Read this when
The Disease to Please: Curing the People-Pleasing Syndrome
Saying no is a skill, not a sin 🙅
Who it's for
If you can't say no, feel guilty for having needs, or keep the peace at any cost, Braiker names the pattern without blame and breaks it into parts you can work on.
Drained and guilty→Self-respecting and steadier
Feelings it meets
What it is
Clinical psychologist Harriet Braiker describes people-pleasing as putting others' wants so far ahead of your own that your needs suffer, and links it to guilt and low self-esteem. She describes three sides of the pattern, a mindset built on distorted thinking, a compulsive habit, and an avoidance of uncomfortable feelings, and helps readers find which fits them most.
Where to find it
Paperback, ebook and audiobook from McGraw-Hill; widely held in public libraries.
Before you start
Age: Adult self-help
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Marriage”
