There's a saying that God helps those that help themselves. I haven't thought a lot about this statement until recently when met with a situation where an individual was unwilling to act to move forward. Typically the people in my life have strived to make their situations better with efforts such as getting a job, seeking counseling or support groups, volunteering in exchange for help, and making sacrifices. I haven't met many who were so mired in life that they couldn't take a step forward, a step toward betterment. Yet we know that this happens, and especially at a time when the opioid crisis is grave, this happens in all walks of life perhaps a bit more than in the past.
Now empathy shows us that not everyone can act to help themselves, but to continually take without acting to help yourself helps no one and least of all you. No matter how low we fall, we have to push ourselves back up step-by-step, and usually when we take one step, there is someone there to help us take the next step.
Sometimes when we're pushed low, it's a sign that we have to see life with a new perspective and take new or different actions to make change. At the lowest points, there are places that people can turn. First of all social service agencies often have listings of programs and assessments that can help a person get a new footing--it's good to connect to those agencies. Also at this turn, it's important to live simply and get rid of all the extra you don't need--those extras are typically baggage that will weigh you down as you find a new path to move ahead. Religious groups can sometimes help with finding your truth and direction too.
While I'm not a fan of one religion over another, I am a fan of doing what you can to help yourself when the life is difficult--I am also a fan of helping out in ways that I can when friends, loved ones, neighbors, and others reach points like this.
