The “Helping That Hurts” Rule: Enabling Disguised as Love
Some help is not healing. It is a soft form of sabotage that protects people from consequences and keeps bad patterns alive. That is enabling disguised as love.
tough love
When “Helping” Becomes Enabling
The trap: good hearts get exploited Most enabling starts with the best intentions. You see someone you love struggling—money trouble, bad decisions, addiction, breakup, job loss—and you step in. That’s normal. That’s human. The problem is what happens next: the “temporary help” becomes the permanent system. Your support becomes predictable, and predictability becomes permission. Soon … Read more