Alternatives to harmful coping methods

Former Member

Hi!
I've seen a couple posts regarding more harmful coping methods and although I already know a couple non-harmful alternatives I'd be interested to see if anyone else knows any and could suggest some? Harmful methods refer to SH or substance misuse whereas non-harmful alternatives involve putting your emotions into something creative such as abstract painting or taking a cold shower or squeezing an ice cube.
I'd love to learn some new ones especially so I can inform others and I hope this post can aid some people. (:

Former Member

Pinging elastic bands off wrist is a major one that I've seen. Things like drinking ice cold water, self care instead of self harm (so facemasks, bath bombs, moisturiser etc), going for a walk, doing martial arts.

Former Member

Anch0r33 wrote: »

Pinging elastic bands off wrist is a major one that I've seen. Things like drinking ice cold water, self care instead of self harm (so facemasks, bath bombs, moisturiser etc), going for a walk, doing martial arts.

I don't know if its just me that finds the rubber band method rather controversial as it can cause bodily harm when done enough? The drinking ice cold water and taking up time with self care instead of SH is such a good point thank you!!

Former Member

@laviniavd Hello! I know this time can be really hard. I have found a few helpful coping mechanisms have helped me in the past. Going out for a long walk can be really helpful when feeling overwhelmed or angry, particularly in the autumn and winter months due to it being colder, I’ve found it helps a lot with negative feelings.

I’ve also found putting on your favourite music and singing and dancing to your hearts content can be a really good way to express your emotions.

This one was always quite fun. When your thoughts overwhelm you, or you struggle with feelings of dissociation, you can try balancing an egg on its end. This can help distract you and keep you in the present.

I’ve also found getting into mediation has been a big big help. It can be really hard to focus at first but it’s quite helpful if you persevere with it. Particularly the Wake Up, Wind Down podcast on Spotify. That’s been a big help for me.

I hope some of these can bring some comfort and help to someone. I hope you’re doing okay, and feel free to reach out if you ever need support

Ed_

This is a great idea for a thread, as I am sure there are lots of different things people have found helpful and it is always good to have new things to try when things are feeling intense. The Mix actually have an article with a list of ideas that may be worth having a look at, some of them may be about harm minimisation though so just a trigger warning on that front.

Sometimes it can also be about putting barriers in the way, so for example setting a rule to yourself that you will try three different methods of distraction and really try them properly before you will consider self harming. When things are feeling less intense, it could be worth putting together a happy box (e.g things that are your go to when you are feeling low - this could be simply your favourite film, some self-care things like bubble bath, a nice tea etc, whatever helps you feel calm) so that it is really easy to access at moments when things feel intense. It can also be a really nice activity to make one which can give you a bit of headspace. There are some ideas on this site as to how to make one.

Past User

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AislingDM

I abso love love love this thread guys, and I think it's so cool how many awesome ideas everyone has, especially because some tactics won't work for everyone and one tactic won't necessarily work each time, so it's always great to have variety. One thing that I used to do that was helpful (but also SUPER wasteful) was throwing an egg at the back wall of my house because the loud noise of the crack was super satisfying. However, as I got older I realised this wasn't a great long-term coping mechanism (because of the mess and the waste), so I adapted to using a strong rubber ball or like a tennis ball and just trying to hit a sturdy wall as hard as possible. I only mention the egg part of it all to reinforce to everyone that it really is okay to have 'less adaptive' strategies at first, we are all on a journey with this, so it's okay to develop how we cope with pain over time xx

Former Member

This is a great thread idea! Thank you for starting this

I love to bake when I feel any kind of overwhelming emotion. It's a great way to focus on something else. There's also lots of senses involved which I find grounding - the differnet smells, tasting the mixture, the textures of ingredients. It's satisfying to see and taste the end product too