Questions to Answer After A Slip
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. Yeah
- what had happened just before?
Ive just been feeling really urgy, my bipolar meds aren't working so hot. - what were you thinking and feeling?
I just wanted the sensation. I missed it. And I felt down, sometimes it helps that feeling when I cut - 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?
I had to go out to the store to buy something and I was already feeling urgy. I ended up buying some steri strips too so I could go home and cut. I think it was the fact that I had first aid stuff that made it "okay" - 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.
See above - were there outside factors like drugs, alsohol, being off your meds, lack of sleep, etc? can you address those in the future? how?
Meds aren't working so well, I've been getting shitty sleep, and I'm really stressed. I need to call my Pdoc, and get myself on a regular sleep schedule - what other ways of coping did you try besides self-harm? how well did they work?
I stayed home today, slept a lot, took a hot bath, watched tv. Took a vacation from life basically. - in retrospect, are there coping methods that you now realize might have helped? what were they?
Lets see....NOT going to the store, NOT buying steri strips, and calling my pdoc when I'm feeling like this - name at least two things you will do to help yourself remember those coping methods if you end up in this situation again.
Put a big stickey note on my first aid stuff that says CALL PDOC, and then um...call him. - 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?
No it's not resolved. I'm still stressed, I still am depressed, and it accomplished nothing except making me feel like a failure
- are you likely to be in that emotional place again? how will you recognize it when you're in that situation?
yes, and just like I recognized it this time, it's just that I chose to not fight it
- 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.
About Opportunities to SI
Opportunity to Self-Harm seems to be a common theme. Think about why opportunities are important to slips and learn why opportunity is important to you.
- What made that opportunity more appealing than any other?
I had the first aid stuff. I hadn't done it in awhile and I was alone - Did you make an opportunity or was it there for the taking?
I had to go out to the store for something else so I guess the opportunity to pick up the supplies was just there - What would you have done if there was no opportunity, how would you have handled your urge?
Sucked it up like I usually do and go to bed - If there had been no opportunity would your urge to self-harm have increased or decreased?
Decreased - What consitutes opportunity for you? Being alone? having new tools? waiting for the right feeling?
all of the above - If your opportunties were taken away, how would you feel?
