Before

tools to help you assess your urges before you give in to them, and to help you understand and learn from slips after they happen. by posting here, you're saying that you are serious about exploring the feelings behind your self-harm in depth, whether you're ready to stop hurting yourself or not. to request posting access, click usergroups above and join before and after.

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Stripe
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Before

Post by Stripe » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:57 pm

Before You Self-Harm
write down the shadow that's hiding behind the urge. look at it. ask yourself:
I saw the Doctor. She thinks I may have damaged a nerve. Wants to refer me to specialists. I don't care now. I don't know why I reacted this way. My head is funny and I feel crap.
I also have college tomorrow, first time in mainstream since I went IP, induction day.
  • how will this situation or feeling change if i hurt myself?
    I'm likely to do more damage to nerves so it'll get worse.
  • what will hurting myself bring to the situation? what will it take away from the situation?
    Just make it more risky, crapper.
  • how do i want to feel about this in the long run? is hurting myself likely to get me closer to or farther from feeling that way?
    I don't know and I don't feel like I care
  • if hurting myself seems like my best option right now, how long will the relief it brings last? what will i do then?
    Enough, tonight.
  • what is something i could do now instead of hurting myself? how will it change the situation i'm in? how long will that change last, and what will i do then?
    See the specialist. I know I should.
  • how will i feel tomorrow if i hurt myself? how will i feel tomorrow if i do the other thing i came up with?
    Crap either way
  • what do i really want to do right now? how can i best honor the self-protective instinct that has me wanting to self-injure right now?
I want to cut
But I am scared of my risk levels.

urges aren't necessarily the enemy. they happen for reasons, and they're an expression of a desire to stay alive and stay sane and keep coping. remember that.

I can't answer the others. I don't feel strong enough yet.
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balletomane
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Post by balletomane » Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:08 pm

I am sorry you are hurting. It's good that you worked through these questions. What coping skills have you tried? What new skills can you try? I hope you feel better soon. :star:

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Stripe
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Post by Stripe » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:40 pm

I have tried distraction techniques.
I think I left IP before I had a decent level of control over my SI.


I don't know
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