Episode Details

There is a particular kind of hurt that shows up quietly, not when someone refuses to help you, but when they simply don't think to. You remember every time you dropped everything for them. They don't remember needing to return the favour, because in their mind, there was never a ledger to begin with. This is the emotional territory at the centre of setting healthy boundaries in relationships, and it is far more common, and far more complicated, than most conversations about boundaries let on.

This topic formed the heart of a recent open-line discussion on The Talk Show, hosted by Preetinder Grewal and Ranjodh Singh on Radio Haanji 1674 AM Melbourne, Australia's Punjabi and Hindi community radio station. Callers and listeners shared their own experiences of giving without receiving, prompting a wider conversation about the psychology behind why we help, and what it costs us when that help is never returned.