I also relate - but have not received a formal diagnosis other than ADD.

- I remember feeling sorry for cars in a car dealership on a hot summer day as a child: "they must be miserable in this heat!"

- I frequently to this day personify my childrens stuffed animals & dolls & action figures: "They must feel so lonely not being played with anymore!"

- I was inordinately attached to my own stuffed animals / toys as a kid. I remember when one got taken away during a schoolday, that I felt like someone had kidnapped a family member - and I was inconsolable.

It's fantastic to see that this is now being investigated in the literature.