self-harm recovery

"

I don’t feel good.

Depressed for some reason.

Not sad.

Not irritated.

Just so tired.

So uninterested.

So detached.

I was fine this morning.

Better at least.

Now my head hurts and

I don’t know why.

Now tears are filling my eyes.

Breathe them back in,

Don’t let them fall.

Breathe them back in,

Let them flood your heart.

Let them drown your chest

And make it hard to breathe.

I long for the day it all slips out.

It feels so good to cry, to weep.

But it’s been so long.

Trying to write myself a fucking poem.

Just stop.

Speak.

I have nothing to say.

I never do when I feel like this.

Otherwise I can talk.

I like the person I am when I’m feeling fine.

But that’s only sometimes and it’s unpredictable.

How can I believe in myself?

How can I trust myself?

When I want nothing more than to not be awake?

I tell myself that I must persist, but why?

For those I love.

For those who love me.

My family.

My little brother.

But what about those without family?

How are there people who feel like me and don’t go through with it?

What are their reasons?

Who am I to be a leader when I myself want to burn?

You’re not you right now, Chris.

You’re consumed.

Let these thoughts pass.

Maybe in the morning you will be better.

Breathe.

Sleep.

"

#Depression #MajorDepressiveDisorder #Selfharm #SelfharmRecovery #Journaling #Hope

Today Has Possibilities #MightyTogether #worth

#Selfharm #SelfharmRecovery

Self-harm usually starts as a way to relieve the build-up of pressure from distressing thoughts and feelings. Although this might give a child or young person temporary relief from the emotional pain they are feeling, the underlying reasons still remain. Soon after, feelings of guilt and shame might follow, which can continue the cycle.

Because of the feeling of temporary relief, self-harm can become someone’s typical way of dealing with life’s difficulties. It is important that children who self-harm get the right support and help as early as possible. Learning new coping strategies to deal with these difficulties can make it easier to break the cycle of self-harm in the long term.

Any behavior that causes harm to oneself as a way to deal with difficult emotions can be seen as self-harm. It most frequently takes the form of cutting, burning, non-suicidal self-injury or other high-risk behaviors.

It’s important to know that most people who self-harm don’t want to end their lives.

Talking to a healthcare professional can help people who self-harm find other options for coping with the emotional pain.

You can refer to this:

resiliens.com/resilify/program/coping-with-self-harming-beha...

#Selfharm #SelfharmRecovery

There are four main skills used in DBT: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation. All four are essential tools for overcoming self-injury and developing more constructive coping skills.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice centered on developing awareness and acceptance of the present moment. It’s about learning to remove focus from the past or the future and direct all attention to what’s directly in front of you. Using mindfulness allows you to notice your thoughts and feelings as they arise then accept them without judgment. Detaching judgment from thoughts, feelings, and experiences is a key component of mindfulness.

Self-injury is an impulsive, reactional behavior based on extreme emotions. Mindfulness works by placing a pause between feeling the extreme emotion and acting on the impulsive behavior. With practice, this pause allows time for you to consider implementing another coping mechanism instead.

Distress Tolerance

Life is full of unpredictable ups and downs. You never know what you are going to face in a day and self-harm becomes a way to cope with the unpredictability over time. Distress tolerance teaches you to tolerate this uncertainty and the painful feelings that result. You learn how to manage your heightened emotions without resorting to harmful coping mechanisms.

The practice of mindfulness feeds into distress tolerance. Being aware of and accepting the present moment isn’t an easy thing to do but it’s a part of tolerating and working through discomfort. Distress tolerance is another way to place a pause between your initial thought or feeling and the coping mechanism you turn to.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Self-harm often rises from difficulties with communication. You turn to self-injury instead of reaching out to someone to talk about what you’re going through. Interpersonal effectiveness focuses on building your interpersonal communication skills so you can express your needs instead of burying them.

In addition to teaching you how to ask for what you need, interpersonal effectiveness teaches you how to say no. You learn to establish and maintain boundaries which leads to a sense of self-respect and healthier relationships with those around you.

Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the most difficult skill to master but it’s also the most important one. Self-injury occurs during moments of extreme emotional highs or lows. If you want to overcome your struggles with self-harm, you must learn to keep your emotions on an even keel.

Emotional regulation helps you understand that emotions are not permanent and that feelings are fleeting. You can develop control over your emotions and eliminate your impulse to react whenever they arise.

You can refer to this:

resiliens.com/resilify/program/coping-with-self-harming-beha...

#Selfharm #SelfharmRecovery

Much of the work we do with clients in DBT is rooted in mindfulness. As DBT therapists, we find the power of mindfulness to be incredibly grounding and effective in curbing unhealthy behaviors. Here are a few mindfulness skills for when you or someone you love is experiencing the urge to self-harm.

Breathe

In mindfulness practices, breathing and the breath itself are important components. When you feel the urge to self-harm come up, take a breath. More specifically, take a long exhale first. This should last for a count of eight. Then, after all the air has been pushed out, inhale for a count of four. Try to do this for at least ten minutes before engaging in self-harming behaviors.

Urge Surf

When you feel the urge to self-harm, in whatever way that looks like for you, challenge yourself to put off the urge for a certain amount of time, then revisit it until the urge dissipates. For example, you feel the urge coming up, then set a 5-minute timer. Sit with the urge for five minutes. If it has not subsided by the end of your timer, set the timer for another five minutes. Keep sitting with the urge and resetting your timer until the urge has subsided.

Observe

When you feel the urge to self-harm arise, observe it. Sit with it and think about the emotions and body sensations that are happening internally. This can help you stay more present with the challenging emotions and sensations, instead of jumping to a solution that may be unhealthy. Sit with the feelings. Yes, it will be emotionally difficult. But challenge yourself to sit in the moment and let the feelings and sensations run their course.

Ride the Wave

This skill can be done during urge surfing and observing. While you are taking note of the emotions and sensations in your body, think about this: the urge to self-harm will peak and come down. Think of this as a wave. While you are observing what’s going on in your brain and body, the urge may intensify, then decrease, then go through multiple cycles. By sitting with the urge while it cycles, you are learning distress tolerance. This will help you become more resilient to the urge to self-harm both in the present moment and in future incidences.

Do Something Else

My last tip is to just do something with your hands. Preoccupy yourself with a task. Perhaps you choose to color, paint, draw, cook, knit, brush your hair, or paint your nails. The idea is to do anything to keep your hands busy while you are riding the wave and waiting for the urge to pass.

You can refer to this:

resiliens.com/resilify/program/coping-with-self-harming-beha...

Finally got one of the biggest items on my wishlist scratched off ive been wanting to do this for years, but being over 40 and with the arrival of 2 beautiful grandchildren over the last 6 years, it became more important to me to get these years of self harm scars on my arms covered up with something beautiful this is the best $300 I've ever spent I wish I would have done it a long time ago The feeling of not being so insecure and embarrassed is priceless this is amazing I'm so happy #Selfharm #MentalHealth #SelfharmRecovery #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Anxiety #SemicolonTattoo

Got one half of my whole self back with an official start to covering up my scars....I feel so much better already! I can't wait to do more