When does the urge let up?

tips on how to cope: dealing with your feelings, dealing with the consequences of self-harm in your life. share your ideas and maybe pick up some new skills, too. you don't have to want to stop to learn something new here.

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holli
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When does the urge let up?

Post by holli » Sun Sep 11, 2005 1:07 pm

I am going into day 4 of being SI free. I have been SIing since I was 5 or so (I am now in my early thirties), So SIing is just a "normal" part of my life. I have "quite" before, but fall back pretty easy. I notice that for the first couple days it's pretty easy to not SI, but around day 3 and on it seems to get tougher. What is your experience of when the urge is not so intense?
Do you every feel like you have a handle on it?

thanks~
holly

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Post by Oblivion » Sun Sep 11, 2005 1:13 pm

Ive never gone any longer than a week so im afraid i dont know.
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mallie
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Post by mallie » Sun Sep 11, 2005 3:59 pm

I always found it easier to not SI when I was feeling okay with how things were, and wasn't under too much stress or pressure.

Generally I think it gets easier with time. The longer you go without it, the easier it is to go without. Thats not to say there won't be some days that are really hard, but with time you can see that it isn't something you need, and that there are other ways to cope with things.

Have you tried looking at the questions on listening to urges? They could help you work out what is going on, and maybe a better way to manage the urges when they come up.

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morganna
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Post by morganna » Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:36 pm

the longest i have stopped for is a year and even then i still got urges. at first it was all the time and then it was only when i became really upset. i never stopped thinking about it, it just becomes easier to deal with and fight after a while. making a list of the reasons you want to stop is a great idea, you can look at it when you feel triggered and remind yourself why you are stopping

good luck :)

holli
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Post by holli » Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:41 pm

Thanks for your replies; they help. Tomorrow at 3:30PM will be one week. I am having a hard time today, so I hope I make it. I have copied the sticky on urges and put it in my SI journal.
here's to one week...I hope...
holly

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morganna
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Post by morganna » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:34 pm

i hope you make it :1hurray:

GirlInterrupted
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Post by GirlInterrupted » Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:20 pm

Hope you make it... :)

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Post by silvertears » Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:10 am

I am right with ya.. I have made it about a month though. uhh its been soo hard and I still have lots of moments when akll I can think about is SIing. the only thing that is getting me through, other than prayers is my sponcer.. ya see its different than a T b/c i can call her anytime. I ahve to keep my mind focused all the time. and when I think crazy I call her and she usualy brings me back. we'll se how it works when something Big happens. hang in there! I will be praying for you!

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Tamrick
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Post by Tamrick » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:46 pm

Each little bit of time you make is a success.

As far as urges stopping go, I'm not sure they ever entirely stop, but it does get much easier with time. The reason I say they don't stop is that the urges are usually feelings...

Most people cut when they are very angry or upset or frustrated or feeling guilty. Those are normal emotions - they don't go away. Just your ability to handle them in other ways changes and with more practice you get better at it. Try to figure out what emotions cause you to SI and then how you might cope better with tha feeling.

Good luck and well done on the time you have already gone.

Tamrick
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― Todd Stocker

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collide
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Post by collide » Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:32 pm

yeah i agree with a lot that's been said...urges come and go for me but mostly they come when i am under a lot of stress, when things are changing in my life (even positive change), unexpected things, when my therapist takes her vacation...

si has always been an addiction for me...i've tried to beat it by doing other things like art, playing on my guitar or calling a friend or the crisis line....sometimes i am too depressed to do these things i know have helped...but when i do, i see that i can go on without si for awhile, weeks, months?....but the sad part is i a lot of times substitute other bad things for si, like starving myself or walking in the middle of the street...like recently my si came back because i haven't been walking in the middle of streets since i can drive again...now i si more which is sad....

collide

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