I (feel/am) overwhelmed by vs I (feel/am) ovewhelmed with

[Lashkoe]

OK, so am I right that we use:

a) I (feel/am) overwhelmed with - when we want to say about the thing we're overwhelmed with, for example

I am overwhelmed with joy.
​

and

b) I (feel/am) overwhelmed by - when we want to say what makes us overwhelmed, for example

I am overwhelmed by that situation.
​

Also, I'd like to know if there's a significant difference between "being" overwhelmed and "feeling" overwhelmed?

 

[Beryl from Northallerton]

Yes, I think that's right.

We are overwhelmed with emotions, things that come from within.

We are overwhelmed by events, things that come from without.

The difference between 'being' and 'feeling' is as it would be elsewhere, but that would properly be dealt with in a separate thread.

 

[Alan Evangelista]

We are overwhelmed with emotions, things that come from within.

We are overwhelmed by events, things that come from without.

The Cambridge dictionary disagrees. One of the examples of "to overwhelm" is:

He was overwhelmed by feelings of remorse for what he had done.

The definitions given by @Lashkoe in the first post fit better.