Being vulnerable is often seen as being easily hurt physically or emotionally. Vulnerability can mean exposing yourself to risk, however, being vulnerable does not guarantee that you will be hurt. This is the greatest misconception which prevents people from opening up to others. Many see the need to ask for help when it comes to their addiction as a vulnerability, which to them, is a weakness. Asking for help, exposing your addiction, and learning to embrace the results of whatever happens next is important for recovery. Exposing your vulnerability to the people who care about you in order to get the best care possible.
Opening up about your addiction is intimidating because you fear being shunned, shamed, or rejected entirely by your friends or family. The truth is that your friends and family will most likely notice something is off and will sense that something is wrong. If they truly care about you, they will not judge or shame you but help you step into the right direction. Vulnerability exposure can give you the opportunity to feel loved and to recognize your flaws, strengths, and help you set realistic goals. You will begin to see yourself as you really are and will accept yourself as well as your imperfections. That all human beings have their flaws and imperfections and we should not feel ashamed for not being perfect.
To prevent getting hurt, there are different types of armor that people will use to protect themselves from their negative thoughts about themselves such as blocking your feelings with drugs, food, alcohol, sex, and social media to stop you from feeling anything at all. People will also attempt perfectionism to try to control the outcome to prevent no mistakes from occurring. Others will pretend like everything is fine in order to avoid getting hurt. The more you stay in denial, the more your addiction will get worse.
The power of vulnerability begins with being honest with yourself about your addiction and how bad it can get. It also helps to trust the people in your life so that you can find the best source of treatment as well as to broaden your support system and receive encouragement. While it may seem like showing any signs of imperfections is a sign of weakness, the real weakness is choosing to be alone during your struggles with addiction and thinking you can do this without help. You will also overcome your denial this way which will give you the jumpstart on your recovery method. If you do not expose your vulnerability, there will always be that barrier between yourself and people and you need all of the support you can get if you are going to have a successful recovery.
Smarmore Castle Private Clinic in County Louth, near Dublin was founded in 1988 as a residential rehabilitation hospital treating people suffering from drug and alcohol purposes. Smarmore Castle believes in helping patients lead a life of abstinence through 12 Step programs, detox and medical treatment, psychotherapy, and complementary therapies. For more information, please call 041-214-5111. For those who live out of the country, the international number is 00353-41-214-5111.
