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what should I do to stop cutting myself?
I just started cutting myself... I wanna stop but nothing helps me feel better. what should I do?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
Hi there! This one is so difficult to answer. Listen a minute and try to understand? OK, it doesn't really solve anything. And it will very likely leave some nasty scars. But when you do it, it provides a sort of relief from your anxieties and fears? Kind of liberating? Comforting? It's what psychologists, or counsellors (however you want to describe them) call a 'coping mechanism'. That's not complicated or difficult to understand, it just means it's something you do to 'help you cope with' (or handle, or deal with) your stresses and worries. We all have theses worries. You, me and everyone. And we all need to find a way to cope with them. Do you know the best way to do that? It's by clearly identifying just what they are. Then being very strong and facing up to them, head-on. Once we do that we eventually get to the end of that long, hard road. We accept them. And they cannot hurt us again. How about starting being strong today? When you feel like you want to cut yourself, tell yourself "No. I know what this is all about. I'm not a victim, I'm not giving in to you today". Try to find someone close. Someone you trust and love. And start opening-up. Telling them your fears, how you cut yourself, how it makes you feel. Try to get it all out. You won't do it all at once, it will be a day-by-day thing. Defy the urge to cut yourself. You might fail sometimes and do it. Say "OK, you win this time...but I'm stronger than you. And getting stronger. And I will beat you". Be very brave and strong. You will get there. Best wishes...and don't give up.
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I'm gonna give you the same exact advice I gave to a few other people here before you. I know what it's like to feel like you have nothing left. I've been there and I've cut before. And ouch that hurts, but at least you have something to feel other than numb right??? Wrong :)There's plenty of other things you can do that are constructive towards your health rather than degrading.
Quick short story.....The first time I cut was two years ago. At the time I didn't know why I was doing it, but when I looked hard enough I knew. Cutting myself made me get even more down, angry and depressed. I decided I didn't want to live like that anymore and figured everyone would be better without me. So, after I was done cutting I took some pills to permanently end myself. And my little sister out of all people saved me. When I woke up I was in my bed. She was there. I felt terrible for the examlpes I was letting her grow up with. It made me feel selfish and somehow even more misunderstood. But, she's much stronger than me. She took out my stash of books I'd been writing and working on for years. She took out my drawings and my books. She opened one of the books to an unfinished page, handed me a pen and said, "Write." From that day on, everytime I feel intensely depressed or down and sorrowful I pick up my paper and pen and write a story, true or fale, about anything anywhere. I've slipped up a few times and went back to relying on cutting but when I did I remembered that I have something to live for and something to offer the world through my words on paper.
I don't know what hobbies you have that you love to do, but I'm sure there's something. Think only about things that make you truely happy and use those as a substitute for cutting. For me that was writing and drawing. If I'm sad I'll listen to music too. One thing about that though...don't listen to songs with lyrics involving unpleasant things while you're upset. It does nothing to help you out it only makes your mood worse...but then again everyone's different.
Please try something more constructive though. And if you really can't find anything better to help with your problems then I'd suggest talking to someone you trust with your heart. Or if there really is no one you can trust maybe talk to a councilor. But, if you can....find somewhere that makes you feel safe ( bedroom with a lock, the park, the zoo, your car, the bathroom, ANYWHERE that makes you feel welcome and comforted...) and do what you love to do other than cutting. Read a book, create cartoons, learn to play a new instrument, sing, make lyrics to songs*constructive lyrics no depressing stuff*, cook, make mini models of larger objects, take apart machines and rebuild them into something new, make your own website, start a blog, take photos and videos of things you love, scrapbooking, collecting rocks or different varieties of plants, style and cut hair(not wrists) paint and design nails, draw new clothes designs for fashion models on a runway, build bird houses, re-arrange your room, volunteer at the animal shelter, volunteer at the zoo or childrens care area. I hope my story and some of these ideas helped you out at least a little bit :) you may right me back with any other questions you have if you want *stay hopeful. There's always something you can do to stay hopeful.
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There are so many people who have gone through this as well. You need to talk to someone about this, a counselor or therapist.
You can try to do many things to distract yourself but you need to get down to the root of the problem. You could stop now, but you'll go back to it later so you need to fix this all now.
So you need to stop before it gets worse and that means seeking help for it.
They'll help you deal with your problems better. Because cutting yourself doesn't get rid of your problems. And they'll also help you find ways to relieve your stress and do something else instead of cutting.
I'll give you some things that can get your mind off it for awhile.
-Exercise. You can dance, run, ride bikes, ect. It helps with stress.
-Listen to good music. Don't listen to sad songs.
-Write all your feelings down, then put it away or rip it up.
-Get yourself comfortable and do something you normally enjoy doing.
-Tell yourself you'll self-harm in 15 minutes, then keep doing that until the urge passes. Remember that it's a temporary feeling.
-Start a new hobby.
-Call up a friend.
-Watch TV or a movie.
-Plan to do something during the times you normally are having a hard time.
-Give yourself a manicure, take a bubble bath, face mask, ect. Make yourself feel gorgeous.
-If you believe in God, pray.
-Avoid temptation, get away from things that you use to hurt yourself.
Make sure you talk to someone. This kind of thing can end your life even if that wasn't your intention. Remind yourself that cutting is impulsive, you'll only feel that for short periods of time. You don't have to hurt yourself just because you're thinking about it. And think about what you would do if a friend was doing that to themselves, be a friend to yourself.
