I was opposed to a helper, until about 10 minutes after she arrived and for the first time in months, I had a moment to myself.
I think there are ways you can make something like this work, perhaps looking at a part-time helper (which is more expensive) or a helper that is assigned more limited duties, i.e. taking care of you rather than taking care of the baby. When you are dealing with a newborn, you don't also need to be dealing with the laundry, the grocery shopping, washing the car, cleaning, etc. A helper can lift those things off of you giving you more time to deal with your child or just rest. You may also look at an apartment with a better more isolated area for the helper so they don't come off as being around all the time.
Honestly--as painful as it may be to your personal space, a helper in at least the first six months of your new arrival will make things much, much easier.