Life would be so much easier if we each came with an individual instruction manual, to both guide us and also warn us of how our inherited temperament and predilections might cause us great suffering.
The first page of Emily's manual would have started with a capitalized bold face warning:
"You are a highly sensitive soul, you will feel others' hurt and anger and sadness as if it were your own....you will experience the world as if you had no protective skin, no shield....you will need to find people who see you and understand who you are, who can help nurture the beautiful flower that you can and will become."
Emily eventually found her healthy place in the world, but in the process the darkness almost took her.
BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/
Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories