Struggling with Cravings? Reach Out!

One of the things my addiction really likes is when I don’t ask for help. It gives out a big “WOO HOO!” when I isolate or try to handle a big problem on my own.  I’ve always been a very self-sufficient person who doesn’t really like to ask for help, so it’s a challenge for me when I’m struggling with something.  I’ve had to really practice reaching out, and I’ve also learned to be very careful about the type of person I ask, because I know if it blows up in my face, I’ll have an excuse the next time I need to reach out (it’s exhausting being me sometimes).

Sometimes reaching out is hard even in meetings – especially if something is super-sensitive and you are embarrrased about it.  That’s why it’s important to have someone you really trust – a sponsor with a lot of time and a good reputation for keeping confidences.

Also, I posted yesterday about how online recovery communities can be really helpful. You can be anonymous as you want to be.  Just remember, if you post something controversial, like any forum with lots of people, you’ll get some kooky advice.  Focus on the good advice and don’t make a point of always picking out what you don’t like. I’ve seen fights break out on the most innocuous topics possible, so you really have to take those kinds of people at face value  (they just like to stir it up).

The beauty of online recovery groups is that you can be as anonymous as you want to be. You can put up an avatar instead of your real picture and you can use a screen name rather than your real name. This can be advantageous if you tend to be a very private person who has trouble telling people what’s going on with you.

Whatever you develop as a strategy for getting support when you are struggling, it’s important to get those connections up and running as soon as possible – don’t wait until you are in crisis. It’s a lot easier to reach out to people you already trust than to reach out to complete strangers.