It’s your body, and no one has more incentive to take care of it than you do. You can’t depend on anyone else to take the reins when it comes to your health. The responsibility lies with you. Don’t be passive; be a squeaky wheel.
When I grew up I had the impression that Doctors were so knowledgeable that to question them would be ludicrous! This while my Doctor smoked Sickerettes in his office while seeing patients! Doctors are human! They have good days and bad days and their agenda for you may not match with yours! I’m not saying don’t listen! I’m saying listen carefully and question! It’s your body – your Life!
Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself, making your own decisions about your life, learning how to get information so that you can understand things that are of interest to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, solving problems, listening and learning, reaching out to others when you need help and friendship, and developing self-determination, the freedom to live as you choose and make decisions on your own. You know yourself better than anyone else knows you.
When you advocate for your health you are empowered to quit smoking, stay quit and take responsibility for your lifestyle choices such as nutrition and exercise (or lack thereof!) How can you keep smoking knowing all of the damage that every single Sickerette does to you? How can you even contemplate putting that Cancer Stick in your face, lighting it up, and sucking those deadly chemicals into your lungs?
The first step in self-advocacy is learning everything possible about your needs, abilities and disabilities, strengths and challenges. As you expand your knowledge about yourself, it is important to learn exactly what your rights are and where you can go for assistance, support, and information on asserting those rights.
Learning and practicing self-advocacy skills helps you make decisions that will ultimately impact the rest of your life. Anyone can be a successful self-advocate, regardless of significant challenges or complex needs. Having role models and peers to guide you along the way will provide valuable insight and lessons from those who have experienced similar things. There is a great Chinese proverb that says it all: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” Watching other people successfully advocate for themselves helps everyone realize that people with all abilities can achieve success through self-advocacy.
Right here at BecomeanEX we see people every day facing Life on Life’s terms with Self-Love and Self-Advocacy. They don’t let others direct their lives and hide under a Smoke Cloud! They boldly speak up for what’s right for them! Recovery is all about that – taking responsibility for my Health and Happiness!
Speaking up can be tough. It’s very scary at times, particularly when you’re just starting out, or if you’re surrounded by a bunch of experts who think they know best. As with everything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. You are the number one expert in your own life, and the more you speak out, the more confidence you’ll have when you share your expertise.
Most of us can benefit from working hard to build our advocacy skills, even if we already have a great deal of self-determination and confidence. Addiction teaches us to renege our Self Determination – Recovery teaches us to Re-claim our Lives in all aspects!
Make some noise for YOU! As long as you do it respectfully, your Support Team (Family, Friends, Doctors, Bosses, etc….) will appreciate it!
