Rescuer Syndrome

One rescuer sacrifices themselves for you—but only to feed their ego. Another helps only so they can later collect a debt from you. And a third pretends to solve the problem, but in fact forces you into the role of a victim.

Sounds familiar?

Sometimes we get drawn into someone else’s game called “I just wanted to help,” and sometimes we ourselves become carriers of the “rescue syndrome.”

Psychotherapist and business trainer Igor Romanov helps you understand why we take on this superhero role—and also teaches how to recognize the motives behind false help and stop paying for other people’s expectations.

“The Rescuer Syndrome” is included in the collection “The Zoo in Your Head. 25 Psychological Syndromes That Prevent Us From Living.”