Ways to Stop Self-Harming

It’s not going to be easy to stop. It takes time, effort and patience to fully quit self-harming. Even with all of my experience and understanding, I haven't stopped completely. Yet with determination and motivation, you can at least get to where I am, if not free of your addiction all together!

Be sure to get professional help. With proper therapy and medication you’ll have your best chance to kick the cutting conundrum. On your own, you’ll be fighting at the Alamo on the losing side with Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett. The key is to get to a place where you’re feeling so much better about yourself and your world that you won’t want or need to continue harming yourself.

Here are some of Misti D’s bag of effective and reliable tricks of the trade to fend off the cutting urge when it’s got you by your addiction balls. (A figure of vulgar speech for you girls out there.)

Flick a rubber band against your wrist. Don't do it excessively because then you might turn it into a new form of self-harm.

Rub an ice cube against your arm or squeeze it in your hand until the urge to cut is gone.

If you need to see blood, use a red pen or marker to draw on your skin and color it.

Draw a butterfly where you normally cut and promise not to harm yourself while the butterfly is there, or else you'll hurt the butterfly, aka, The Butterfly Project. Click here for more info: http://butterfly-project.tumblr.com/)

If you self-harm because of anger, punch or scream into your pillow hard enough, vehemently enough, for long enough to cut off the cutting demon.

Take a long walk and don’t return home until the urge is gone.

Do yoga or meditation long enough for the impulse to dissipate.

Hang out or talk with friends until you’re feeling in control again.

Promise a good friend that you’re not going to cut for five minutes. When time is up, if you still feel the urge, go back to that friend and extend the promise to ten minutes. Repeat and extend as many times as needed until you no longer feel the urge.

Exercise, or do an outdoor activity for long enough and vigorously enough until that natural athletic high pushes the cutting impulses away.

Read a good book, one where you can really get into the characters and what’s happening to them. Read until the urges are gone. If you can write, start a story and work on it until you get into a writing zone. At that point, your cutting urge will be gone.

Listen to music, but music that makes you feel better and not more depressed, and before you know it your cutting impulse will be gone.

Take an ice bath. That usually works and quickly. I suppose a cold shower might work the same way.

Engage in your favorite hobby, no matter what it is, or start a new hobby.

Confide in someone and maybe talk about your issues to expel the anger and stress usually associated with an urge to cut.

Get a doll and draw on it what you want to do to yourself or actually cut the doll with a sharp blade and put some red liquid on the cuts.

And those are the all the tips that I know of to help you disarm the urge to harm yourself. If you really want to stop, please give them a try and most of all, be safe!

Outline

STOP SELF-HARMING

Will it be Easy - No

Will You Stop Completely – Not Necessarily

Can You Get Better Control - Yes

Who Can Best Help - Professionals

CONTROLLING THE URGE    

Sting your Skin with a Rubber Band

Rub your Skin with an Ice Cube

Instead of Blood, Draw Red on your Skin

Draw a Butterfly where you Cut

If Angry, Punch a Pillow

Take a Long Walk

Try Yoga & Meditation

Hang Out with Friends

Promise a Friend you Won’t Cut

Exercise Long & Hard

Read a Good Book, or, Write One

Listen to Music that Moves You

Take an Ice Bath or Cold Shower

Lose Yourself in a Good Hobby

Confide in Someone who will Really Listen

Cut on a Doll, Instead of On You

Also, here is a video I found on YouTube, by idranktheseawater, which explains and expands on the doll idea! (No, this not me!)