Getting Stuck

Today my dog, Buddy, came running out of our bedroom with his paw up. We thought it was because of the pinched nerve in his back. Upon further inspection, we realized he had caught his claw on the ring in his collar. Poor guy was stuck and couldn't get himself out of it.

This reminded me of the many times in my life when I was "stuck." I didn't know how to get out of the situation, and I needed help. Sometimes I asked for it, other times it was offered to me whether I wanted it or not.

Recovering from any addiction (which an eating disorder most definitely is) is difficult. Recognizing that you are in the addiction is hard enough, it is nearly impossible if you are trying to do it totally alone.

They say that it "takes a village" to raise a child, recovery is very close to that analogy as well. It can be done without the aid of professionals, but I personally could not have done it without them. I had a team of medical, psychological and spiritual professionals to help me. I also had my family and a large group of friends that were there. I learned so much from them as they led me out of the worst part of my journey. I still have a large "village" of people that help me as I continue, and I am eternally grateful.

For many people, asking for help is hard to do. We are raised to be independent and often equate that with a need to do everything by ourselves. Asking for help does not mean we are weak or inept, it means that we recognize that sometimes others have more experience or knowledge than we do. I believe that it shows a certain intelligence to recognize this fact. I have only recently begun to realize this myself.

Let's work together to try and ask for help when needed, or accept it when offered. Sometimes our "claw gets stuck" and we can't get it out on our own. There are others that know more than we do at times, and it's okay to let them help.