How long have you been self harm free?

[Broken_Phoenix]

I have been free of burning for 9 months and 3 days, with 1 slip up.

I have been free of cutting for 1 year and 4 days, with 6 slip ups.

I have been free of drugs for 1 day and 2 hours.

How long have you been self harm free and how hard was it for you? I found it very hard to stop cutting, burning was easier but the drugs have been the hardest, have tried 6 times to give up but there definately the hardest for me.

How long have you been self harm free? How hard was it for you? Any good techniques when you feel you feel sad or angry?

[Broken_Phoenix]

The slip ups with cutting is where one cut has been made, but after that I don't cut, but if you count the slips ups its been 4 months and 3 days.

[blumemusik♫]

Hey
Well done on going so long without SH!
Like Nicole said, I'm just going to point you in the direction of this thread, as there are quite a few more answers for you :P

Welcome to the site by the way! <3

[Palmolive]

Hi there.

Just to make people replying to the thread aware this user also has questions about your experience of being self harm free in regards to how hard it was for you and asking you about the techniques you used helped and what they were and would be great if we could give some feedback

Right now I'm struggling with self harm but a couple of months back I was put in to hospital for this and I think the most I went with out self harm was probably a month or so. Which was with out a doubt, probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I used the every day distraction techniques but after talking to another self harmer in hospital I found a new one which is where you snap a glow band when you have an urge and you're not allowed to self harm until it has stopped glowing by which time the urges will have hopefully passed.

At the end of the day not ever distraction technique is going to work for you so it is all about trial and errror, so keep on trying new ones until you find a few which you do benefit from.

Beating self harm is hard and I think we can all agree on that one. It's not easy and like I said it was one of the hardest things to do so don't feel alone when you feel like it's hard, other people have been through this but people have also beaten self harm and so can you!

If you ever want to talk about it, feel free to PM me. Like other have said, we do have a self harm free thread if you want to keep us updated on how you're doing!

Jessie

[Discombobulated]

Hey there,

It is great that you have gone this long, you should be proud of yourself. Stopping SH is always a very hard thing to do, personally i'm finding it hard at the moment and have only been free for a week. But it is something we need to stick at and i know that anyone can stop SH if they try.
Perhaps take a look at the alternatives thread? They give some useful ideas of things you can try when you have urges. Not all may work for you but hang in there and you WILL find one that does.

Feel free to PM me if you ever want/ need to talk
Charli

[Le bonheur*]

Hey there!

Well done on being self-harm free for so long. That's a great accomplishment and I bet you're proud of yourself.

I have been self-harming (cutting, burning, and taking pills) since I was 12 years old and I'm now 18. The longest I've gone without self-harm is 7 months and that was last year. I relapsed and I'm now 15 days self-harm free. It's a struggle for me everyday to stay clean but I focus on other things and keep my mind distracted but at night, it's much more difficult seeing as I'm alone with my own mind.

When I feel sad/angry/hurt and I want to self-harm, I write about how I am feeling. I also draw on my skin to make it look like I did something and I make a rule for myself that I'm not allowed to self-harm until the ink fades away. Usually, it takes at least a day or two to fade because I'm very fair skinned. Other than that, I surround myself with people who love me and support me and it makes me remember that they don't want me to self-harm and I don't want to hurt them so I shouldn't hurt myself.

Anyways, I hope you continue doing well and you find something that helps you quit self-harm and drugs for good. It's for the better and you'll feel great when in 5 years from now you can say that you survived. I'm always here if you need some support or just want to chat.

Take care, Brittany.

[FillingWithHope]

Almost 3 months i believe. It was hard to not think about doing something though when i got upset, but i mangaged.

[Celestial.]

I've been free of all forms of self harm, without slip ups, for over a year. Some days are harder than others, and overall it's been quite a struggle, but I'm dealing. I use quite a few different techniques to deal with it, most recently using ice or cold water to create a sensation that's as close to pain as I can get without actually hurting myself. I also write, in blogs, journals, and diaries, but also just stories and poems, to help get my feelings out. Like Brittany, I draw on myself too, or sometimes write the names of people close to me and who would be upset if they knew I'd hurt myself. Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Project? I've found it works for me. Other things I do are meditate, exercise, or listen to music. If you ever want to discuss ways of staying self harm free, or need any kind of advice or support, my PM box is always open. Take care.

[Mz_Jess]

Hey good job, i wouldnt be able to to that i am actually not free of self-harm just yet, and thats why i joined this website but good on you, and you should be proud of yourself

[I'm-moving-on]

I'm not free of it yet, but I hope to be someday soon

[lovatoac]

I haven't burned for 6 months exactly.

I haven't cut for 19 days.

I haven't done drugs for about a month.

I agree, burning was the easiest to give up. But for me cutting has been the hardest.