TeenHelp - Self Harm alternatives?? HELP

TeenHelp (http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/)

- Self Harm (http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f12-self-harm/)

- - Self Harm alternatives?? HELP (http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f12-self-harm/t147118-self-harm-alternatives-help/)

Self Harm alternatives?? HELP

Hi. Im Elliot, Ive been clean for about a month... I really want to cut. Really badly. I feel like nothing gives the same sensation/relief I get from cutting. My mom hides all the sharps cause of my cutting issues. I really want to cut. Its bad. If I do, Ill get my mom getting upset at me, all my friends will be disappointed too.. but I really can NOT find anything else that helps me. Please please PLEASE help me. What do I do. I want to cut so badly but I cant. How do I cope? :'(:'(

Re: Self Harm alternatives?? HELP

Hey there Elliot,

I'm very proud of you for making it through an entire month without cutting and it's only natural for you to still feel the need to harm yourself. Many of us have been there and it's great you decided to reach out! :)

For the moment I'm just going to list a few well-known self harm alternatives and it's up to you to find out which one helps you the most:
- snap a rubber band against your wrist
- draw on yourself with washable red marker where you want to cut and wash it off afterwards
- squeeze ice, but not for too long
- draw a butterfly for every person you care about and imagine that it will hurt them if you cut
- exercise
- write down things that you are grateful for, every day (I actually learned that in therapy)
- exercise
- watch an episode (or two, we know how it goes) of your favorite TV show, if you don't have one, pick one that sounds interesting
- cuddle and play with your pet if you have one
- try meditation (there are several apps, such as Headspace, and tutorials out there to help you)
- bake or cook something delicious for your family
- give someone a hug
- do school work
- play video games
- write a letter to your future self

Those are just a couple of alternatives and there are many more out there I might not even be aware of because I don't really use them anymore, Google offers countless results :)

I hope this helps and contact me any time if you need someone to talk to.

Re: Self Harm alternatives?? HELP

If you're looking for alternatives I highly recommend this thread: http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f12-s...ves-self-harm/

Some of the things I do:

-Watch movies
-Go for a walk
-Pull out a slip of paper from my positivity jar
-Shake up a calming jar that I made
-Read a book
-Write
-Play with my cat
-Talk to my friends

I personally found the rubber band thing didn't work for me because it caused too much of the sensation of self harm, however, it does work for other people.

:hug: You'll get through this, I have faith in you! This stuff has helped me 8 months tomorrow :)

Re: Self Harm alternatives?? HELP

The alternatives you've been given might help you out a little bit. Bear in mind that different alternatives work for different people, so keep trying them until you find some that work for you.

Something to think about in addition to trying alternatives is what is making you want to hurt yourself. Do you know why you're feeling this way currently? You might benefit from keeping a notebook and tracking your thoughts and feelings to see if you can identify what's triggering you. If you already know some of your triggers, you can find ways to cope with those, thus possibly decreasing your urges to self-harm.