So you have decided to stop hurting yourself, but you still don't know how or what to do when you feel like cutting, here are some things you can do. We are all different so try everything at least once, because what might work for me might not work for you and vice versa, and when you try them write down whether it worked for you or not. The reason why I'm posting this is because this has helped me a whole lot. I haven't cut in over 7 months and I want to share this with you. Here we go:
I don't want to hurt myself, so what do I do instead?
Many people try substitute and report that sometimes they work, sometimes not. One way to increase the chances of a distraction/substitution helping calm the urge to cut yourself is to match what you do to how you are feeling at the moment. First take a few minutes to look behind the urge:
~What are feeling?
~Restless?
~Are you angry?
~Frustrated?
~Sad?
~Craving The Feeling Of Self Injury?
~Depersonalized and unreal or numb?
~Unfocused?
Next, match the activity to the feeling:
So, if you are feeling angry, frustrated, restless
*Try something physical and violent, something not directed to you and living things: Slash an empty plastic soda bottle or a piece of heavy cardboard or and old shirt or sock.
*Make a soft cloth doll to represent the things you are angry at. Cut and tear it instead of yoursel.
*Use a pillow to hit a wall, pillow fight style.
*Rip up an old newspaper or phone book.
*On a sketch or photo of yourself, mark in red ink what you want to do. cut and tear the picture.
*Make play-Doh or other clay models and cut or smash them.
*Throw ice into the bathtub or against a brick wall hard enough to shatter it.
*Break Sticks.
*Crank up the music and dance.
*Clean your room (or your whole house).
*Go for a walk/jog/run.
*Stomp around in heavy shoes.
*play handball or tennis.
The author of this article have found that these things work even better if you rant at the thing you are cutting/tearing/hitting. The author start out slowly, explaining why I am hurt and angry, but sometimes end up swearing and crying and yelling. It helps a lot to vent like that.
So, if you are feeling sad, soft, melancholy, depressed, unhappy
Do something slow and soothing like:
*Taking a hot bath with bath oil or bubbles.
*Curling up under a comforter with hot cocoa and a good book.
*Babying yourself somehow.
*Listen to soothing music.
*Smooth nice body lotion into the parts or yourself you want to hurt.
*Call a friend and just talk about things that you like.
*Make a tray of special treats and tuck yourself into bed and watch tv or read.
*Visit A Friend.
Do whatever makes you feel taken care of and comforted.
So if you are craving sensation, depersonalized, dissociating, feeling unreal.
Do something that creates a sharp physical sensation:
*Squeeze ice hard (this really hurts).
*Put a finger into a frozen food (like ice cream) for a minute.
*Bite into a hot pepper or chew a piece of ginger root.
*Rub liniment under your nose.
*Slap a tabletop hard.
*Snap your wrist with a rubber band.
*Take cold bath.
*Stomp your feet on the ground.
*Focus on how it feels to breathe. Notice the way your chest and stomach move with each breath.
NOTE: Some people report that being online while dissociating increases their sense of unreality; be cautious about logging on in a dissociative state until you know how it affects you.
Wanting focus.
*Do a task (a computer game like tetris or minesweeper, writing a computer program, needlework, etc...) that is exacting and requires focus and concentration.
*Choose an object in the room. Examine it carefully and then write as detailed a description of it as you can. Include every thing: size, weight, texture, shape, color, possible uses, feel, etc.
*Choose a random object, like a paper clip, and try to list 30 different uses for it.
*Pick a subject and research it on the web.
*Play online games.
Wanting control.
5/4/3/2/1
If its control that you want to experience with self harm, this might help you. Try and name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 thing you can smell, 2 things you can touch and 1 thing you like about yourself.
Wanting to see blood.
*Draw on yourself with a red felt-tip pen.
*Take a small water of of liquid red food coloring and warm it slightly by dropping into a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Uncap the bottle and press its tip against the place you want to cut. Draw the bottle into a cutting motion while squeezing it slightly to let the food color trickle out.
*Draw on the areas you want to cut using ice that you've made by dropping six or seven drops of red food color into each of the ice-cube tray wells.
*Paint yourself with red tempera paint.
I tried all of that. I still want to hurt myself.
Sometimes you will make a good-faith effort to keep from harming yourself but nothing seems to work. You've slashed a bottle, your hand is numb from the ice, and the urge is still twisting you into knots. You feel that if you don't harm yourself, you'll explode. What now?
Answer this as honestly and in as much detail as you are able to right now. No one is going to see the answers except you, and lying to yourself is pretty pointless. If, in all honesty, you see no other answer to #8 but yes, then give yourself permission, but set definite limits. Do not allow the urges to control you; if you choose to give in to it, and then choose it. Decide beforehand exactly what you will allow yourself to do and how much is enough, and stick to those limits. Keep yourself as safe as you can while injuring yourself, and take responsibility for the injury.
The questions:
1.Why do I feel I need to hurt myself?
2.What has brought me to this point?
3.Have I been here before?
4.What did I do to deal with it?
5.How did I feel then?
6.What have I done to ease this discomfort so far?
7.What else can I do that won't hurt me?
8.How do I feel right now?
9.How will I feel when I am hurting myself?
10.How will I feel after hurting myself?
11.How will I feel tomorrow morning?
12.Can I avoid this stressor or deal with it better in the future?
13.Do I need to hurt myself?
Source: http://www.palace.net/llama/psych/self.html <~> Check this site out. It has a lot of info and tips...
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