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to all self harmers (or ex self harmers)

littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
whenever you have/had the urge to cut, how did you supress it?? like, whenever, i have/had the urge to cut i left the house. just wondering what tips you may have that could possibly help others (and me) in the future :)

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This would poss backfire for some people but for me it works, i tend to shut myself in a room with nothing i can use to hurt myself and think about the scarring, how much it hurts, how it makes me feel, etc etc. I phone a friend (some of mine know), write in my diary generally keep myself occupied with something else :) It's kind of working, i'm geting there.
    xxx
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Alright girls. Where does self harm acutally begin? Were you depressed and decided to hurt your self or because you felt guilty for something.... ? I don't really understand much about it.


    Jay
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i didnt do it much only when i got seriously depressed, i do now sometimes, but to stop myself i lock myself in my room, play my music and lie there and keep everything away from me which i know i could hurt myself with, i know it is not that simple for others though.

    To felix, mine started because i was incrediby upset about something and i just didne feel i could carry on i didnt see a point, and i just felt like no one cared. I get like this now when im stressed or angry.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Originally posted by Felix Da Housecat
    Alright girls. Where does self harm acutally begin? Were you depressed and decided to hurt your self or because you felt guilty for something.... ? I don't really understand much about it.


    Jay

    mine started when i started feeling depressed. im not sure exactly why i thought it would but i did it to make me feel better and release some sort of tension. and it worked so i carried on doing it and then it became a problem along with my depression. its hard to explain (sorry for the vagueness)

    i dont think i could ever just sit in my room, playing loud music or anything. i know that if i really wanted to hurt myself i would just go out and buy some more razor blades. i need to actually do something, either physical or mentally straining. i cant just sit to let it pass. but if it works for you im not going to knock it. it just wouldnt work for me :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I sometimes feel tempted to harm again, I take a red felt tip pen and draw along my arms, where I would normally have cut. I find it helps because then you get to wash it away afterwards, just kind of theraputic I suppose. I've also done the same with an ice cube, cos when you leave it on your skin for a while, it can get a bit sore. Hope that helps anyone.

    Felix: I started self harming when I was about 13. I felt very alone, and being a perfectionist, I was very hard on myself, had a very low self esteem, and felt that the only person I could take my pain out on was myself. Had a few relapses every now and again, it's never an easy thing to do, but I'm getting there. My med school is fantastic, they have walk in sessions where we can go to talk about stuff on our minds, they have all sorts of people on the course, from harmers to people with eating disorders, so it's nice to know I'm not alone, which helps a lot.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    just found something interesting for all those who are trying to combat self harm (as given to me by someone in LJ land)

    useful distractions

    go into sis and then into distractions.

    sorry ... this question needed to be addressed tonight for me because i was feeling the urge to cut but didnt want to. i think it would be useful for others to share the different strategies that people use against self harm :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by littlemissy
    i cant just sit to let it pass. but if it works for you im not going to knock it. it just wouldnt work for me :)

    i know hun, thats why i said its not that simple for others though. x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    every time i feel the urge i imagine my boyfriend's face when he would find out, and it stops me.

    i'm not just hurting me anymore.

    when i was younger i used to make myself go somewhere where people were, even if it was just my family watching tv, and stay there, cause there was no way i could cut in front of them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    when you all started self harming, did u straight away use a blade or did u kind of work your way up? For example did u start scratching your arms or where ever and then start to use a blade?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to use scissors, then eventually it was a stanley knife I found in my dad's shed. I don't remember when it started (2.5 years ago ish). I stopped about 6 weeks ago so it's still an uphill struggle. I am a lot better now than I was thanks to anti-depressants / counselling / etc., so I can get through it when I need to cut. Today was the first time in a long time that I needed it, and I'm still fighting it.

    Actually, I am going to go do something else and distract myself, this isn't a good idea right now!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by kaffrin
    every time i feel the urge i imagine my boyfriend's face when he would find out, and it stops me.

    i'm not just hurting me anymore.

    when i was younger i used to make myself go somewhere where people were, even if it was just my family watching tv, and stay there, cause there was no way i could cut in front of them.

    That's exactly how I feel. I know how upset it would make my family, my friends and my boyfriend if I did it again, and that stops me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by kaffrin
    every time i feel the urge i imagine my boyfriend's face when he would find out, and it stops me.
    It's corny, but I once walked out of the toilets when I'd been making myself ill and one of my closest friends was standing there. It was like a freeze frame from a bad soap, and it is enough to stop me doing anything like that if someone I care about might find out.
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