold grudges. In part, because I cannot remember what someone is supposed to have said to me anyway!

Some nice, and some not so nice.
I can't remember much else, but people's life stories interest me.

Not celebs; just normal every day folk.

Yes, I agree, MissAdventure, some will stay with me (and may pop up again in years to come) but they won't keep stressing/worrying me in the same way as people have discussed.

Nor me, unless I'm feeling really morose and in need of a good old weep and wail.
Then I can get upset by seeing someone with a heavy shopping bag!

Grounding Techniques by Donna Eden seem helpful for empath anxiety 🥰

We cannot always control how others react or interact with us. Sometimes people may send messages with an unclear tone or simply be busy and not pay attention to the messages. Try to focus on your own feelings and reactions, developing self-soothing and self-confidence skills.