I'm afraid I'm a bit lost. And I'm wondering how many others here are in the same position as me.

I fear getting too close to people, for many reasons. But by far, one of the most bothersome is because I have an extremely difficult time handling certain emotions and behaviors in others as they're triggering. I don't want to go too into specifics, but I'm referring to the sorts of emotions and behaviors people may exhibit when they most need a helping hand, a friend to support them.

I care deeply for my friends and my significant other, and of course I want to help them when they need support. But I feel like there isn't a good way to do that while also looking out for my own mental health. I feel guilty for it, even though I can't help it, but it's not uncommon for me to be brought down by my fear and memories and end up being the one in need of help. And unfortunately, the situations that most resemble what happened to me are happening more and more often.

My apologies for the long post. Thank you for reading... I'm afraid I just don't know how to approach this.