"Hyper-empathy syndrome
Hyper-empathy syndrome occurs when you are too in tune with other people’s emotions and mirror them to the same intensity. In other words, you care too much. People with hyper-empathy may find it hard to regulate their emotions and may have a tendency to pick up on negative feelings.
The symptoms of hyper-empathy include:
- You have strong emotional reactions when other people experience negative feelings. Sometimes, these reactions are
- intense even if you’re only looking at a photo or a movie and may include physical symptoms (stomach ache, nausea).
- You still feel an emotional response to another person’s pain a few days after it happened.
- You feel overwhelmed after talking to people about their problems because it’s as if they’re happening to you.
- You’re so focused on other people’s problems you neglect taking care of yourself.
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- You find it hard to say no to people because you feel sorry for them.
People with hyper-empathy are often labelled as overly sensitive, and, to a certain extent, being more in tune with people’s emotions can help you build meaningful connections. However, left unmanaged, hyper-empathy can be harmful to your mental health because it can make you pursue co-dependent relationships, have poor personal boundaries, and neglect your own needs.
Hyper-empathy can also be a symptom of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is why it’s important to talk about it with a professional and find a healthy way of regulating your emotions."