How to stop rescuing someone who never asked for help

Rescuing is not love. It's control disguised as care.

You think you're helping. That without you, they'd be lost. That you're the only one who truly understands them. But really, you're rescuing someone who never asked for help. And that's not helping. It's intrusive meddling that keeps them from growing and keeps you from living your own life.

The rescuing dynamic means taking responsibility for another person's life: their job, their health, their relationships, their emotions. You think you're in control of the situation, when in fact, the situation is controlling you. You can't relax, because they might mess things up at any moment, and you'll have to rush in and save the day.