Independent living, moving out, obtaining a job, and meeting everyday life responsibilities are just a few milestones many attribute to leading a successful life as an adult. For many of us struggling with mental health issues or addiction, tasks that come easy for some are significant hurdles for us. Some things seem frightening or uncertain, while others feel downright impossible at times. If you find yourself feeling this way, a great thing to do is lean on your support system.
As you sought help for an addiction, you learned how important your support system was. Having people around you that you connect with, and feel comfortable with, are important. We all want to have independence; however, it takes time. One way to work towards our independence is to lean on our support system. Here are a few pointers to remember while you journey towards living your best life.
Ask for Help
We all need help sometimes. As we grow as a person, we naturally will face situations that we could use some help with. Leaning on others can be highly beneficial. Ask for help when you need it. Then accept that help. When we do this, it helps us grow as a person and accomplish our goals. You learned this first hand when you initially sought help for your active addiction and mental health struggles. You asked for help, and now you are grateful that you did. You leaned on the support around you to tackle that big hurdle, and you got right over it. Remembering that it is still okay to ask for help even after you no longer have an active addiction is important.
Many of us feel weak asking for help. We feel as if we should be able to handle situations on our own. Having a support system is huge. If you are facing recovery from an addiction or mental health challenge, you should not face those challenges alone. Surround yourself with people that you feel safe with. Talk to them, lean on them, and accept their support. When we do those things, it ultimately helps us gain the independence we are striving for.
Live With Someone
After treatment, we all feel amazing, on top of the world, ready to head out and be successful and independent. Sometimes it takes time. Consider moving back in with your parents, a family member, or a friend. Make it someone you can fully trust to help keep you on track. Creating a daily routine is a significant first step. You may be surprised at the skills you can learn from living with other people. What you may struggle with could be something they do effortlessly. Leaning on others in this sense can fully help us gain the skills we need for healthy independence.
Living with someone does not mean you are not capable of living independently. You are probably fully capable of that. Living with someone reliable, healthy, and stable as you work toward maintaining sobriety and gaining independence is responsible. When we lean on others, it builds our connections. We probably hurt some relationships and broke some trust when we were experiencing an active addiction.
Take this time to work on the relationships that really matter to you. We all need support, so show support to the people who helped you during your most difficult times. Working on rebuilding trust is a long process and sometimes difficult. It is, however, worth it. Leaning on others as you rebuild your life does not make you less independent.
Step out of Your Comfort Zone
Many times those around us enjoy doing different things than we do. Take the time to explore those hobbies, read those books, or try those foods that people in your support system recommend. We all lost a part of ourselves during our active addiction. Now that we have worked on our physical and mental health, it is time to relearn about ourselves.
Leaning on those around us as we step out of our comfort zone can be a new experience for some of us. Many of us worry about trying new things for fear of not being good enough. Leaning on others comes into play when we are about to try something new. By leaning on our support system, we can gain the confidence we need to step up and outside of our comfort zone and try new things. When we are brave enough to seek out new experiences, we ultimately learn more skills of independence.
Leaning on others can help us to gain more skills to live fully independent lives. Sometimes it can be hard to depend on others. Many of us feel as if we shouldn’t need to rely on others, that leaning on others makes us appear weak, or that we cannot handle our lives or situations independently. Asking for help takes courage. Leaning on others helps us to gain independence. When we asked for help to fight our addiction and work on our mental health, it helped us greatly. The need for help does not stop after treatment and after our addiction is under control. Learning to continue to ask for help, and lean on others, is an incredible life skill that everyone needs to master. Here at The Guest House, we know how difficult it can be to accept help. We are ready to help regardless of where you are in your recovery. Call us today to learn more about how we can support you through your recovery journey at (855) 483-7800.