We like to try to get through things on our own. It is really hard to ask for help, plus there are a lot of societal sources telling you to fix yourself and get over it. There are also a lot of people struggling and hurting, but also struggling with asking for help. So today I am going to make it easy for you. I am going to review some things to consider for when should I ask for help?

Do you need help? Answer these questions:

Are you happy? Sure you may be making it through the day. You probably have moments where you smile, laugh, and feel OK. But when you lay down for bed at night the voice in your head starts telling you all the things you did wrong. The voice nags you for all the things you were not able to do. You analyze what you did wrong and feel insecure, self-doubt, and worthless.

Do you feel ashamed and worthless with your life? Again you review the things you did today and you feel awful. You feel “not good enough” and put pressure on yourself to do better. You focus on the mistakes you made and how you screwed up.

Are you stressed and anxious? You find it hard to settle down and relax. Your body is tight and tense and you are big ol’ ball of stress and anxiety. You feel like you must always be going and doing because if you stop you fear you will fail.

Are you angry and irritable? You fight with your loved ones and you do not feel satisfied. You snap easily and feel like you are constantly yelling and arguing. Your blood is constantly boiling and you are one more event away from snapping.

Do you struggle at work? You are unhappy and dissatisfied with work. You are wishing for 5:00 and the weekend. Going to work sucks your soul dry.

Perhaps you do not know how you feel, you just feel like something is missing. Some thing inside is telling you something is not right.

If you are feeling any of these things you may want to ask for help. We all struggle. We all have shitty feelings, but ypu don’t have to feel this way. Sure life is not always rainbows and unicorns, but when you lay down at night, you can feel hope and happiness. You can ask for help. You can feel happy, successful and motivated.

If you feel any of the things above consider getting some help. Here are some resources to consider seeking for help.

• Your church or pastor

• Support groups – most communities offer free support groups of various types

• Professional counselor

• Friends/family

If you are not sure where to go for help try Google, and search some of the things you are feeling and see what resources are available to you.

Still not sure if you have an eating disorder? Here is a self-assessment, https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool. This quick tool is to help you determine if you have an eating disorder and if you should get help. Visit NationalEatingdisorder.org to find help and get more information.

If you find this information helpful please share. This is a very complex issue that cannot be addressed in a 5 minute video, but feel free to ask questions and comment. Perhaps there is something I can help clarify for you.

Do you feel you struggle with an eating disorder? Call Dr. Stephanie and see how you can overcome the cycle.