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I used to do this, as well. I eventually stopped because I was tired of hiding the scars. And I realized the scars wouldn't be an issue if I didn't cut. Everyone still has inner anger, though, and here are a few things I tried to help myself feel better without mutilating my body:
Take a knife and stab the shit out of a pillow.
Play Grand Theft Auto
Take an ice cube and hold it in your hand, even when it burns.
Scratching doesn't leave any scarring, but its still hands on and still doesn't completely help.
Punch a pillow
Eat chocolate.
Get a kitten.
Sing as loud as possible
Punch a wall
Watch a happy movie
Get a journal. (cliche but it helps like you wouldn't even believe)
Speak to someone. (like a counselor)
I realize not everyone is the same and these things may not help you like they did me, but I hope I helped you. Take care.
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Hi! I recently stopped cutting myself. It is very hard to stop, and I think it would help if you talked to a therapist. You might have to look around to find one that is right for you.
I'm going to give you a few tips on things you can do instead. You said nothing helps you feel better though, but I'll do my best to help you find an alternative that will work.
First of all, you should try to figure out what situations make you want to cut. Then find something to do instead of following that urge. Here's something else to think about: do you cut to release anger, to express intense emotions, to calm down, or because you feel numb? Knowing this will help you find the right alternatives.
Here are a few things you can do instead of cutting. Some may work and some may not.
- Take a shower -- you can make it super cold or super hot, or just keep it at an average temperature if you just want it to be relaxing.
- Go running. Exercise is a great stress reliever, and the pain in your legs can distract you from the urge to cut.
- Try meditation, breathing exercises, or relaxing yoga poses. It helps calm you down and relieve stress.
- Write in a journal or write poetry to express how you feel, if you're someone who is creative or enjoys writing.
- Call a friend. They can make you feel better or help you get your mind off of things by talking about something completely different.
- Do a hobby or another activity that is enjoyable and will help distract you. Try a puzzle that will challenge you and distract you from the pain you feel.
- Snap a rubber band on your wrist. The pain gives a sense of relief, and it leaves marks that look like scars, but they go away overnight.
- Drip some dark red paint on your wrist -- this helps if the sight of blood is important to you.
- Write out your anger on a piece of paper and rip it up.
- Holding an ice cube or rubbing it on your skin is helpful. You can dye it red if that helps.
- Try the butterfly project. Draw a butterfly on the place where you want to cut. Name it after someone you love, and let it fade naturally. If you cut before the butterfly fades away, it dies. But if you don't, you set it free.
I hope some of these helped you. Remember, you can be creative and come up with other ones.
Do your friends and family members know about this? Find someone you can trust -- whether it's a family member or school counselor or somebody -- and tell them that you self-harm. It takes courage to do this, but you will be able to. I've done it before -- it was hard, but I was relieved when I told someone I trusted. You can always talk to that person when you want to cut, and they can help you avoid self-harming.
Remember, even though it might seem hard to stop now, it is possible. Self-injury isn't an uncommon thing -- several people do it or have done it. But they have gotten through it and found a way to stop, and so can you. I believe in you.
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I used to cut myself, too. When I was in high school. I think the first step to quitting, is figuring out why you're doing it. I did it because I had a really rough home life and because I had a lot of issues with myself. It reminded me that things were real, that I had control over me. I also liked the pain. The physical pain felt better than the mental lashings I took so constantly from others and from myself.
I also wanted attention from it. From anyone that would care about it, anyone would have done. The important thing to remember is that you're going to grow up, things will get better, and you're going to regret all of those ugly scars. I do. It's also embarrassing when someone asks how I got a particular scar (I used to cut all over) and I have to admit that I was once so weak and mentally unstable that I took razor blades and knives to myself and carved up my own flesh.
You also have to realize that while nothing else is helping you to feel better right now, that cutting isn't really helping either and it has long lasting effects that you don't want.
When I stopped cutting, I'd started getting really into art. I wasn't very good at first, but I got better. It allowed me to express myself way better than I could by cutting. It also got me the attention I craved, in exactly the ways I wanted it to, since my art could be anything I wanted and express whatever I wanted it to.
The day I realized I hadn't cut in a long time, I was surrounded by friends, people who had come to accept me for who I was, flaws and all, and loved me and loved being around me, even when I was being an emotional pain in the ass.
So, stop it. Find a hobby, art is a great way to direct those feelings you're having. Find some friends, or new ones, and make it a point to get together with them often. And, remember that things will get better. God has turned my life around in ways you wouldn't believe.
Prayer is so important. You might not believe it, and I'm not trying to force you to if you don't. But I'm telling you, reach out to Him. Just ask Him if He's there for you, pray to Him to help you find a happiness and to quit mutilating yourself, to help you find your way. You'll be pleasantly amazed at how He answers your calling. He's there, He's just waiting for you to realize it.
I'm not telling you that you're going to pray for a perfect life without any troubles and that He's going to give it to you, so don't get me wrong. You have to have hardships and pains to become a person who can relate to others and to have wisdom and compassion. You just don't have to go through all of that alone, you know?
God will bless you, if you ask Him to!
Good luck!
xoxo
MissAshlee
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wow, cutting yourself isn't good at all. Whenever you feel bad, call a friend or someone else. Maybe listen to some good music. I'm definetly here to talk if you need me. My sn is baseballbri1818 if you need my e-mail address just ask. I dont want anything bad happening to you.
♥
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