Seeking help is a strength

I don't know where this idea of "asking for help shows that you are weak" came from, but it is not the best inspirational saying to follow.

Of course, we can try figuring things out ourselves first, but in some cases, asking for help saves you from falling deeper into a bad situation, for example. Or maybe you won't be so exhausted every day, because you try to do everything independently.

I'm writing about this having in mind about seeking help through therapy.

I still remember the day when a mentor of mine asked me (this happened about 6 years ago): "How are you?", and I just cried. Then he suggested I should try going to therapy, as it might help. At that moment, I got a bit offended, because I thought: "I've lived abroad on my own for so many years now. I am strong enough to handle this situation fine. I don't need to seek therapy.", but to this day, I could say that therapy saves my life.

Getting a good therapy that works well for you is hard, but it is worth trying until you find the one you feel comfortable talking with.

During my lowest days, I would go to therapy regularly, and as I accumulated some knowledge and coping skills, I only saw therapy when the situation I was in was a bit too traumatic, for example. (I acknowledge that it is expensive. I remember that in the U.S., some therapists accept sliding scale payments, and I would encourage you to ask around/Google search for them and give them a try).

I also feel that it is hard to be vulnerable and ask for help from people in general, especially when we are surrounded by people we don't trust, but I believe there are good people out there - could be your professor, work supervisor, co-workers, people you met at an event - who would love to be there for you.

In case you think I can be helpful to you, please do reach out.