Hey SHort n Sweet. I relate all too well. I didn't know that it could be inherited, but my mom is an INF and has it too. About 3 years ago a friend introduced me to some info she thought might help me, on being "overly-empathic." I don't talk about it much because alot of people scoff at shit like this, believing its a blanket diagnoses that gets thrown out like candy from the modern psychiatric community. Fact is, there are people so overly empathic they feel physical sensations and pain when seeing others hurt. They've proven this with brain monitors and neuro activity observation. As for me, I don't overly identify with the physical sensations of others, but far too much emotionally. This is why I can't stand seeing others humiliated or abused. (aside from simply being immoral) it's also why I have recently developed over sensitivity to horror movies, or dark movies, and can get really choked up over things others might perceive as everyday life. This "over-sensitivity" ties right in with other beliefs I have on a more spiritual/energy vibration level.. and I think that some peoples energy is truly more sensitive, operating at a higher frequency. In one study, they actually found it common for overly empathic people to have extremely porous skin, easily absorbing outside toxins. Funny story, when I tried to quit smoking.. I put on a 4 mg nicotene patch. I was smoking over a half pack a day.. so this was extremely minor to my normal nic dose. I fell asleep and woke up 2 hours later in a sick sweat, ripped the patch off, and was poisened from the patch so bad we had to call poison control and go to ER. I had crawled my way to the toilet, and friends had to carry me to the car. ER said they had never seen anything like it, and that my skin had actually sponged all the nicotene at once. Diet is extremely big for OS people, and part of the reason I am trying to move to a 90% raw food diet. My advice is to take special care of your diet and nutritiion, and make time every day to go somewhere or do something that calms you. Meditation can do wonders, if your into that hippie shit =P