Learning to Ask For Help
It is common to have trouble asking for help, whether it is because you fear looking weak, or because you simply are not sure how to. At some point, you will need help, and the inability to ask for it can make life more difficult than it needs to be and can leave you feeling isolated or hopeless.
Learning to ask for help is essential when suffering from addiction. Going at it alone increases the risk of relapse or can leave you feeling isolated in your addiction. The path to recovery is made up of many steps. The first one is being able to ask for help. You can take that first step today by reaching out to the Lakehouse Recovery Center. Your path to recovery starts here.
Why People Have a Hard Time Asking For Help
There is no one reason why you might have a hard time asking for help. Sometimes it just comes down to different personalities. A common reason is a matter of pride. You might think that asking for help is a sign of weakness, or you want to be able to say you have done something on your own.
Unfortunately, pride can get in the way of your success. It is okay to be proud of your recovery, but it is dangerous to let pride interfere with your recovery. Pride can hinder you from achieving successful recovery because it will prevent you from asking for help in the first place.
You may be fearful of asking for help too. Perhaps you fear judgment from others, have a fear of rejection, or lack the self-esteem to admit you need help. This is different from pride. Lack of self-esteem can mean that you are fully aware of your need for help but are afraid to ask for it.
Past experiences can also hinder you from asking for help. These experiences are often connected to your childhood. For example, as a child, you had a natural inclination to go to your parents for help. If your parents were not around or willing to offer help, you might have grown up thinking that is the response you will get from the rest of the world.
Addiction Recovery and the Importance of Asking for Help
The first step in achieving addiction recovery is asking for help. If you are unable to ask for help, you will not be able to seek necessary treatment. The thing about addiction recovery is that you have to want it for yourself. It is not a journey that someone else can decide to take for you. Not being able to ask for help will worsen addiction symptoms. Some of these effects may be irreversible if untreated.
By not asking for help with your struggle with addiction, you risk the development of other mental disorders. Addiction and substance use disorder (SUD), is often accompanied by other disorders like anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, just to name a few.
The symptoms of co-occurring disorders such as these cause a vicious cycle, exacerbating both disorders significantly. There are other health consequences associated with substance use, such as cardiovascular and lung disease, cancer, or risk of stroke. These potential disorders and health risks can be prevented by learning to ask for help sooner rather than later.
How Does One Ask For Help With Addiction?
Before entering into addiction treatment you may experience one of two phases — you might be either oblivious to the fact that you need help, or you are fully aware but are not sure of what your next step should be.
The next step is asking for help. How you go about doing that is all up to you. A great first choice is to simply consult a medical professional. That could be your doctor, a therapist, or even a trusted friend in the medical field. They can help guide you to the next step in seeking quality care.
Going off of that, you may know someone within your circle or other circles that successfully entered into a life of recovery. If that person is not a close friend to you, it may deter you from seeking their guidance. Individuals in recovery often feel called to help others seek treatment. They can offer you guidance and resources that will allow you to seek help with your addiction treatment.
You Can Ask the Lakehouse for Help Today
Sometimes talking to people in your life is not the most comfortable way to seek addiction treatment help. With the power of virtual and online treatment, you no longer have to feel confined by geography. You can begin seeking treatment with the Lakehouse Recovery Center. All you have to do is reach out to get started today.
We understand how difficult it may be to ask for help, but know this; asking for help does not make you weak. That could not be further from the truth. Asking for help means you have the emotional maturity to know you have a problem and accept that you cannot face it on your own. Ask for help today, and let the Lakehouse start you on your path to recovery.
Asking for help is difficult for most people to do. Some people have too much pride to ask for help, are fearful of looking weak, or simply don’t know how to ask for help. Unfortunately, the inability to ask for help can put us into several uncomfortable predicaments. Especially when it comes to suffering from addiction, not being able to ask for help can be life-threatening. The long-term effects of substance use lead to the development of other mental disorders, cardiovascular and lung diseases, or overdose death. Asking for help is the first important step in addiction treatment. You can do that by speaking to your doctor, a trusted friend, or an acquaintance in recovery. The initial conversation may be uncomfortable, but if it leads to a life of recovery, it’s worth it. If you are seeking addiction treatment, call the Lakehouse Recovery Center at (877) 762-3707 today.