How to Ask for Help During Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment
Many in recovery from prescription drug addiction report that it is difficult for them to ask for help. Some point to the results of the last time they reached out for assistance and received in return a prescription that caused an addiction. Others say that the potential rejection is too much of a risk. Still others say that they are ashamed of needing help, especially in light of all the people they took advantage of during their addiction. Unfortunately, refusing to ask for help when you need it during prescription drug addiction recovery can land you right back where you started: living with an active addiction that is medically unsafe and requires serious treatment. Learning how to ask for help effectively will assist you in getting what you need from recovery and avoiding relapse.
Don’t Demand What You Need During Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment
Even if you are stressed out and the person you are addressing is a paid staff member at your treatment facility or a therapist that you pay for each week, you are not entitled to demean or poorly treat those who you need help from. Demanding anything -your medication, time, assistance, advice, money -is not an effective way to get what you need. Don’t allow your embarrassment over needing to ask for help delude you into thinking that the person you are requesting assistance from owes you anything. Even if they do, they will be far less likely to give you what you need.
Don’t Overburden Anyone During Recovery
If you’ve gotten a positive reaction to a request for help in the past, it’s common to think of this source of assistance first when another need arises. Depending upon how recently you requested assistance and how great your need then and now, this may be perfectly acceptable. For example, if you want someone to accompany you to a 12-step meeting and they’ve done it in the past, you may be perfectly fine asking them to go with you to another meeting. If they are in recovery, they are likely going to attend a meeting that week, anyway and won’t mind trying to fit it into their schedule. If, however, the person you’re asking is not in recovery and expressed a serious disinterest in the 12-step meeting you brought her to last time, don’t ask her again even though she agreed to go the first time you asked. It will put a strain on your relationship to continually ask people to do things for you, and diminish your resources during prescription drug addiction recovery.
If You Need Something in Prescription Drug Addiction Recovery, Ask Nicely
A dose of humility and kindness never hurt when asking someone to help you out. Whether you just need someone to listen for a few minutes or something more substantial, don’t call them up and dump on them or accost them in the street. Instead, ask if they have a minute to talk and, if they do, make it clear that if your request doesn’t work for them for whatever reason, it is not a problem. Even if they can’t help you this time, having a positive attitude may mean that they will be interested in helping you if they can the next time you need assistance.
