Asking for Help Is a Strength

If you're like most people, asking for help feels deeply uncomfortable. We grow up believing we should be able to manage 98% of everything on our own. We might allow ourselves a little slack here and there, but for the most part, we feel we should be able to do it all, and if we can’t, there must be something wrong with us. 

At the same time, most of us love helping others. Ironic, isn’t it? If a friend or family member needs something, we’re there, often that same day. But when it comes to receiving help? That’s a different story altogether. 

Asking for help can make us feel vulnerable. What if they say no? What if we’re a burden? Worrying about being a burden is catastrophic thinking. If you really asked your friend to pick up something from the supermarket for you, would you be a burden in their life? 

Here are some helpful ways to rethink asking for help as a strength: 

• Asking for help shows self-awareness and emotional maturity 

• It’s a powerful act of self-care 

• It builds connection and trust with others 

• It models healthy behaviour 

• It’s a step toward healing and growth 

• It’s human—we’re not meant to do everything on our own 

Coming to therapy is an act of asking for help. It’s recognising that you don’t have to carry it all alone.  You’re not stuck; there is always a way forward. And sometimes, it starts by simply being open and asking for help. And that really is okay.