The Saviour Complex

Have a compulsive need to swoop in and rescue lads and lasses in distress? Amber Dias tells you why that is a no-no.

- Amber Dias

There are villains, there are heroes and then there’s the saviour – the one person who puts it all on the line to save everyone, even the heroes. The hit pop culture teleseries ‘Once Upon A Time’ beautifully brings this concept to life. And leading lady Jennifer Morrison, does a fabulous job in her portrayal of Emma Swan, the badass heroine who, albeit with some ups and downs, always wins the day. She inspires us to want to be ‘The Saviour’ and romanticizes the idea that in saving the ones we love, we find our own happiness.

But what’s even better about this show, is that it shows us the darker side of being ‘good’. Everything comes with a price, especially being ‘The Saviour’. It is a journey paved with tears, heartbreak, sacrifices and consequences. Consequences that take their toll physically, emotionally and psychologically. In the fairytale world of ‘Once Upon A Time’, Emma manages to overcome all to find her happy ending. However, unscripted reality is a completely different story.

We can’t doubt that helping people is a good thing, but when we go so far out of our way that we end up hurting ourselves as well as the people we were trying to help, that’s when we need to step back and reassess. We might just be victims of what has been come to be known as the Saviour Complex.

WHAT IS THE SAVIOUR COMPLEX?

Psychologists define the Saviour Complex as a psychological construct which makes a person feel the need to save other people. This person has a strong tendency to seek people who desperately need help and to assist them, often sacrificing his/ her own needs for them.