Is there such a thing as having too much empathy?

A picture from my recent road trip through Arizona, this is the beautiful view from the Saguaro National Park

I am a sensitive person. Not in the sense that I take things personally or that I have to be handled with white gloves. What I mean by sensitive is that I sense many things about myself and others.

Additionally, to being sensitive by nature, I grew up in an environment that forced me to abandon myself and instead put my full mental and emotional focus on the people around me to feel safe and connected. My environment taught me to stop living from the inside out and instead live from the inside in. I prioritize other people's thoughts, needs, feelings, and happiness over my own, and I even act in ways that hurt me to ensure their needs are met.

Combining my sensitivity and upbringing, it makes sense that I became