Why I Used to Feel Bad About Asking Friends for Help… and What I Did About It

I don’t always know what they need, but I’m always happy to listen to their problems and offer whatever help I can. It means a lot to me that so many people trust me with their problems.

I’m not always able or ready to support them at any moment, but when I am, I’m grateful that they give me the chance to be there for them.

Even though I’m always happy to help others, I sometimes worry about asking for help. I know everyone has a lot to deal with. I don’t want to burden them with my problems. What if they don’t have time for me or don’t want to help?

In the past, I had waited for things to get really bad, before I reached out. When I finally did ask for help, I wished I had done it earlier.

One-on-one, I asked my friends if they had time to talk and then explained how hard of a time I was having. Just the fact that they were willing to listen made me feel a lot less alone. I didn’t have to hide how much I was struggling anymore.

Instead of feeling burdened, more than one person said, “thank you for telling me.”

By telling them what was going on, I made it possible for them to help me. After I talked to them, they were able to offer me the support that they hadn’t known I needed. I was afraid they’d like me less if I told them about my problems, but opening up about my struggles only strengthened our connections.

Now, my friends know I trust them with my problems, and I know they will be here for me.

Things didn’t suddenly get easy after I reached out, but they did improve.