slips are chances to learn. you figure out what stresses are still too hard for you and you can work on how you'll deal with them next time you run into them. so instead of beating yourself up, take action.
- have you taken care of your physical wounds? if not, go do that now. we'll wait.
yes. - what had happened just before?
i had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for bed. - what were you thinking and feeling?
i knew it was the time i usually cut, so i thought of all the different things i could do instead. but i needed one last cut, like a goodbye. i was feeling anxious. - why did you end up hurting yourself then instead of some other time? was there an event that was the final straw? what was it?
it was routine. the final straw was seeing my blade sitting there. - how did the situation get to the final straw stage? trace it back through the events that led up to the last event. look for some point at which you could have made a different decision and not arrived at the final straw.
instead of looking at my blade, i could have picked up my bible which was in plain sight and starting reading, or gone back into the bathroom and stayed there until i felt more confident in my ability to stay safe. - were there outside factors like drugs, alsohol, being off your meds, lack of sleep, etc? can you address those in the future? how?
exhaustion. it's bed time. - what other ways of coping did you try besides self-harm? how well did they work?
i didn't try any, but i thought of a lot i could do. - in retrospect, are there coping methods that you now realize might have helped? what were they?
reading my bible, going back to where i was until i felt safe - name at least two things you will do to help yourself remember those coping methods if you end up in this situation again.
i don't think i can get rid of my blade just yet, but i can put it in an envelope and write coping mechanisms on the envelope.
i don't know what else. - how do you feel about the situation that led to self-harm now? is it resolved? if not, what are some steps you might take toward resolution?
it's resolved, unfortunately. - are you likely to be in that emotional place again? how will you recognize it when you're in that situation?
yes, i am tomorrow nite. it'll be the same time in my routine as usual. - what will you try before you resort to self-harm if you're in that situation again? list three specific things you will commit to trying.
i don't know, i can't decide if i want to write them down because then i'm committed to trying something else. it's a big step. for now i think i'll just stick to the envelope idea.
