Your doctor can't stop you from cutting yourself. It's up you.
The first step: Deciding to stop
For many people that self-harm, recovery begins with the decision that you want your life to change.
Ask yourself why you want to stop. Examine your motivation for quitting self-injury; this way, you will be able to remember why you stopped as you go through the healing process.
Decide when you will stop. Setting a time to quit self-injury can help you mentally prepare for the change; be realistic and reflective about this start date.
The second step: Confiding in someone
It can be scary to talk about the very thing you have kept hidden, but opening up to someone you trust is an important step toward recovery.
Find the right person to tell. Deciding whom you can trust with such personal information can be difficult. Try finding someone who isn’t going to gossip or take control of your recovery, and someone with whom you feel at ease.
Just say it. Instead of putting off the conversation because it’s not the “right time,” pull your trusted confidant aside or use the phone—and go ahead and tell them what’s going on.
Set boundaries. You don’t have to show the person your injuries, or answer any questions you don’t feel comfortable answering.
What you can do to help yourself
Acknowledge the problem.
You are probably hurting on the inside and need help to stop this addictive behavior.
Talk to someone you trust.
This could be a friend, teacher, religious leader, counselor, or relative.
Identify your self-harm triggers.
Ask for help in developing ways to either avoid or address those triggers.
Recognize that self-injury is an attempt to self-soothe.
Learn how to develop better ways to calm and self-soothe.
Figure out what function the self-injury is serving.
Replace self-harm with expressing anger, sadness, and fear in healthy ways.
Self-help tips for cutters and self-injurers
You can help yourself stop cutting and self-injury, both in the short and long term. The two primary ways to help yourself quit are talking to someone you trust, and finding other means for coping with pain. How you decide to help yourself stop cutting or self-harming will depend entirely on what you feel most comfortable with, and what works for you. You may need to try out more than one method on your road to recovery, but you do have the power to find a healthier alternative.
What to do when you feel like cutting yourself or self-harming
Finding an alternative to self-injury goes hand-in-hand with why you self-injure in the first place. The following are reasons you may self-harm and things to do instead of hurting yourself.
Deal with anger. Try running, dancing fast, screaming, punching a pillow, throwing something, or ripping something apart.
Cope with emotional numbness. Squeeze ice cubes, hold a package of frozen food, take a very cold shower, or chew something with a very strong taste, like chili peppers, raw ginger root, or a grapefruit peel.
Calm yourself. Take a bubble bath, do deep breathing, write in a journal, draw, or practice yoga.
See “blood.” You can draw a red ink line where you would usually cut yourself, in addition to the other suggestions above.
Learning new ways to cope with stress and emotional pain
For long-term recovery, you will need to learn how to recognize your feelings and manage them without self-injury.
Recognize your feelings. As emotions wash over you, begin to identify them. Understanding your feelings can put you in better control of them.
Express your emotions. You may be used to holding your feelings in. Now is the time to find a friend, a diary, or try exercising in order to get your emotions out and prevent self-injury.
Challenge and change your thinking. Ask yourself why you are feeling a certain way, and try thinking positively. Visualize yourself feeling happier and more relaxed.
Change behaviors. You can try distracting yourself from self-injury with the alternative methods listed in the previous section. Learn what works for you, and begin making healthier behaviors part of your everyday life.
Rapidly Reduce Stress
You have the power to reduce stress as it hits you. Learn quick ways to spot the stressors in your life and use your senses to stay in control of demanding situations.
Answered by ScouterAge : 56 1 month ago
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