How can I stop being so sensitive/sad?

[Custardcream898]

Hello,
I've always been quite emotional and sensitive, will cry at anything animal related as I'm a huge animal lover (RSPCA adverts on TV, things like that). At the moment however, it's literally about anything remotely sad I read or something I see on TV, I feel a deep sense of emotion and it plays on my mind. I felt sad after watching a Pokémon clip on YouTube with my son, where Charmander got kicked (ridiculous I know). FGS. What the hell is wrong with me. Cannot stand to hear of people suffering or dying, or anything bad happening to anyone. It's very strange how it's suddenly magnified to this extent. I don't know if it has anything to do with having several stressful things happening all at once over the last 2 years and it's all come to a head? Family bereavement, very ill parent, son diagnosed with SEN, house move which fell through, son having problems at school, financial worries. Things are starting to get back onto an even keel now but yet I seem to be dogged by this deep sense of sadness and absorbing everyone else's sadness at the same time. Can anyone relate or suggest ways to toughen up!? It's also like I'll remember a sad event from 25 years ago (like the death of a grandparent) and suddenly want to cry. These moments of sadness are usually fleeting and I do have happy times but when they come they are quite intense.

That sounds really tough what you've been through. I get waves of intense sadness too, melancholy for no reason. It's hard...

Thanks. It's like it lasts for a few minutes, and goes again. Then a few hours later, back again. I have never been this bad with it.

I'm like this too, and I can tell that DS is going to be similar. I do some voluntary work as it makes me good to contribute something positive to the world and it offsets some of the sadness I feel about how bloody awful life is for a lot of people.

I am exactly the same OP. I have always been a highly sensitive person and it’s really tough at times. I am the same about animal issues as I too am a huge animal lover, I think many sensitive people have an affinity with animals.
I am 48 and still lay in bed a times, thinking about my lovely grandparents and have a little cry over how much I still miss them, even though they passed over 20 years ago.
I do think the world is becoming harsher and tougher and it makes life quite hard going at times if you are prone to being more sensitive.
I have had several years on/off of counselling and cbt to try and help and am coming to the conclusion that I can not change the way I am, I am more sensitive than most that I know but that’s me, at 48 I am highly unlikely to change and actually don’t want to as I like that I am kind and sensitive, it makes me who I am.
I do find that keeping off certain social media platforms help (definitely stay away from AIBU on here!) and I no longer watch the news (especially the Daily Mail!) and I only go on Facebook for support groups, I don’t/won’t look at the animal neglect things on there.
There is a really good book called The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron and HSP Facebook groups with thousands of followers, I totally recommend those.