I always thought I was a codependent rescuer because I was a person who was too nice without enough boundaries, willing to give myself up, to lose myself, helping another.
I am your shoulder, your rock, here for you at the drop of a hat; but I will not burden you with my messiness, my feelings -- especially my pain. I am a codependent partner who bears the agony, the demons and the manipulation of my alcoholic boyfriend.
As for the whole empath/empathy deal, I can’t speak for all, but I can relay my experience and that of two other people I know... Every incident, regardless of who suffers, has an unshakable impact that stays with us for a lifetime.