Shutting off from people

[strangelove]

I am in a weird situation, in that I know that I am very sensitive to other people's moods and feelings. However, most of the time I am shut off from this, and find it hard to read people. This makes it difficult for me to connect to people, especially who I do not know.

I think the problem stems from being emotionally overloaded... I often have the feeling that I have to shut people out, because I can't cope with their feelings. If I open up, I end up taking them all on board and feeling responsible for them. This has a lot to do with how I grew up.

Thus I find myself isolating myself from people, and living within an emotional whirlwind which I can't share or express. I often just don't know what to say to people, because I'm not there, but disconnected from everything.

I wondered if anyone else has this experience, and if they know how to move beyond it. Thanks