Thought I would post some stuff I know on self-harm. Some of the information I got from a LiveWire that was helpful to me and some is from my own experience.

When you injure yourself, on purpose or by accident, your body releases endorphins which make you feel good. That's why people cut, burn, hit themselves, etc. It can also make self-harming addictive.



People who self-harm are sometimes trying to avoid painful feelings. It may help you to try to work out what feelings you experience that cause you distress. You could do this by writing your feelings down in a journal/diary or anywhere else.



Here are some things you could do when you feel like self-harming:

Leave the house

Put on loud music

Ring a friend and talk about something else

Draw

Write a story or some poetry



When you feel like cutting or hurting yourself you could:

Snap a rubber band on your wrist

Paint yourself with red paint

Draw on yourself with a red tipped pen or lipstick

Draw on the areas you want to cut with ice you have made by putting a few drops of red food colour into the tray

Break sticks

Hit a punching bag or pillow

Take a very cold bath

Flatten some cans

Hold ice in your hand until it hurts

Rip up an old newspaper or magazine

Go for a walk, run or to the gym



When you feel depressed or sad you could:

Get a funny video

Curl up on the couch with a hot chocolate and a book

Take a relaxing bath

Talk to a friend

Light some incense or candles



When you feel like you are out of your body you could:

Slowly drink a very cold glass of water

Bite on something strongly flacoured like chilli or lemon

Splash your face with very cold water

Take a cold shower

Stomp your feet on the ground

Squeeze ice until it hurts

Rub some eucalyptus oil under your nose



Here are some more ideas you could try:

Massage your feet

Read

Play chess

Count to 10

Yoga or meditation

Listen to relaxing music

Lift weights

Ask the hairdresser or a friend to massage your scalp

Do a jigsaw puzzle

Do a crossword puzzle

Watch a video or DVD





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When you feel like self-harming go to a place where you feel safe. The safer you feel, the less likely you are to harm youself.



Possible Safe Places:

Your home

The movies

At the shops

The park

In your car

In a cafe

At a friends home

Community centre

Anywhere else you can think of



Think of anybody who you feel safe to be with. Maybe you could talk to this person or even stay with them for a while. Have a list of safe people you could contact readily available, for when you may need them.



Possible Safe People:

A parent

A boyfriend

A girlfriend

A brother

A sister

A friend

A neighbour

A priest, pastor, nun or spiritual teacher

A self-help group/ support group

A helpline

A teacher

A school councillor

Someone at work

A pet

Someone else you can think of



You have now identified where you feel safe and who you feel safe with. Next time you consider harming youself, consider spending time in your safe place and being with someone you feel safe with.





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Care After Self-Harm



If self-harm has become a part of your life and you're not ready to stop, it is important that you:

Keep yourself safe

Take control of your self-harm and don't let it control you

Use basic first aid and look after yourself

If you are cutting yourself, use something clean and sterile

Never share cutting tools with anyone else