I was looking for sites to help me deal with this same or similiar problem. I realize it is healthy to feel empathy for peoples needs and emotions to a healthy extent but off and on for a good portion of my life I take on like a sponge this emotions and feelings of those around me. For the last several years I have been going through my own situations and now that things are getting much better/happier for me I am going back. Today I was supporting missionaries going to Africa, (I don't know any of them personally) and I cried. I was at a funeral home last night, my girlfriend is going thru a rough time and was talking to me about it and my daughter as well. Today for a slight reason I got upset with my husband in whom we get along great as a rule and felt down and depressed the remainder of the day. In years gone by I would get very depressed and feel suicidal and after it would pass I would find out that someone nearby or someone in the community had in fact committed suicide or there was a crime. Why me? Is there a name for this kind of behavior? Can anyone help me?