Reaching Out of the Darkness – Finding the Courage to Ask for Help
Recently I was speaking with a woman who recounted a deeply difficult experience she had undergone a number of years ago. This experience had spanned the course of a number of months, during which she had been witness to daily traumas. Even as she wished that she could remove herself from the situation, she found herself not knowing how to do so until a number of months later.
She described to me the isolation she had felt and how she had shouldered the burden largely on her own. She did not feel that she could reach out for support at the time, afraid of overwhelming those around her. She let me in to her story from that difficult period, the depression she had weathered and the toll that it continues to take upon her mental health as she now wrestles, working through PTSD. Thankfully, she was able to move forward and has engaged a support team to assist her in her healing journey.
Have you found yourself in a similar situation?
Thankfully, in today’s world dialogue surrounding mental health struggles has grown to the point where more individuals are reaching out and accessing support than ever before. As we draw back the curtains and reveal our vulnerabilities and our wounds, we open ourselves up to the care that we need. Whether in the form of communal support, therapy, medication or the listening ear of a trusted friend or mentor, as a society, we are beginning to proactively prioritize mental and emotional well-being.
We are not meant to walk these difficult and often dark roads alone. Sometimes we need to bring someone into our lives who can provide that light which dispels the darkness and shows us the way to move on. Whether for a short period or the longer term, we all face situations in life where we need to lean upon those around us.
We all experience these tribulations at times. You might be in a difficult marriage or experiencing domestic violence, willing the situation to improve, even as it remains. You may have find yourself navigating the daily stress of high conflict co-parenting. Perhaps your spouse has mental health needs that are not being sufficiently treated – or perhaps these needs are your own. You are not alone.
Being Proactive
When working with clients, I encourage them not only to reach out for help when they realize they’ve reached the point of crisis. My clients learn to look ahead and build mental health support into their calendars. We look together at their upcoming court dates, mediation sessions, legal meetings or co-parenting situations that they foresee coming up and ensure that a divorce coaching or therapy session is booked in shortly after the event. Other helpful steps might be as simple as giving a friend or confidante the heads up that you’re heading into a stressful situation and asking if they’ll be available as a listening ear afterward. Taking care of yourself equips you to be able to take care of those around you.
So today I am reaching out and offering you my hand. We all need support at times. There is no shame in asking for help. If I can provide this to you, it would be my sincerest pleasure.
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