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.

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Useful Treatments or Therapies.

Giver34
Giver34
Hi, I was wondering if you have encountered any therapy or treatment that has helped you reduce or eliminate your self harm. I notice that when things go wrong for me(I am running really late for work,misplaced an important paper or realized that I am not going to be able to do something that I wanted to do) I become intensely self critical this escalates to my hitting myself(either on the head or in the chest). I have tried to challenge this behavior in the past with limited success. Any ideas?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hi there. Well, when I feel like self harming I find that going to a public place helps me a bit. Whether it's the mall, a park, or even just taking a walk around the neighborhood. That way I'm not so alone with my thoughts, and usually after awhile the feeling passes.
Giver34
Giver34
Thanks for the advice but I don't think it would help in my case. This always happens when I am alone in my room. When these feelings come they hit so fast it is hard to bring things under control. I think that feelings of helplessness are a driving mechanism for these bouts. Also self hatred. I recently screwed up a college loan income based repayment re-application. It cost me three hundred bucks. In that case, the anger that I felt towards myself fueled my s/a.
deleted_user
deleted_user
i have BiPolar also, pretty severe BP, and I've had just about every therapy there is, CBT, DBT, talk, meds all the way to ECT...they do make meds that help curb the urge to harm oneself, lithium is used in smaller dosages to curb SH/SI urges.

You have to find the thing that works for you, the thing that distracts you from wanting to hurt yourself. Everyone has a different thing. I write, getting the feelings out of my head and onto paper that I can then toss in the trash, helps me alot, work helps me, just keeping busy helps me.

If your not seeing a therapist, it might be a good idea to start, talking about this and figuring out why you do it and how you can not do it, as early as you can, does help.

take care,

kat
Alasey
Alasey
Hey, I agreee with putting yourself in a public place, but a technique that worked for me was the delaying technique which is when you think to yourself. "I won't cut for 10 minutes" then when that is over do another ten and another and sometimes over a while the urge will lessen,but for the long term counselling really helped, I haven't cut now for over 7 months, and I am medication and counselling free. I really recommend it.
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