If you find yourself slipping into a chronic cycle of trying to stop doing things that are hurting your personal life but find yourself failing to resist the urge, it may be time to consider seeking help. It doesn't matter what your damaging behaviors are; you need help if it is beyond your control. Here are a few steps you can take to prepare yourself for that help.

If you're here, you're already doing the first step. In admitting you have a problem, you need to realize that this isn’t something that you are going to be able to fix on your own. You need the support of your friends and family, and you need professional help. Damaging behaviors often rewire the way we think and act. It isn’t a problem to ask for help; it is actually a sign of strength and maturity.

Damaging behaviors are ingrained into our psyche. We've often lived with them for years, so it's unreasonable to expect to unlearn this behavior overnight. One of the best steps you can take on the road to recovery is forgiving yourself if you stumble. It's tempting to throw all your progress out the window and go back to old, undesirable behaviors if you slip up once, but that's why you can't break the cycle. You have to learn to forgive yourself so you can have the strength to continue to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Recovery should not involve self-abuse, it should be a cycle of connection and unconditional love.

One of the most damaging behaviors that people who face addiction have is negative self-criticism when making a mistake. It's human nature to make a mistake. We all make mistakes. But if you're already upset with yourself, it's easy to believe that part of your mind that says you're worthless when you slip up. If you can catch yourself talking to yourself that way, you can more easily slip back into old behaviors because then you feel justified. Don't let your lazy brain keep you from making the changes you need to make in your life to abandon your damaging behaviors.

There are often recovery groups for your damaging behavior in your area if you search. If your insurance covers it, you can see a therapist to discuss your behavior, and they will help you craft a plan to address the issue and make sure you're on the road to recovery.