STOPPING SI BY MYSELF

[morbidkitten]

I joined this board to get help basically and suggestions on how to stop SI..i cant say for sure if im "ready" to stop but i want to..the only person who knows about it is my boyfriend hes very supportive and a big help hes always there to talk to and it tears him up that i hurt myself like that..i know people say that therapy helps i also think i have depression and i know medication can help that..my problem is im 19 im old enough to make my own decisions on whether i get professional help and quite frankly whether i wanted to or not i cant afford it..plus i went ot a therapist when i was younger and i hated it..i dont want ot tell my parents about any of this because im scared they will get angry and tell me to snap out of it and wont understand..so basically i want to be able to stop by myself if there is any way...can anyone give me any advice? thanks!

[scarlit_sky]

I don't really have any advice.... just wanted to let you know that I read. Quitting is a really hard thing to do, and I wish you good luck.

(((good luck wishes)))

And also, as a welcome to the site.....
here's a welcome cow.....


Emma

[sweetyesterdays]

i also wish you the best of luck
im trying to stop on my own too...and i know how hard it must be for you
if you ever need someone to talk to- im here!!

[missworld1027]

I wanted to say welcome, first off (I'm new too), and second off to say that I think quiting on your own is possible. I haven't cut for a year and a half now, and I've never seen a therapist or been on medication.

Advice wise, you have to subsitiute si with something else. It's helpful to try to figure out what you're feeling when you want to si, and what leads you to that mindset. Then you can start to look for ways to avoid it. We all have our own coping methods that work best for us, but a lot of people are helped by art. Writing/drawing/painting/etc is an excellent way to get your feelings out. They can also be a way to explore why you si, what acts as a trigger for you, etc. Many people are also helped by exercise--it can be a good way to relieve stress and tension and make you less likely to si.

For a long time after I quit si I didn't try to subsitute anything for the urges, I'd just deal with them until they calmed down a little, sort of white knuckling it through the pain. Now I'll get up and do something else to take my mind off of it--I'll try deep breathing, or exercising, or writing in my journal, or reading, or putting in a movie; and that's what I recommend. It's really important to replace the si with something else that will help you work out your feelings.

It's great that you have your boyfriend to talk to, getting your feelings out to someone else is a huge help. Good luck!

[Bo]

for me therapy and meds and a basic desire to stop helped me.
the very best of luck to you.
take care
luv
Bo
xox

[Tamrick]

I definitely think stopping SI can be done on your own. There are a lot of options you have to choose besides SI.

I went to therapy and it helped a lot cause I got to focus on the underlying issues that might have been causing SI. I don't think therapy ever makes you stop SI - it just can help you feel better about yourself and deal with things you have been avoiding.

Medication can help too esp with depression but it is expensive.
In the end though stopping SI is ALWAYS done on your own - you have to make the choice and keep making it that you won't SI. Good luck.

[morbidkitten]

Hey thanks for all the advice i havent cut in about a week and im doing well ive had some urges but gotten past it..ive started exercizing more often and playing guitar to get my mind off things hopefully ill keep this up..thanks again guys

[jaded melody]

*claps* Well done to morbidkitten!!!
A week thats really impressive! go you.

congratulations!

Melody xxx