Asking For Help – It’s Ok

Jennica Janssen, LMFTI
ACS Outpatient Counseling Intern

Is there anything wrong with asking for help? As you read this question, you are probably thinking, “Of course not.” However, the truth is that most people do not want to reach out of their comfort zone and ask for help. Instead, people accept too much responsibility and then secretly resent the fact that they are doing excessively more work than other people. This scenario applies in many different situations including the workplace, the classroom, the playing field, and even in the household.

I have heard people debate that asking for help is an indication of lack of ability or a sign of weakness. In fact, asking for help is a sign of leadership and maturity. Just because you are asking for assistance does not mean you are surrendering control, but you are tackling an issue before it becomes unmanageable.

Our culture emphasizes self-help, but no one person exists without the interactions of others. Practice recognizing when you need help, seeking out the right person to help you, and then asking for assistance. The worst thing that could happen is for the person to say no and, in that case, just swallow your pride and find someone else who is willing to help. After all, in the words of John Lennon, “When you’re drowning, you don’t say ‘I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,’ you just scream.”