Reflecting??? Help :(

I have recognized a pattern in myself of feeling incredibly triggered by where other people are in their recovery journeys. If someone is ahead of me, I find it incredibly inspiring. If someone is not as far along in recovery as I am and is struggling, I find it triggering to the point of a total breakdown. Does anyone else get this way or is it just me??

Like if someone came into group crying about having relapsed in self harm or something, and I was having a good day prior to that, I would take on their **** as my own. I would then have a sinking feeling in my gut and feel the need to self harm. Kind of like I reflect what I see, involuntarily. I honestly can't find a way to shake it, but I do recognize it as a problem and I recognize it as what is hindering me from a full recovery.

To a certain extent, yes.

On the other hand? No.



I'm highly empathic and absorb other peoples emotions, but I don't end up wanting to be just as messed up as them.


So while my mood will be shot to hell if someone came to group tomorrow morning and declare they've SI'd again, I wont feel like I should too.


Its exhausting having no emotional boundary between myself and others. It means I carry their shyt on top of mine and makes being social even more exhausting than it usually is for an introvert.


So my T has offered to teach me how to build that shield. He says they get taught how and I can learn too.

Yeah, im this way too. Now if someone TOLD me how they SI'd that'd be different.

I dont have a "group" though; Im terrified of people so just me and my therapist once a week. But i have to have empathy to be good at my job and actually care that other people have no internet...

I'm better now, but it used to be that I couldn't do group therapy as I would take everything personal and accept their problems as my own.

When I was a teenager, I was deeply affected by others while in hospital. I had to go off on my own and keep my distance from the others to remain sane. Later on I realized it was because staff were not listening and making all kind of judgements, that they didn't bother to verify. I also lacked a diagnosis that described my presentation and inner experience. Everyone on the unit seemed to have a concrete diagnosis, which gave me the impression they had a more legitimate reason for being there than me. Do you feel heard?