How apt and well said. Making others' worries my own is not very helpful. I call it the helper syndrome in denial of one's own inner world, taking on the supposed hardships of others and thereby compounding them by making someone feel "Poor you, I'm so sorry for you, I'll take care of you now."

Not being able to distinguish where you can really help and do something and where you can't is for me like the act on the tightrope you described. Staying in the position that you have to do something where nothing can be done keeps you trapped in the balancing act for an unnecessarily long time, I think.