Past coping (SI)

[Emma Wallace]

The last few days have been hard. The urge to cut has been building up, but I haven't and sometimes that's enough, but I have a huge pile of work that I need to get done and I can't seem to get past the coping stage and get it done. I can keep myself from acting on it, but I still keep thinking about it for hours, even days. It takes a lot of effort just to avoid self-injuring, and then I don't have much energy left to do anything else. My project for today is an essay. But I can't write, at least not essays, when I'm in the mood where I want to cut. I just can't seem to move past coping. Suggestions, please.
-E

[Green Beauty]

What level of education are you at? Highschool, college, uni? Could you not ask for extra help from your teachers/lecturers? Maybe if they are there, it may help you to get down and concentrate, and at the same time you can gain advice if you ever get stuck. If you can't do this try not to work at home, as it is always easy to get distracted. Go to a local library, or a freinds house who is doing the same work.

Sorry things are tough at the moment.

[Green Beauty]

Also one other thing, what is behind your urge to cut? It is great that you are able to hold back from doing so, but until the issues behind your SI are tackled the urges will stay.

[Emma Wallace]

Well, anxiety/depression is driving the self-injury and nothing is driving my anxiety/depression. I've tried to find out for years what there might be. but there really isn't anything. My therapist is also stumped.

I'm in my last year of university, and if everything works out I actually will graduate at the end of the term. Extra help from my profs doesn't do much when I simply can't write. That's been the case for the last few days. I tried that, talked to my profs about the essays that I was stuck on. I managed to discribe to them, but still couldn't get anything out on paper. I worked myself up to a whole paragraph today around lunch, and tonight sometime in the wee hours I have to hammer out 2000 words. It will be along night.
-E

[Green Beauty]

Could you get a scribe to write the work up for you?

[Emma Wallace]

There's a scarcity of scribes in my area. It's very unfortunate.
-E

[Green Beauty]

Ah ok, well there are plenty of things you can do to try and make things slightly easier/more comfortable.

Work in natural light
Have something to eat and drink before work
Do no longer than 30 minutes solid work at a time
Set small targets to reach, dont try to complete a whole assignment in one
Get some decent sleep before working

Simple things like that....