On March 1st, which is sometimes observed as Self-Injury Awareness Day, it's important to raise awareness about self-harm and provide tips and strategies to help individuals avoid or cope with the urge to self-injure. Offering supportive advice is key in encouraging healthier coping mechanisms.
"Self-harm includes anything you do to intentionally injure yourself. Some of the more common ways include:
- Cutting or severely scratching your skin
- Burning or scalding yourself
- Hitting yourself or banging your head
- Punching things or throwing your body against walls and hard objects
- Sticking objects into your skin
- Intentionally preventing wounds from healing
- Swallowing poisonous substances or inappropriate objects
Self-harm can also include less obvious ways of hurting yourself or putting yourself in danger, such as driving recklessly, binge drinking, taking too many drugs, or having unsafe sex."
Information: https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/suicide-self-harm/cutting-and-self-harm
1. Find Healthy Alternatives to Self-Harm
Engage in Physical Activities: Exercise, go for a walk, or try yoga. Physical activity can release endorphins, which improve mood and reduce stress.
Use a Rubber Band: Gently snap a rubber band on your wrist when the urge to self-harm arises. This can redirect the impulse and provide a brief distraction.
Draw on Your Skin: Use a marker or pen to draw on the areas where you feel the urge to self-harm. This can be a way of expressing emotions without causing damage to your body.
Hold Ice Cubes: Hold an ice cube in your hand or place it on your skin for a few moments. It can provide a similar sensation without causing harm.
2. Practice Mindfulness or Meditation
Mindfulness exercises help you stay grounded in the present moment and can reduce overwhelming feelings. Guided meditation, deep breathing, or simple breathing exercises can help lower stress and manage emotional pain.
3. Reach Out for Support
Talk to a Friend or Loved One: Share how you're feeling with someone you trust. Sometimes, just having someone listen can be incredibly healing.
Seek Professional Help: A therapist or counsellor trained in techniques like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you work through the emotions driving the urge to self-harm.
Hotlines and Support Groups: Call a helpline or join an online support group where you can talk to others who understand your struggles.
(see Links below).
4. Identify Triggers
Keep a journal to track moments when the urge to self-harm arises. Identifying specific triggers (stress, emotional pain, certain situations) can help you anticipate and manage these feelings.
Create a Safety Plan: Have a plan for when you feel the urge to self-harm, including steps like contacting a friend, practicing relaxation techniques, or doing an activity that distracts you.
5. Engage in Creative Expression
Try drawing, painting, writing, or playing music. Creative outlets can help release pent-up emotions and reduce the urge to self-harm.
6. Take Care of Your Body
Engage in self-care practices like taking a warm bath, getting enough sleep, or eating nourishing foods. When your body feels taken care of, your emotional state often improves.
7. Use Grounding Techniques
When experiencing overwhelming emotions, grounding techniques can help refocus your mind. Try focusing on your five senses (what you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste) or counting backward from 100.
8. Remember the Future Consequences
When you feel the urge to self-harm, remind yourself of the long-term effects it can have on your body and mind. Focus on how you will feel afterward and consider the possibility of scars, infections, or emotional regret.
9. Celebrate Small Wins
Every time you resist the urge to self-harm, celebrate it. Recognize and reward yourself for taking positive steps toward healing, no matter how small they may seem.
10. Remind Yourself That it's Okay to Feel Certain Emotions
Emotions like sadness, anger, and frustration are a natural part of being human. It’s okay to feel these emotions and not have to suppress them. Therapy can help you express and process these feelings in healthier ways.
It's essential for those struggling with self-injury to understand that healing is a process and that seeking help is a sign of strength. Offering compassion, patience, and support is crucial. Self-injury often stems from deep emotional pain, and learning to cope with that pain in healthier ways can take time, but it's possible with the right strategies and support.
Links
https://www.papyrus-uk.org/self-harm/
Self Injury Support - helpline (0808 800 8088) and text service (07537 432 444) 7pm – 10pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
HOPELINE247 - Call: 0800 068 4141 Text: 88247 Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Calm Harm - www.calmharm.co.uk
Young Minds - www.youngminds.org.uk
Life Signs - www.lifesigns.org.uk
The Mix - www.themix.org.uk
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/self-harm/getting-help/
Australia - https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/self-harm
USA - https://www.mhanational.org/conditions/self-injury-cutting-self-harm-or-self-mutilation
New Zealand - https://mentalhealth.org.nz/conditions/condition/self-harm
Canada - https://health-infobase.canada.ca/mental-health/suicide-self-harm/
South Africa - https://www.sadag.org/
If anyone you know or yourself are at risk please call the emergency services immediately.
In the UK that is 999 or in the USA - 911.
Posted by Angela
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