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I Have Stopped Poisoning Myself
How I saved myself after my empathy turned toxic
I was poisoning myself. It had built up in my system and it was showing. Neck spasms, jaw clenching, exhaustion, and now my blood pressure was heading into a dangerous zone. Somewhere along the way, my empathy for others became toxic. I had allowed too many people free rein in my life. What began as kindness and a bid to understand became an invitation to people, taking more and more, leaving me with the residue of their tough emotions.
I try to place myself in other people’s shoes when attempting to understand a situation. Seeing things from another person’s perspective assists me in deciding how to communicate with them for the greatest chance of connection. Empathy is a beautiful thing.
Witnessing another person’s suffering makes most people sympathize. Sympathy arises when we see another person struggling with tough life events, moving us to pity. Throughout my life, I have moved past pity, dropping deeper into my emotions. Since I was a child, I could feel a bit of what another person may be feeling. Empathy has served me in various careers and allowed me to connect with people from…
