How to Deal with a Lack of Family Support
At different points and times in our lives, we all in some way reach a point where we may feel we aren’t receiving enough support to go about our days with confidence. Whether it’s support from your closest friends, your family members, the loved ones in your life, or from someone who’s opinion truly makes a difference in your life; they just don’t get it. We all need that extra boost of motivation, the slightest push to keep going, and the smallest amount of encouragement to make it through the day. The lack of support during crucial moments of your life can be a devastating feeling. It’s normal to feel the urge to shout at the top of your lungs “You don’t understand how I am feeling, or what I am going through!” These emotions can be overwhelming, and we understand it all too well. Luckily for you, we can help you overcome moments.
Build A Support Network
As people going through difficult times in our lives, we often find ourselves making the mistake of seeking help through others that have no understanding of what we are going through. Opening up to people who don’t understand us only leads us to a situation where neither sides of the spectrum feel accomplished or positive about the outcome. Another thing we often do is go to the same friends to address the same issues in your life, and that can become very unsatisfying. In situations where a different perspective could make all the difference, going to someone you have never opened up to or maybe have never even had a conversation with could very easily open up new doors for you.
If you have specific hobbies, look into classes or groups to become more engaged with people who have similar interests. You’d be surprised how much easier it can be to communicate with people who you can bond with on different levels than others. Same goes for career paths. If you began a career before addiction took hold, see if you can get a job in that field again. Working alongside like-minded people is often very satisfying, and you’ll grow your support network.
Strengthen Your Coping Skills
Take a moment to yourself to think about how you deal with your emotions. Do you lock yourself away from society, act out physically or verbally, or possibly run around for days with a migraine that distracts you from doing things that make you happy? Whichever coping skills you choose to use in moments like these, make sure it is a healthy coping mechanism that does not put you at any risk of harming yourself, someone else, or triggering a relapse.
Many of us find relief in physical activity such as working out, playing sports, dancing, etc. Physical activity is not only good for your physical health but, it is also a fantastic way to lower your stress levels. Being active helps pump your endorphins that trigger the feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain. Meanwhile, for others, they find meditation, reading a book, chilling poolside, or even making your artwork a calming way of getting your mind off of the negative things going on in your life at the moment. Sometimes, we need a little distance from the world to reflect and be away from all distractions. Finding a place that has peace and quiet can be very relaxing, such as the beach, or by a stream. Being one with nature can be an elementary but powerful stress reliever.
When it comes to coping skills, we can always lean back on simple therapy techniques like grounding meditations, box breathing or calling someone in our support group instead of isolating.
Try Writing In A Journal
In many of us, the lack of support from others can often come from a lack of communication on our part. How are we supposed to expect help from others if they have no idea what we are going through? If you’re struggling to open up vocally, try writing down your feelings, what’s going on you in your head and your personal life. You’d be surprised at how much easier it can be to put words on paper and choose what you want to say, and when you want someone to read it. This way, if you want to change how you may feel that day or how you want to reword your feelings, you can always erase and start over. Write down what is frustrating you, why you feel you aren’t receiving the support, and what you need to get you through these times in your life.
When you are finally able to put your feelings into words, try putting them into action. Sometimes writing things over and over again can make them easier to talk about because you become more comfortable and confident with your choice of words and why you feel that way. Writing things down will help you look at your feelings from an outside perspective and more carefully.
Journaling is a fantastic way to help you sort through your feelings; you can always walk away and come back to it. Writing everything down gives you the chance to look at it from the outside and sort through your feelings.
Be Open Minded
It’s entirely possible that with everything you are feeling, and everything that has been said and done, you already have the answers to your solutions. Oddly enough, it can take some time before you realize you are looking far beyond these answers because we all carry doubts about ourselves. We often blind ourselves by the frustration brought on and clouded our minds with useless negativity. We’ve already been given the answers we need to let go of the things that distract us from where our minds should be. Be open-minded to those who do take a moment to speak with you because the simplest thing could be your biggest solution. Chances are, they are speaking from their personal experience, and you could benefit from their advice.
What Would You Tell Yourself If You Were Them
One thing we can probably all relate to is we can all give good advice to others but are never capable of following our advice. Or, even if we are given good advice, we have a hard time accepting it and put it off as a last resort. When in this type of predicament in your life, try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes; the person you lack support from. Try to help yourself understand why they feel as they do, and why you’re standing where you’re standing. This may not appear as the most fun way to understand things, but it may open your eyes to a different perspective.
