Why Trying to Help Sometimes Makes Things Worse

Why Trying to Help Sometimes Makes Things Worse

From Path to Peace with Todd Perelmuter by Todd Perelmuter

March 13, 2026 · 13 min · Season 1 · Episode 181

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of watching loved ones suffer and the complexities of trying to help them change their harmful habits.

Send me a message Watching someone we love suffer can be one of the most painful experiences in life. Often, it’s even harder than dealing with our own suffering. It becomes especially difficult when the person we love is contributing to their own pain — repeating harmful habits, resisting help, or undermining their own healing. We want to fix it. We want to save them. We want to change them. But the truth is that the harder we try to force change, the more resistance we often create. In t...

People in this episode

Host: Todd Perelmuter

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • support
  • suffering
  • change
  • relationships

Keywords

  • helping loved ones
  • suffering
  • mental health
  • change resistance
  • support

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