If you’ve been struggling with addiction, chances are you’ve tried to quit and haven’t been able to. It’s a reality for many of us. As much as we want to stop, we can’t seem to make ourselves. Some of us will try to convince ourselves that our problem isn’t so serious. We don’t want to have to admit to ourselves or to other people that we need help. We might see this as a sign of failure or weakness on our part. The more we learn about ourselves and addiction, however, we see that reaching out for help is actually a sign of strength. It shows we have the humility to ask for help when we need it, the courage to take that step, and the conviction to want to get better.
There aren’t many things in life that we can do completely on our own. We’re meant to work with other people – to learn, teach and share with others. Human life is about exchange, communication, cooperation and partnership. Our individualistic approach to life makes many of us strive to build our homes, careers and lives completely alone, as individuals. We think that success hinges on our total independence. Some cultures operate differently and function communally, allowing everyone to have access to the help and resources they need. Some families and communities work together. We can have much more success with our recovery when we work together. We have so much to learn from the people who have come before us, who have tried different recovery and treatment programs, who can offer guidance and wisdom.
For many of us, the more we isolate, the more depressed we feel. Our isolation causes us to be alone in our pain, where we can stay trapped in our minds and get lost in overthinking and obsessing, worrying and panicking. Our emotions and toxic thought patterns can fester and grow worse. When we’re alone too much without processing our emotions in healthy ways, we can become increasingly more anxious, sad and self-destructive. To break our patterns of self-isolation, we can take that very important step of reaching out for help – asking someone to come check on us, inquiring about treatment programs, starting therapy, finding a support group. Every step you make to connect and reach out opens you up to receive the resources and emotional support available to you.
We’re here to help. Call (575) 613-4810 for information on our addiction recovery programs.
