Help self harm urges

[willitpass]

i have been doing really well, for those of you who remember me from earlier this month. however this week has been hard, these past few days especially as i have started having anxiety attacks related to my trauma again. and while i'm not in a bad mental space necessarily, i'm having very bad self harm urges. do i just say fuck it and cut?

 

[Dreamlike Reality]

We haven't met before, but I'm glad to hear you've been doing really well! I would advise against acting on your urges-- though relapse is a part of recovery, you can be stronger than it! Before when I was in a state of recovery for self harm, my therapist gave me alternatives to self-harm.
One that really helped me was taking a marker of some sort and just passing time by coloring all over myself. I'd cover myself with an Expo marker until it ran out . . . and when it dried, it was easy to wash off, did not stain my skin, and is definitely less harmful than cutting. I don't know your situation, but this worked for me because it still allowed me to do something to myself but it was time-consuming, repetitive, and took all of my focus. If you want an alternative to self-harm, that may be one. Best wishes!

 

[Cherry Crumpet]

Hi there. I've self harmed before when my coping methods were overcome with my emotions. Here's some things that have helped me:

Wear a rubber band around your wrist. Not tight enough so that it hurts or is uncomfortable. if anything it should be kind of loose. When you feel the urge to hurt yourself, pull back hard on that rubber band and smack the hell out of your wrist with it. Keep doing this until the sting is enough to distract you. Note: BE CAREFUL OF YOUR EYES. Speaking from experience. Use a rubber band that isn't likely to snap easily. Taking a rubber band to the eyeball WILL snap you out of it, but i DO NOT recommend it. lol. Seriously you could damage your eyesight.

When you are upset start randomly saying a number in your head or outloud. The only rule is they can't have a pattern. So like, when upset, start saying 93, 208, 21, 45, 2.. etc. I find that it distracts your brain enough to snap it out of whatever mode it's in. This also works if you're having a panic or anxiety attack.

 

[timf]

These are some good suggestions for alternative and diverting strategies.The key is to work with something that generates control and thus reduces anxiety.