When we undertake the recovery process, there are many fears we have to confront and move through in order to come out on the other side of healing. One of our fears is the loss of our independence. We might be worried that asking for help makes us weak and dependent upon other people. We think seeking out support means we couldn’t manage on our own. One of the things we have to do in order to face this fear is shed ourselves of our pride.

When we are too proud to open ourselves up to receiving help from other people, we hold ourselves back and limit ourselves unnecessarily. We can still maintain our independence and hold onto our power while still allowing ourselves to get the support we need. We often have this fear of losing our independence because we’ve experienced a similar loss in power before. Many of us have experienced abusive relationships, where our partners or family members exerted control over our lives. They may have tried to control our actions and words, even our thoughts and emotions. Living through this kind of abuse and control can make us extra sensitive to relinquishing our power. We associate asking for help as giving up and losing faith in ourselves. We want to be able to say we recovered on our own.

When we ask for help, in a sense we have given up. We’ve given up fighting and struggling unnecessarily. We’ve given up swimming against the current. Seeking out support is like giving up our resistance, making the choice to allow ourselves to be supported, accepting the help other people want to give us. We can accept the help graciously, rather than wanting to reject it out of pridefulness. We can surrender to the journey. We welcome the opportunities for learning and expansion, and we know that every time we open ourselves up to being supported, we’re gaining strength and wisdom. We see it as a part of our growth, as a sign of progress, rather than as a setback.

We often want to maintain our independence out of fear of being hurt, betrayed or taken advantage of. We have may had our trust betrayed before. We may have asked for help only to be shunned, criticized or rejected. When we have faith in the process, and in ourselves, we’re able to manifest the people and resources that can help further our progress and fuel our forward momentum.

We take the time to get to know you. We believe personalized care is an important part of helping you achieve recovery, and we’re committed to helping you get there. Call 888-570-7154 for information on our treatment programs.