Why do I struggle to receive help or ask for support from others?

When you grew up as the fixer, the one who held things together, asking for help felt dangerous. It meant the structure might collapse. It meant admitting you weren't enough. That's a deep belief to carry into adulthood. Rabia's devotion—that pure love beyond transaction—wasn't about never needing. It was about loving so completely that she was whole within herself, yet still open. That's different from the armor you built. Your difficulty receiving isn't a personal failing; it's a survival mechanism that once protected you. But now it isolates you. Notice what happens in your body when someone offers help. Tightness? Shame? The urge to deflect or overexplain? That's the parentified child reacting, not the adult you are now. Start with small asks. Tell a friend you need them to listen without fixing. Let someone buy you coffee. Practice the vulnerability of being on the receiving end. It will feel strange, selfish, even wrong. Keep going anyway. Receiving is how we let others love us. And you deserve to be loved, not just to be useful. That's not burden—that's belonging.