I am releived that you do not do major self-harming things. And really glad to hear you are fprogressing on that issue. You can do it! I just know you can!
Have you begun working through the program? You may find the tools and exercises beneficial. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a large component of the program, and it could help address some of the issues that you have mentioned. Have you tried challenging your anxious thoughts?
It sounds like you have made some progress in terms of you recognizing your own actions. Please continue to stay strong, and we're always here to support you.
Yes i have heard of it Faith and seen a programme on the telly about it . Youv'e done half the battle by telling us , thats fantastic i cant give you enough credit for that . I only hope you give yourself some , feel proud for it .
I have never self harmed but was bulimic (sp) for a year , no idea why i did it . Actually thats not true i was very depressed after my 3rd child was born , he was born with a club foot and had an operation at 8weeks and lots of physhio in his first year . I got bad stares from other mothers who saw my baby in a cast . They must have thought i abused him . So that was my realease not a very pleasant one either . But i stopped , i just knew i couldnt go on like that without seriously messing myself and family up . I still do have urges to do it again but havnt done .
Thanks so much for the encouraging words! :) I have hope that I can break the self-harm habits, too. And that's what they have become - totally subconscious habits. Have you ever heard of trichotillomania? That's my main problem - pulling out hairs. It happens without me noticing when I'm anxious. I know that's no excuse, though - I have to be on my guard so that it doesn't even start happening subconsciously!
So yeah, I don't seriously self-harm like cutting or anything, and never have - but it's the trich and a few other small things that I start doing without realizing it. Sometimes even when I realize I'm doing it, I choose not to stop. But I think I might be getting stronger in that regard - very slowly, and with a lot of backsliding, but stronger!
Wow my typins is bad and I have to stop thinking of two things at a time.
Let's try this again! (This is my obsessive tendencies at work people! LOL)
Hello Faith,
Posting here is tough for me. I think up to now I have avoided answering anything about self harm unless it was in a general yeah please don't do that ask for help kinda way.
This is a tough issue for me as I have self-harmed in the past. I find it difficult to admit and talk about. I used to self-harm when I was too depressed and hopeless and when I was too anxious or panicking. In a weird way it made me feel better. It was a way to release something inside myself. I think it was also a way for me to externalize all this hurt that was inside of me at that time.
But all in all it was unproductive, not helpful, harmful, negative and dangerous. I think it is great that you got the stress ball idea to help with that!. I had to work hard to stop the self-harm thing. Really hard. I haven't done that in many years now but I have to admit that when it gets really bad for me I still have that urge. I fight it and I win.
Luckily, my life is so much better now that self-harm is hardly an issue for me anymore. I did come here to talk about it so you know you are not alone in this and that if I was capable of getting better and stop self-harm you can get better too.
Posting here is tough for me. I think up to now I have avoided answering anything about self harm unless it was in a general yeah please don'T do that ask for help kinda way.
This is a tough issue for me as I have self-harmed in the past. I find it difficult to admit and talk about. I used to slef-harm when I was too sepressed and hopeless and when I was too anxious or panicking. In a weird way it made me feel better. It was a way to release something inside myself. I think it was also a way for me to externalize all this hurt that was inside of me at that time.
But all in all it was unprodcuctive, not helpful, harmful, negative and generous. I think it is great that you got the stress ball ideas. I had to work hard to stop the self harm thing. Really hard. I haven't done that in many years now but I have to admit that when it gets really bad for me I still have that urge. I fight it ad I win.
Luckily, my life is so much better now that self-harm is hardly an issue for me. I did come here to talk about it so you know you are not alone in this and that if I was caoable of getting better and stop self-harm you can get better and stop having those urges.
Members,
If you are feeling like you may do harm to yourself, we urge you to speak with a health care professional immediately.
Stress balls and exercise is a great way to release tensions of all sorts.
Members, do you have any other suggestions or mechanisms that help you release your feelings?
Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator
I'm not one for self-harm, but then the avoidance behavior I sometimes show isn't exactly self help, so in that sense I guess I do practice self harm from time to time. The more I explore my whole mindset though, the more I realize I need some time to myself. Some time to decompress from the day. Of course this works different from physical harm, but maybe it's a way of saying you need time to decompress...
I'm not one for self harm BUT I do understand the release it gives you... Pain and pleasure run a fine line...similiar to love and hate...
It's a coping mechanism but unfortunately not a positive one... you need to channel that energy in a different light... running...or kickboxing maybe?!....
You're not alone though... and I think the stress balls are great. I used them during labour... lol.. talk about self harm.. what was I thinking... LOL..
