When Help Feels Unsafe

You know that person who’s clearly struggling… but the moment you offer help, they shut it down.

“No, I’m fine.” “I’ll handle it.” “Don’t worry about it.”

And it’s confusing because it looks like pride. Or stubbornness. Or ego.

But a lot of the time, it’s something deeper. Some people don’t hate help.

They hate what help *means*. For them, accepting help feels like admitting weakness.

Not because they think you’re judging them, but because their brain learned a

rule early on: “If you need something, you become a burden.” So they’d rather carry the weight

alone than risk feeling dependent on anyone. Another layer is control.