Substance use disorder has you stuck. You’re not working like you once did. You’ve damaged your relationships, and your purpose in life eludes you. While you’re trying to get your life back on track, you might not be aware of barriers that prevent you from getting the best treatment. Here are three reasons you’re not asking for help and what you can do to get the help you need.

1. You don’t know when to ask for help

You might not know when it’s time to ask for help. Drug abuse may consume your life, making it impossible to work, socialize, or feel a sense of purpose. That’s when you need help for your addiction.

But research shows that many adults, particularly older adults aged 60-79, find that identifying the need to ask for help is the main barrier to receiving support. That’s why you must see the impact that addiction has on your life. Once you identify a serious problem, you can work with addiction counselors or pursue residential treatment.

The best addiction treatment programs combine residential treatment with addictions counseling, adding group therapy and other forms of psychotherapy for a well-rounded experience. The staff there will be able to listen to what you’re going through and know which recommendations to make.

2. You’re bored all the time

Boredom is a major factor in addiction. Furthermore, not staying busy is a problem that affects residential treatment centers. If you feel bored all the time, you may feel tempted to relapse while receiving treatment, or worse, give up on your recovery entirely.

However, the goal of residential treatment programs is to not serve as an entertainment committee. While asking for support in doing fun things is okay, ideally, you develop strategies to take advantage of your time in an RTC.

Besides group therapy and community outings, you might find that your stay at a residential treatment center can be tedious. Boredom often translates to people engaging in self-destructive behaviors to pass the time. Ultimately, addiction experts know how to help structure residents’ days so that boredom isn’t an issue.

3. Don’t stress over the stigma

If you’re battling an addiction, people might blame you for it, and over time, you may internalize that blame and anger you feel and refuse to seek treatment. The stigma you’re experiencing is like a stain that prevents people from seeing the good in others. Other issues, like homelessness and poverty, contribute to the stigma people living with addiction face.

Coworkers and employees may judge. Family and friends may push you away. And when you switch on the television, you might see those negative attitudes about drug addiction depicted on your favorite shows. While some stigma can motivate people to change, the stigma surrounding addiction feels uncomfortable at least and unbearable at worst.

Fortunately, you can battle stigma by helping others see your best self. Talking openly about your struggles, ignoring rude comments, and admitting your flaws are all significant strides towards beating stigma.

There’s a good chance that you weren’t aware of what was holding you back during your struggle with addiction. While stigma has decreased over the years, going forward, you should still address your thoughts to determine what’s preventing you from asking for help. Whether you’re uncertain or so bored you feel the need to abuse drugs, contact My Recovery Corps to get help for addiction today.