One of the most challenging aspects of getting sober is admitting you need help. This is perfectly natural, and something most people face when they come to the crossroads of not being able to continue on the addictive path that they are on and not being able to stop on their own. However, recovery can only come when you take action, and the first action must be to admit that you need help.
Overcoming the Fear of Admitting You Need Help to Yourself
In order to recover, you must first admit to yourself that you are in a place where you need help. This is the place of active addiction. The primary text of 12-Step recovery (most commonly known as the “Big Book”) states, “We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were [in active addiction]. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.”
Once you admit that you need help, you open up the door for the process of recovery to begin. However, once you admit that you need help, you must then accept that help when it presents itself. But, this cannot happen unless you tell others how you feel.
It is not uncommon for individuals in need of help to wait for others to say something first. The issue with this is that other people are either unaware of how bad the issue is, or are unsure about how to broach the subject for fear of backlash. Ultimately, if you don’t admit that you need help from others, it makes it very hard for others to help you out.
Overcoming the Fear of Admitting You Need Help From Others
It is perfectly reasonable to be scared of admitting you need help from others. There may be a fear of judgment, a fear of stigma, or a fear of retaliation. Many people also fear that they will lose aspects of their current way of life, such as their job or their academic progress. The truth is that there is a chance that these parts of life may be interrupted, but not nearly as much as if you continue down the path of active addiction. Remember, addiction is a chronic disease. This means that, without some type of intervention, it will get worse, rarely better.
Many people are also surprised at how open their loved ones are to getting them help. You may feel that you will be shocking your loved ones by admitting that you have a problem, but the truth is that they may have been waiting and hoping for you to do so. Also, loved ones who may have been unaware that you had a problem are often grateful and honored that you went to them for help.
Accepting Help From Others
Of course, admitting that you have a problem and asking for help is pointless unless you are willing to accept the help that they offer. This is often a sticking point for many people and causes them to struggle for much longer than needed.
When you overcome the fear of admitting you need help, you must also overcome the fear that your life is going to change. This can be hard because deep down, our active addiction (personified) wants nothing more than to continue its toxic way of life. Now, this is why we often refer to an individual as being “in the grips of addiction.”
So, it is important to take advantage of the, often small, window of admitting you need help to do whatever is recommended to get better. This is about “letting go” and letting those loved ones around you do what is best for you. Just remember, they have your best interest at heart. When you accept help, you are accepting that it is time to stop being controlled by addiction and time to take your life back. It is time to admit that you want more out of life.
Admitting You Need Help and Taking Action
Taking the Next Step With Lantana Recovery
Acknowledging that you have a problem, admitting that you need help, and accepting that help is critical for the recovery process. But, they don’t mean much unless you take the action needed to recover. These action steps are where we here at Lantana Recovery can help.
If you are ready to give up fighting addiction and start fighting for recovery, we are here for you. The fact is that you don’t have to live in active addiction anymore. You have now admitted this fact to yourself. Now it is time to do something about it. Why? Because you’re worth it.
One of the biggest hurdles to getting help is admitting that we need it. It is important to understand that overcoming the fear of getting help outweighs the potential dangers of not doing so. Also, we must remember that more people are getting sober now than ever, so it is no longer “abnormal” to get help. Many people fear that loved ones will react negatively to the news that they need help. However, that rarely happens. If you feel like you or someone you love is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help. For more information on how to communicate that you need some help, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
