I hope this link works.. As empaths we can take on others pain at times.. there is nothing wrong with feeling for others but due to our wounds and sensitivities many of us may over identify and then end up absorbing too much of it and suffering too.. We can then feel helpless and get blurry boundaries.. I hope this link works it has some good information on the side part about what happens to us in childhood in terms of absorbing things. It comes from the Awakened Empath group page on Face Book.
Emerging From The Dark Night 