Change....not as scary as we think.

Let's talk about change. 

Change can be scary. Change can lead us to feel anxiety and fear due to the lack of control that change brings. 

I encourage you to accept the fear, but not let it overcome you. The loss of control that comes from change must be accepted as a part of life. As much as we would love to have control over everything, we just can't. It just isn't going to happen. Things will happen in our lives that we have absolutely no control over and we need to accept this. 

However, we can learn how to cope with those feelings in a healthier way. I have learned the importance of accepting help from the people we trust. If we have people who love us, we must be open to accepting help. Try to think of it like this: would you help someone you truly care for in a time of need? If the answer is yes, then I suggest you try to open your heart to those who want to help you. It becomes easier as times goes on to learn how to accept help without feeling helpless. After all, the world would be a more beautiful place if we all helped one another without seeking anything else in return. 

Now, let's talk about the scary effect that may come from the feelings of losing control: relapse. Thoughts of relapse, or even relapse itself, may happen during recovery. The important part in dealing with this is remembering our inner strength. Remember that you can be free of this. You are strong enough to overcome it. After you reassure yourself, it is important to learn your triggers. What caused you to feel this way? When you discover what it is, you can be aware of it occurring next time so you can take the steps to avoid a relapse behavior or thought. What makes you feel at peace and calm? What pulls you out of the dark place that relapse feelings or thoughts bring? Perhaps it is enjoying a book. Maybe you have family, friends, or a significant other that you can trust to help talk with you and bring you into a more positive mindset. You might even like to paint, shop, watch a movie....the possibilities are endless. The main idea is that you need to find those things that bring you peace of mind. Eventually, you will be able to be your own peace of mind. You won't even have thoughts of relapse during the no-control moments because you will know deep down that things will really be okay. 

Please remember to love yourself. Don't hate yourself if you lack some strength at times. You are only human. We will make mistakes and that is a part of life. The importance lies in learning from our mistakes by growing from them instead of dwelling on them. You are beautiful and deserving of health and happiness and I have faith that you can overcome the fear of change. After all, it is happening around us every day: why not embrace it?