That is a tough thing to change. Ultimately, you have to change the kind of people you spend time with. Because of your empathetic nature, you probably are a magnet for people who want to be listened to and commiserated with. They are probably pleased as punch to have found you and let you know that they love your company. This can give you a feeling of interpersonal success. They keep coming around, and you keep encouraging them to do so.

Here is the problem. These people do tend to be self-indulgent, exactly as you say. They will never find you as interesting as you have made them feel. When one of them is around, try turning the conversation to being about you. Maybe you've tried and you know the result. They get bored, or say things like, "Well, I don't know what to tell you." They might let you talk for a while, but they won't ask any questions. They'll think of reasons why they have to get going and end the conversation. These people really aren't capable of true reciprocity. There is a trick they learn to pull, and I'ld love to know if you've encountered this. If they think that you are about to leave the conversation and they want to hold on to you longer, then they will ask you something about yourself that they know you would probably like to talk about. This is a trick to keep you engaged. What stuns me is that they do know enough to act interested, if they think this is the only way to hang on to you. But that will stop, as soon as they can get the floor again.

I know this because I've been a magnet for the attention-hungry, myself. It's tempting to think that you can talk them into a more balanced give-and-take exchange. I've tried that and gotten nowhere. They won't change. This is why they get avoided by a lot of people. Then they find you, and they think they have struck gold. They suck the life out of you and leave you drained. Or they can be just charming enough to make you hang on thinking that your turn will come. But your turn never lasts as long as theirs. Strangely, some of them are actually quite nice people. That keeps you hooked in too.

I think you're right that it is not healthy. If you cut these folks loose, you might find yourself lonely. That means that you need to do what they do - find people who meet your needs and cultivate those relationships. The trouble is that those people are a lot harder to find. They tend to already have friends. It's a real effort to pursue people that you want to have in your life. I'm no one to advise you on how to do that. I tend to sit back and accept whoever comes around looking for me, and guess what type that is. That's why I understand your problem. I must say that here at PC, I do find real reciprocity.

You are far from worthless. You just have gotten into a bad pattern or relating. I can totally relate.