Suppression of e-mail notification for self generated action

Is there anyway I can setup the system so that any notification message that is created is only sent if the recipient isn't the person causing it to be sent.

For instance, the e-mail pickup loads a request in and it is unassigned.
I go in and qualify the request and see that it is something I can deale with and assign it to me.
When I update that request I get the notification message e-mailed to me telling me I have been assigned the work.
The same occurs with Change, problem etc.
With a small team it means that you are often getting the self generated e-mails which makes you blind to those few which are colleague generated as you see so many.

Guess its a case of wanting cake and eating it for us with notifications.

Regards,
Andy