feelings on breakdown

ellie2000

how do u not let ppl having breakdowns effect u n make u sad. why do we get triggered n feel wAt they feel after a while

AislingDM

It seems like seeing other people being really distressed is very triggering for you @ellie2000 and this must be a very frustrating experience for you, especially because you can't always predict when a person will have a breakdown.

For one thing, the fact that you can feel what they feel can be a good thing as it shows how empathetic you are and how much you care for others. Equally, there can be a point where it goes beyond empathy and actually becomes detrimental or damaging to your own mental health.

Wanting to find a way to be supportive of others without their pain actually deeply affecting you is great goal, Ellie, and I think this article has some fantastic advice on how start creating a little bit of emotional distance between you and another person:

https://keirbradycounseling.com/empath-and-absorbing-other-peoples-emotions/

it talks about how we can try to separate ourselves from others and not get 'overly-involved' in their sadness.

I'm more than happy to talk about this some more if you'd like. xx