We are all guilty of feeling sorry for ourselves at one stage or another...  Nothing wrong with the occasional whinge, it does us all good but sometimes it just gets stretched to it's limit or your limit, one of the two.

If I complain to someone else and they feel sorry for me then it justifies my feelings, if I gain sympathy it can also justify my heartache.  In the same way that adrenalin junkies jump from cliffs could there be "feel sorry for me" junkies?  Who get hooked on heartache and the sympathy that follows?

Some people are bulemic for attention, they crave attention so badly, they pig-out and then they purge.  Restock the fridge with hard-luck stories, gain more sympathy then feel satisfied.... for a while at least....

You can't help circumstances and genuine sympathy is always going to be out there. Example - You broke your leg but oh no they broke their leg last year and feel compelled to tell you now.   Good for you, you got your sympathy last year and now it's my turn!!