Writing a work of fiction?

[Xanne]

I'm struggling with the urge to SI today and had an idea. I've written a lot and journalled for years. What about instead of actually SIíng I just write about a character that does what I want to do? Has anyone tried that? Did it help?

[chibihera]

I have done this and it has helped drastically but there is a catch... if you get triggered by reading about Si then this could trigger you to do it anyway.

[Xanne]

chibihera,

Thanks for the input. I hadn't considered that aspect. I guess lucky for me, reading about SI doesn't trigger me. What's strange is that while I was thinking about SI, writing about it seemed like the perfect solution. While I was writing about it I found that I didn't want to write about it at all. Made me not want to even think about it. However, it did make me want to curl up in bed. So guess what? That's exactly what I did! Cutting avoided for another day!!!!

[chibihera]

Congrats! I'm glad you went another day SI Free!

[Annybelly]

considered it-- but never tried it, i might give it a go...
someone did about ED in a book called monkey taming.. its ED trigg tho..

[satori]

writing about characters that SI has actually helped me a lot over the years. I get to fantasize about it without actually doing the act, and a lot of times I manage to get out feelings I didn't even realize I had. it's generally a pretty safe method for me too, once I start writing a story about a character doing SI, I usually get caught up in it enough that my own urge to SI goes away without me even realizing it for awhile. the biggest challenge is getting enough focus to actually sit down and write in the first place, but if I can do that I'm usually set.

I'd definitely recommend giving this a try for anyone that likes to write

[Annybelly]

thats an idea..
a way to si without siing :p

will have that in my list of things to try :]

[capricorn]

It helps me a lot, writing fiction does. A lot of my characters are pretty messed up people!
Basically I use writing as catharsis, and I express all my destructive urges, and problems such as my anxiety and being confused with my sexuality, all of that I channel through my characters. Writing it down gets it out of my system and out of my head, safely.

I'm glad it helped you Xanne.

[half/hearted]

I do the same thing, only with my ED. My characters go through what I want to do to myself, and all the fallout and "side effects", and I realize that I don't really want to do it. I don't know whether my characters' actual acts help me feel better, or reading about the fallout makes me feel better, but something in it just works for me.

[secret_writer]

I do this all the time. My characters have probably saved my life a few times. Anything I want to do to myself, I do to my characters or have them do it to themselves.

I have one character who exhibits eating behaviors related to E.D.N.O.S. Another who self-harms. Another who is abused by her father. Another who is a drinker. Another who is an internet addict. I could go on. It helps very much with my SI urges, because I'm not triggered by reading.

Another thing that helps is writing poetry about SI. This is more triggering the fiction, but I have written many a poem in which the poet self-injures, and I don't.