Triggering (SH): I self harm.

[angel_0f_de4th]

I self harm badly.. I have very noticeable scars, the last time I cut was Oct. 19th (4 days ago) 2014.. I try to stop but I cant.. I don't know why I cant stop...

[Bunny_The_Dark_Angel]

Caitlin i'll tell you how I stopped I had friends to talk me when I'd have an urge and you probably won't like to hear me say this but I prayed I had the church pray for me and I kept my hands busy since when you relapse you are in a call with me and you don't tell me when you should

[angel_0f_de4th]

Iknow Cortney, but if you knew I was trying to cut in a call with you, you would freak out...

[Bunny_The_Dark_Angel]

I won't I promise I'll try to stay calm and talk you through it darling ily

[angel_0f_de4th]

Thnx Cort, it means a lot, hopefully I can get through this so I can have my dream job

[Bunny_The_Dark_Angel]

you will if I have anything to do with it sweetheart *Hugs* when you come down for winter break I will hug you so tight you burst :P

[hocus pocus]

Hi there and to TeenHelp!

Do you know what triggers you? If not, I suggest trying to identify your triggers. Perhaps you can keep a journal or a blog so you can healthily express your feelings. You can write when you're triggered and after a while you can begin to look for patterns in what you've written. It's a good idea to keep yourself distracted when you feel triggered. This thread has hundreds of alternatives to keep you busy. Different alternatives work for different people, so keep trying them until you find what works for you!

Are you able to move your tools? Maybe you could put them somewhere that's hard to reach or in a completely different room. That way, you'll have to walk by a lot of potential distractions to get to your tools.

I recommend talking to someone that you trust so you can get the help you need. If you don't want to verbally express it, you can write a note as well. Here's a list of who can help you.

Take care.

Hey Caitlin,
First off welcome to the forums. The reason you can't stop is because it is an addiction. Just like drugs or alcohol. Just like any other bad addictions they are extremely hard to quit. There are a bunch of alternatives you can do instead of cut. Here is the link to the alternatives.

I know it's hard to quit but it's for the best before it gets even worse.

You can always PM/VM me anytime.

Hi, Caitlin.

I'm sorry that you're struggling with self-harm. As Frankie said, it can become an addiction easily. When you're faced with tough things and emotions in your life, self-harm becomes the thing you go to for relief. Therefore become dependent on it, which drowns out healthier coping mechanisms. Plus, a lot of people find that they begin needing it more and more.

You don't have to answer this question if you don't feel comfortable saying, but is it okay if I ask why you self-harm? You're welcome to talk about it if you'd like. Speaking of, have you told anyone in your life about your struggles? I encourage you to reach out to someone. Even though it may seem scary (understandably so), opening up and having support from those in your life could turn out to be really helpful for you.

Stopping self-harming is easier said than done. But with time and effort, you can certainly recover from it. You're strong enough, so don't doubt that. I suggest checking out the self-harm alternatives thread that Cassiopeia linked. There's lists of things you can do on there when you have urges, or feel angry, sad, restless etc. Try out different things on the list till you find some that work. Then hopefully it'll help you cope through urges easier. Her idea of keeping tools you self-harm with in a hard to reach place could be rather helpful too! Removing yourself from any situation where you feel sad, frustrated and/or overwhelmed, going out for a walk may prevent you from self-harming also.

Expressing yourself in healthy ways is the best thing to do in recovery from self-harm. For a lot of people, the want to self-harm stems from not being able to get a release from their emotions anywhere else. Getting your emotions out in creative ways can be really beneficial. Such as poetry, song-writing or even learning a musical instrument. Crafts, painting and drawing can be helpful along with being fun/distracting. Keeping a journal to write down your thoughts/feelings in would be a good idea as well. Being able to get your thoughts out on paper can be a relief. Basically, along with hobbies and things you enjoy, healthy outlets are important too.

Relapses will most likely happen as it's a part of recovery. The important thing is to focus on how much progress you've made. And keep pushing forward. For example, if you go two weeks free then relapse, set a goal to make it further like three weeks and so on. Over time it should become a lot easier to cope with urges and difficulty you face. Eventually, you can be free from self-harm so don't give up.

Hope this helped. Remember that you're welcome to receive support here anytime. You aren't alone in this. You can also message me if you'd like someone to talk, I never mind listening.

I understand it's hard, but recovery's possible and you don't have to face things alone. TH is happy to be of support. Stay strong.