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Self Harm Awareness Day - Expert Special on coping tips and distractions
**helen**
Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
:wave: If this is your first time on TheSite, then welcome! 
This Friday was Self Harm Awareness Day, thanks to ella! for her thread which is enabling people to think about the damaging myths that are still out there preventing people getting the help they deserve.
At 9pm on this evening we'll open the discussion during Radio One's Sunday Surgery which will be a self-harm special. At this time, two experts will be on hand to respond with advice and information for those looking for help in relation to coping tips and distractions. As this is the discussion boards and not a more formal expert platform, you are of course fully entitled to chip into the thread with your own thoughts, ideas and support. I'll also be around with Fostress. :thumb:
Things you need to know:
You can read insight on why others find TheSite helpful here.
The experts are:
Rachel from selfharm.co.uk
And
Mark who is a Senior Childline Supervisor.
Look forward to your questions and replies this evening.
This Friday was Self Harm Awareness Day, thanks to ella! for her thread which is enabling people to think about the damaging myths that are still out there preventing people getting the help they deserve.
At 9pm on this evening we'll open the discussion during Radio One's Sunday Surgery which will be a self-harm special. At this time, two experts will be on hand to respond with advice and information for those looking for help in relation to coping tips and distractions. As this is the discussion boards and not a more formal expert platform, you are of course fully entitled to chip into the thread with your own thoughts, ideas and support. I'll also be around with Fostress. :thumb:
Things you need to know:
- Posts looking for help with issues other than coping tips and distractions will be moved into the main health & wellbeing forum. You will still be able to get support from the community and other mods there, your question just probably won't be answered by the experts.
- If you are a regular and want to ask a question privately, then feel free to PM me or Fostress.
- The usual forum rules apply, but you may also find it helpful to watch our video on posting about self-harm specifically.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4mhn1lokMgYou can read insight on why others find TheSite helpful here.
The experts are:
Rachel from selfharm.co.uk
After experiencing many years of self-harm and eating disorders through her teens into her twenties, involving both in and out-patient treatment, Rachel always hoped that one day she may be able to use her experiences for the good of others. She initially sat on the selfharm.co.uk Board of Advisors before taking up post as Project Director in February 2010. Since that time she has developed and expanded the training programme, overseen the long-awaited completion of this website and co-ordinated a project to produce 4 short films about self-harm. Rachel regularly speaks at events across the UK.
Previously, Rachel spent 10 years working with children and adults with learning disabilities and associated mental health difficulties and is currently studying for a degree in child and adolescent development. She is married with a 4-year-old son and a baby daughter and lives in Norfolk.
And
Mark who is a Senior Childline Supervisor.
Look forward to your questions and replies this evening.
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Frankipanda will also be on air :hyper:
listening now
Hi - I'm Mark, and I'm ready to read your messages and chat to you.
Hi, I'm Rachel!
I'm the director of selfharm.co.uk and I'm looking forward to hopefully chatting to some of you tonight.
Come and say hi!
Do post your questions here if you have them Claire and Sophie
I never like starting!
Go on, be a trail blazer!
So I've been harming for a while, but sometimes get really frustrated over small things to where I normally act upon it... I want to stop but it's easier said then done, and find coping with not doing it makes me feel worst.. is there anyway I can control that?!
Hi there pyrodude, welcome - have you got any questions for our experts or just thoughts on coping and distractions?
Probably totally not right :P
We want to talk about good distraction techniques tonight.
i self harm quite often, noone knows about it. i do it for no reason sometimes, but mostly while im stressed out or even slightly angry. i cant think of any other way to express my feelings. it relaxes me alot but i really dont know what to do about it, please help me :banghead:
Hey, Brilliant you for going first!! You say there are small things that trigger you - is there a pattern to when these things happen? It could be the time of day, or they might follow something in particular. A good place to stop is to see if there's a pattern to either something external or something you're feeling.
Well i've been self harming myself for a while now, and its had ups and downs. But well sometimes its just over nothing really and when i look back its silly. Just wondered if you have any new coping methods
I have been self harming for quite a while, and it has been really upsetting the people that know about it. I need ways to distract myself from wanting to cut, but I just don't know how to do it.
I find listening to music, going outside, and also writing helps me. This is everyday behaviour so your family wouldn't have to know any different.
Stress can be a big trigger for self-harming behaviour, so it's important to try and pinpoint what is causing the stress and whether you can do anything to minimise that. Boredom can also be a trigger, as slef-harm can make you feel something when you think you're feeling nothing - so keep busy!
You can indeed
It normally happens when I feel hate towards myself, like last night, I was up all night and could only think about doing it, after relapsing I can only see the harm getting worst and worst, and I can't seem to distract myself properly. I've been trying to focus more on the positives but the negatives are more overwhelming and it's like I'm breaking apart.
Also music, and writing
Hey, that's a good question - it isn't always - it can be an expression of mental distress, but doesn't mean the person who does it has a disorder - does that make sense?
Hey, well done for being able to post about it. It's good that you want to find distraction techniques. First you need to try and work out how it is you feel before you self-harm as that will tell you how else to cope - e.g. if you harm when you're angry then you need to find a distraction to the things that make you mad. Start with how you feel.