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Emotionally attached to everything? Is this normal?

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matthp
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27 Sep 2009, 1:30 pm

Everytime I see a video or read or hear a story, I feel like the character is a part of me. If the character is feeling very happy, I feel happy. If its a story about a depressed or sad person, I feel the person's pain or sadness, as if I'm experiencing that same exact thing. And if the person in the story feels suicidal,. I start feeling the same. Except, I still feel thatr way after the movie/book is over. It leaves me feeling deeply depressed for even days afterwards, as if that exact story happened to me. I'm not sure if the term "emotionally attached" is what I'm feeling, but whatever it is, why am I like this? what is wrong with me?



j0sh
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27 Sep 2009, 1:59 pm

It could have something to do with mirror neurons.



fengshuiiii
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27 Sep 2009, 2:22 pm

I have no idea if it's normal but I am the same way.



spooky13
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27 Sep 2009, 2:24 pm

It's empathy, some people seem to have it more intensely than others.
Look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy

It explains it better than I could.


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Last edited by spooky13 on 27 Sep 2009, 8:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Shebakoby
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27 Sep 2009, 3:04 pm

For some reason I can get this too, though it seems to work better with fictional characters. I have no idea why.



Tim_Tex
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27 Sep 2009, 3:11 pm

I am often in this type of situation myself.


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matthp
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28 Sep 2009, 8:45 pm

did anybody ever hear of codependcy?



Stinkypuppy
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28 Sep 2009, 8:55 pm

matthp wrote:
did anybody ever hear of codependcy?

It sounds a lot more like empathy than codependence, though.


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bonez
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28 Sep 2009, 9:02 pm

matthp wrote:
Everytime I see a video or read or hear a story, I feel like the character is a part of me. If the character is feeling very happy, I feel happy. If its a story about a depressed or sad person, I feel the person's pain or sadness, as if I'm experiencing that same exact thing. And if the person in the story feels suicidal,. I start feeling the same. Except, I still feel thatr way after the movie/book is over. It leaves me feeling deeply depressed for even days afterwards, as if that exact story happened to me. I'm not sure if the term "emotionally attached" is what I'm feeling, but whatever it is, why am I like this? what is wrong with me?
yeh happens to me alot... might explain why i get so moved by these documentaries lol



TheMidnightJudge
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29 Sep 2009, 9:34 pm

I think I know what you mean. I feel for fictional characters. If I let myself I even feel bad for inanimate objects. Had that problem a lot when I was younger.
Funny how aspie empathy works.


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DeadFire87
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30 Sep 2009, 9:43 am

I am always like this for films and such. I guess its why I understand so many more movies than many others I know that criticize them.

I am also very attached to the idea of a friend. Even with people that don't really want to be my friend or just say hello. I consider them friendly and maybe to be a friend. I try to talk to them though and they disapprove of me talking to them. Its a real bummer to want everyone to be friend and have no way of getting them to like you.

I get a little emotionally charged in a video game or two as well when my team is losing. I feel it and pick up the slack most of the time almost like on auto pilot sometimes. Its awesome. I guess its why I love playing games over and over again online.