[Everglow.]

Hey there,

Thank you for reaching out, I know that's a really hard thing to do so you should be proud of asking for help.

I am sorry you're dealing with feeling this way. If you feel like going into more detail about what's going on, feel free to do that. Sometimes it really helps to get things off of your chest, and this is a great place to do that because the site is full of really amazing people who can give you some amazing support and advice.

Emmie gave some really good examples of things you can do to distract yourself when you feel like self harming. It's important to know that you're not alone, and many people have been where you are and made it through. Distractions and alternatives are a good way to make it through difficult urges when you feel triggered, and TH has a really good list of some examples which you can find here. For me, I found it really helpful to keep my hands busy, such as by fiddling with a toy or object, as well as taking myself away from situations which might encourage me to hurt myself. Maybe you can do this by putting in some headphones and going for a walk in the fresh air. This way, you're away from the location where it becomes easy to hurt yourself, and being outside is a good way to feel more relaxed too. Maybe you could bring along a book, or a notepad or sketchpad and find yourself somewhere to sit, and then you can take your mind away from what's going on too.

None of these things will make everything stop for good, and I know that it's hard knowing urges will happen again sometime, but remember that it's a process. Self harm becomes addictive, and when you feel bad as it is, it' even harder to find coping mechanisms which are healthier. Try a few distractions, find which ones work for you, and that way you'll have a little toolkit for when you need it, and you can turn to that when things get really difficult. It's okay not to be okay, and it's okay to take things a day at a time, or even an hour or a minute at a time sometimes too.

Feel free to message me any time if you want to talk. I hope you're okay.