Learning how to allow ourselves to receive help and support can be a real challenge for many of us. We’re often used to doing things alone and have become fiercely independent. We might be prideful and think of accepting help as a sign of weakness. We might feel so alone and isolated that we’ve come to believe there isn’t anyone who genuinely wants to help us. Allowing ourselves the gift of support is an exercise in humility, in swallowing our pride and in embracing ourselves with self-love and self-acceptance. We can choose to see admitting we need help as a sign of strength and courage. In reaching out we are testing our commitment to our personal growth.
A major deterrent to accepting help is our belief that we don’t deserve support. Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that we are unworthy and undeserving. Maybe a traumatic experience made us think we were wrong or abnormal. Maybe we believed the words of someone who was unkind to us. We deprive ourselves of our own forgiveness and acceptance, and we think of ourselves as bad people, so we find it implausible that anyone else might feel compassion for us. We think that our story being unique to who we are as an individual means no one else will understand what we’re going through. The truth is, pain is universal, and there is a growing community of people in recovery ready to extend their love, understanding, acceptance, compassion and empathy to you. Another truth is that you are in fact deserving of love and forgiveness. We can’t let ourselves be defined by our regrets or consumed with our mistakes to the point where we’ve lost touch with our goodness. We have potential to live up to and purpose to fulfill. We can’t let our stubborn refusal to receive help stand in our way any longer.
Allowing ourselves to be cared for and nurtured is making the choice to love ourselves. Choosing humility is taking a step towards healing. Embracing your vulnerability is adding to your strength. Letting yourself be helped shows tremendous courage. Commend yourself. Encourage yourself to stop isolating, to rejoin the world and come out of your shell a bit, to receive all of the love and support people are waiting to give you.
Riverside Recovery’s staff includes multiple people in recovery who have experienced the unique challenge of getting help for their addiction and who want to help you do the same. You’re not alone. Call (800) 871-5440 today.