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.
yes. - what had happened just before?
i had been reaching out to friends and they told me not to do it. - what were you thinking and feeling?
they're too far away, they can't help me. - 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 was alone and so tired. - were there outside factors like drugs, alcohol, being off your meds, lack of sleep, etc? can you address those in the future? how?
tiredness and not taking meds - what other ways of coping did you try besides self-harm? how well did they work?
i tried painting on my arm. it made me happy, and then it triggered me. - in retrospect, are there coping methods that you now realize might have helped? what were they?
i don't know . . . - name at least two things you will do to help yourself remember those coping methods if you end up in this situation again.
call and actually talk to someone, even if it's scary.
write out how i'm feeling and let it go. - 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?
it's fixed. - are you likely to be in that emotional place again? how will you recognize it when you're in that situation?
yes, quite likely.
i'll remember that i'm tired and i'm not supposed to act when i'm tired. - 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.
1. call nancy and talk to her
2. call my mom and talk to her
3. get out of my room
