Worried about mental health

Hello everyone.

Im not sure if this is the place but some including my doctor has said its due to anxiety but im not sure..

My problem (at the moment) is a problem thay keeps coming and going, and its wether or not i have empathy..

I will keep searcing google, doing tests and asking people so theyll say i do so i feel reassured.. The thought really scares me because i want to habe empathy and care for others and find love one day but the thought of not caring and hurting others are hunting me so bad. When i was little i was an asshole. Straight up asshold, i wasnt nice to my sisters snd such, i do however regrett that now and i hate the thought that my actions back then have hurt them permently. So i defintly have some remorse and guilt there. I feel like crying over this thought about no empathy, i can see why i wouldn have, in the way that i dont really care about most peoples problems.. If i see someone cry i do feel bad for them and will try to help but if someone tells a sad story but doesnt show any emotions while doing it i dont really care? I hate seeing animals being sad.. And that was a sidetrack.. I just want to know your opinion, i have a appointment next month with my psychiatric but i just cant wait with this, its litterely keeping me up at night.. So how do i find out..? Based on what i said what do you think? pleasd im open to any suggesions or questions.. Thank you for reading..

Dear Noogiecookie:

A few facts about empathy:

1. No person feels or is able to feel empathy for others every single time a person or animal expresses distress, be it verbally alone or in facial/ bodily expression. Psychotherapist that are very empathetic become indifferent at one point, I think it is called Empathy-fatigue. And they need a break. Feeling empathy takes energy and becomes exhausting, so the brain naturally takes breaks so to recover.

* this means that at any time that you don't feel empathy, it may very well be that your brain is taking a break. It is unreasonable to expect to feel empathy every time there is the opportunity.

2. When a person is scared, there is no emotional excess to empathy.

* this means that it is not reasonable for you to expect to feel empathy when you experience fear/ anxiety.

3. When a person feels anger, exhaustion (lack of sleep or otherwise), intense hunger, too cold, too hot, etc., a person, again, does not have the emotional availability to feel empathy.

Does this help?

atina