When we were children I think it’s safe to say that most of us pretended to be, or wished we were superheroes some of the time… or maybe all of the time. It was fun! Fun to run around the backyard donning a flowing cape (aka floral pillowcase) and a pair of underwear over our stretchy pants (aka long underwear)… fun to speak with authority in a booming voice over our younger siblings, cabbage patch dolls, or G.I. Joes. Fun to take on the world and save the innocent from crime, injustice, and bad guys.
Inappropriate as it may be, however, some of us have taken our Super Hero complexes with us into adulthood. We often find ourselves thinking and believing that we must demonstrate how strong, tough, powerful, or bulletproof we are by facing and attempting to overcome our struggles alone. What’s this need to think of ourselves as being bigger, better, stronger if we can go at it all on our own? No matter the struggle – drug addiction, alcohol abuse, depressed feelings, intense anxiety, disordered eating, feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, or burnt out – whatever it may be, why do many of us hold the belief somewhere in our psyche that if we face and conquer our struggles all on our own then we… then we what?? Win? Win what? Maybe the opportunity to struggle a lot longer and a lot harder than if we’d sought out or asked for help, support, a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, or a group to be connected to.
I’m going to be as bold as to say that rarely is it all that advisable or even beneficial to attempt to overcome our struggles alone. Why would we? I vote that we use our courage to allow others to help and support us as we brave through our challenges and leave the superheroing stuff to the pros.