It’s impossible to do everything on our own. Every once in awhile, we need to ask for help. Contrary to popular belief, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It shows that we know our limits and others’ strengths. “Asking for help when it’s needed builds intimacy and strengthens every relationship,” says Natalie Lue, author of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Get” for In The Moment magazine. Asking for help isn’t imposing yourself on others; most people are usually more than happy to help out. Continue reading to learn more about how you can ask for help before it becomes a dire emergency.
You Are Not a Burden
Lue notes that many people keep a lot to themselves, not because they are being deceptive, but because they don’t want to be a burden to those around them by asking for help. Arbor Behavioral Healthcare is here to tell you that you are not a burden. Asking for help when you need it is one of the strongest things you can do, especially when it comes to your recovery. If you find yourself holding a lot in, Lue notes that “unfortunately, this means that when it comes to asking for and receiving support from loved ones, you’re either avoiding it altogether or waiting until it’s an emergency.” This, Lue adds, “is destructive not just to your sense of self, but also to your relationships.” We urge you to reach out to those you love and those that love you for help. If you feel like you have no one to reach out to, Arbor Behavioral Healthcare will be that person for you.
Getting Our Needs Met
A lot of our lives are spent trying to get our needs met. Think back to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. For those that are unfamiliar, Maslow says that to move onto greater things, we must first have our basic needs met. These basic physiological needs include food, shelter, and sleep. If these needs are not met, you cannot move onto the next stage: safety needs. Eventually, the last stage of Maslow’s pyramid is self-actualization. If you do not feel safe and loved, you cannot build your self-esteem. Without all these things, you cannot be the best version of yourself. Here’s the thing to remember: you cannot get all of these needs met if you rely solely on yourself. You need to let others in to be able to get your needs met, so allow us to help you.
Human, Not Weak
Lue says that asking for help doesn’t make us weak, it makes us human. “Always being the giver, or seeking people as a means to an end, or feeling as if we have to earn support first, or pay it back, is a block to intimacy.” If you’re struggling with asking for help, go to someone you love. “Asking [for help] doesn’t make you needy,” it makes you human. Here are some ways that you can ask for help:
- “I’m struggling right now. While I don’t necessarily need you to do something, you understanding this and allowing me to not be my ‘usual self’ would be so helpful right now.”
- “I’m sorry that I’ve given the impression that I’m handling everything just fine. I’m really not, and I’d love it if you could help me with…”
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare is here to help. Take the first step toward recovery by reaching out to our team at 844-413-2690. We can help you today. You deserve help. Call now.