before...

[heyheymani]

[b]Before You Self-Harm [/b]
write down the shadow that's hiding behind the urge. look at it. ask yourself:


[i]how will this situation or feeling change if i hurt myself? [/i]
The urge will go away for a while and I'll be able to concentrate on other things

[i]what will hurting myself bring to the situation? what will it take away from the situation? [/i]
it'll bring calmness....and take away this tense anxiety

[i]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]
nah


[i]if hurting myself seems like my best option right now, how long will the relief it brings last? what will i do then? [/i]
a week or more...hopefully i'll fight it


[i]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? [/i]
sleep...it'll last until i wake up and then i'll keep thinking about it.


[i]how will i feel tomorrow if i hurt myself? how will i feel tomorrow if i do the other thing i came up with? [/i]
i'll be ashamed and guilty, but mostly satisfied

[i]
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]
sleep



[u]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. [/u]
[b]More Before Questions To Answer [/b]



[i]
Why do I feel I need to hurt myself? What has brought me to this point?[/i]
stress, family??, I haven't done it in a while so i kinda see it as a reward.


[i]Have I been here before? What did I do to deal with it? How did I feel then? [/i]
yeah. a few times a month. I usually get over it until next itme


[i]What I have done to ease this discomfort so far? What else can I do that won't hurt me? [/i]
self talk...tv...internet...helping others/worrying about others


[i]How do I feel right now? [/i]
tired and tense

[i]
How will I feel when I am hurting myself? [/i]
confused, numb


[i]How will I feel after hurting myself? How will I feel tomorrow morning? [/i]
relieved. refreshed. carefree. whole.


[i]Can I avoid this stressor, or deal with it better in the future? [/i]
there isn't really anything stressing me out besides fighting the urges

[i]Do I need to hurt myself? [/i]
nope, well actually, maybe. cos i think i'm addicted.
i wouldn't need to if i found something better.

[Licentia Poetica]

goo on you for looking at your feelings.

addictions can be beaten