6 Ways to Stop Absorbing Other People ’ s Emotions

“Sometimes I think I need a spare heart to feel all the things I feel.” — Sanober Khan I felt her agony and loneliness as if it were my own. Even as I write that sentence, my eyes well up and heaviness fills my heart. Then, I’m reminded to apply the advice I give others. My mom was a special person, a sensitive soul just like me. Actually, I’m so much like she was, yet so different. One of the differences between us is that I had an opportunity to observe her life’s challenges. I saw her challenges reflected within myself and made a conscious choice to find healthy ways to cope. You see, my mom was a deep feeler and felt the emotions of people near and far. I imagine it was her strong empathy and personal challenges that led her to want to help others, as a wounded healer in a sense. But as a helper and healer, she struggled with her mental and emotional health over the years. Witnessing her life moved me to learn how to regulate my own sensitive emotions and set healthy boundaries. Sometimes I wonder if not knowing how to manage her empathy is what made her sick. There are many ways to understand the challenges my mom battled before her death in 2007. From her perspective, she had a rare, unknown physical illness. Some who knew her may have thought she was manipulative and attention-seeking. Some would see an addiction to pain medication. Psychologists would diagnose her with psychosomatic disorder, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorde...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Parenting Personal Publishers Self-Help Tiny Buddha Boundaries compassionate Emotions Empathy Feelings Highly Sensitive Person sensitive people Sensitivity Sympathy Source Type: blogs