Not sure what to do?

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When I was 14 I used to self harm (cutting my arms) and I did manage to stop after a friend just kept getting pissed off at me but now I’m 17 and I’ve gone into a kind of ‘relapse’ and I’ve begun cutting around my ankle and I just want to know the best way to, well, stop it.

Category: asked August 11, 2013

4 Answers

2
accepted
I agree with polarfairy. Try finding things that will keep you occupied and away form those thoughts. Perhaps watching movies online or even drawing! Also throw away any razors or objects you use to cut yourself. They are the last resort to any type of comfort because they have a sentimental value. Do not be tempted when you see them. Definitely get rid of them or have a friend hold on to them. It will be better to have them away from your reach/sight. You'll feel so much better by just doing something as simple as that! Feel proud that you took the initiative to want to stop. That's awesome. You can do it! You are a strong person, remember that.
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I think the best way to stop a habit such as this is to identify why you started, self harming usually comes as a result of another issue that could be solved. But in the mean time, try a distraction that keeps your hands busy when you feel the need to hurt yourself.
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like vanilla said, you definitely need to throw away all the razors and things that you use to harm yourself. i used to be a cutter and a burner, it was very hard for me to get rid of those, but once i got past that pain of losing them, it made it a lot easier to stop because i didn't have something to do that to myself. it takes a lot of self control to not find something else, but self control is very important to stop hurting yourself too. you have to be stronger than those thoughts.also the thing that helped me the most was to find a project that i could put a lot of heart and effort into. like take what is making you hate yourself and turn that into a good. like let's say you are being bullied at school, you could then take that pain and start a project to reach out to other kids who are also bullied and help them get through it. make good out of the bad if that makes sense.
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first, i'm proud of you for stopping for such a long time and for getting help with your relapse. secondly, like the others said, secure your razors with a friend or parent/trusted adult. Next, create a substitute. For example, when I feel like cutting, I get out my paints and paint brushes. I brush up and down my body with super cheap acrylic paints (60 cent a bottle at micheal's/ac moore) or just use my fingers to draw all over my skin. and when i'm done and calm, i take a shower and it washes right off, or i let it dry and gently peel it off as an additional calming technique. If you choose to to use paint, or anything else for that matter, always force yourself to do it as slowly as possible, even if you start out erratic, force yourself to move slower. it helps calm you. whether you choose markers or paint or pulling grass...always do it when you want to cut. don't forget to breathe evenly and give yourself pep talks.