Self-Injury Support Group
Whether you or someone you know or love struggles with self-injury, this is the community to discuss your experience, find support, meet others going through the same, and get advice on how to stop. Working together, we can help find alternative coping skills to reduce the urge to self-harm.
I doubt I'm the only one, I'm trying to stop self harming because it really upsets a few people I'm close to and I can't handle worrying others/making them feel bad, so I'm trying to stop. But because I'm "trying" to stop if I fail I get really mad at myself and it just gets worse and worse to the point where have a complete breakdown and feel really really suicidal and panicked, last time this happened I ran away from home for a while (no one knew because I left at 1am and was back at 6 when I had finally calmed down) I get panic attacks A LOT and during and after I always feel the draw to harming myself.
I have a few ways to stop myself after the panic attack though it's not good, I drink because I did once and it helped and now it's the only way I find that actually helps, I've tried squeezing ice cubes etc but it just doesn't work for me. The drinking is a problem because it feels dishonest to my parents and I'm 15...
Do any of you have any suggestions to help, especially for during a panic attack cause right now I have no way of stopping/calming down to stop myself whilst having one (controlling my breathing gives me little to no help, I've had people tell me that before and I try but doesn't really help me)
I have a few ways to stop myself after the panic attack though it's not good, I drink because I did once and it helped and now it's the only way I find that actually helps, I've tried squeezing ice cubes etc but it just doesn't work for me. The drinking is a problem because it feels dishonest to my parents and I'm 15...
Do any of you have any suggestions to help, especially for during a panic attack cause right now I have no way of stopping/calming down to stop myself whilst having one (controlling my breathing gives me little to no help, I've had people tell me that before and I try but doesn't really help me)
valgal18
i'm sorry that you're struggling.....something that helps me when i have a panic attack is focussing on my senses......sometimes i eat hard candies or i rub the fabric of my jeans....for some reason that sensation calms me down......you can also try a stressball or silly putty or play doh or something that you can do with your hands, to take out the stress on......something that has helped me when i needed to calm down-when i wasn't having a panic attack-was the red marker trick....using a red marker to self injure wherever i wanted to.....stretching also works....yoga does too....rearranging furniture is a really good one because it focusses your mind on something totally different and by the end of moving the furniture you're so tired......exercise is always a good idea.....i also like word searches because, again, it distracts my mind and i'm so committed to finding the words that i don't think about the self injure urges.....i hope this helped.....if you want to talk, pleas fee free to message me
hananabanana
Thanks :) I'll give these a go though I've tried the red marker thing before and it doesn't do anything, idk it doesn't replace it for me. But I'll try the rest and I'll message you saying how they helped
krzysoxnpokadots
I'm really sorry you're feeling this way. What helps me with panic attacks is just focusing on my breathing. I try to stay calm (even though it's very difficult) and I remind myself that the attack will be over very soon. I try to sleep it off if I can. I try to stay away from people when this is happening as they can make it worse by not understanding/adding stress. To quit cutting, however, I try to stay really busy and be around people. I've never cut around someone so being in the same room as someone is assurance that I won't be cutting. Please don't drink. Although it seems like it helps at the time, it is really just a dark road to go down. Find positive things to get you by. Workout, read a book, get out of the house. Just do something. If you keep yourself busy everyday, you'll start noticing that you "forget" to think about harming yourself. It'll start with a few hours of forgetting, to a few week, even to a few months of forgetting about it. I hope some of these things can help. Also, if you need anything, feel free to message me. I'm always here to lend an ear.
littlelucyx3
Im just ansewring to offer understanding because I don't really have any good advice, I am sorry! I have always been told about the breathing too. And it does not help me either. I drink too... but here you are allowed to drink when you are 21 and I am 22 so I guess it's "okay" but I'm still not technically "allowed" to drink where I am. Idk.. Anyway.. other than drinking and distracting myself nothing helps.
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