Twistember
April 10th, 2012, 07:41 PM
I've been trying to quit cutting for about a year. The techniques I hear everyone talking about didn't work for me. But I did a little searching around the house, and I found some things that helped me a lot.
-Tally marks. I made a tally mark for every day I didn't cut. I didn't want to ruin it, so I kept trying. (I made it to 104 days! That's my record!)
-Sticky notes. I put sticky notes that said things like "family" "friends" and "you are loved" (Even:"Your cat will miss you if you die") on or near the places I kept my supplies. This helped me hold out a little longer.
-Skin colored paper and red sharpie. I did to the paper what I wanted to do to myself. This often made me feel better. I pretty much just drew jagged lines all over it.
-Inspirational Bracelets. For example, I made a bracelet that said, "Don't" on it. That way whenever I wanted to cut, I saw that, and I was able to last a little longer. I also made a bracelet with an elephant on it. You know how elephants never forget? I use the elephant bracelet to remind me to never forget how strong I am and how much I've survived so far.
-Hot/cold showers. Sometimes it's just nice to go sit in the shower and cry. That way, no one can tell you were crying, unless they heard you. The sting of the hot/cold water can sometimes help me get the same release as cutting.
-(Even though it sounds very cliche) Writing in a journal. Honestly, my journal is my best friend. It knows my every secret, every thought that's ever crossed my mind. By journaling, I can let out the anger or sadness without anybody actually hearing or judging me.
-Pacing and listening to (happy) music. The pacing partly comes from my OCD. I found that I can forget about things if I let myself get lost in music. I like listening to Switchfoot, The Beatles, The Spill Canvas, and LIGHTS. I find that these bands usually lift me up and help me get into a better mood.
-(For when you're in public) Tapping. Again, this partially comes from my OCD. If I tap to a certain beat or make up my own. I usually get really focused on keeping the beat and forget about the urges to hurt myself.
-Reading. Sometimes when you feel lost in your own world, it's nice to get lost in someone else's.
These are the things that have helped me throughout the last year. I hope some of my techniques can help you as well. Feel free to comment or leave the techniques that have worked for you :)
-Tally marks. I made a tally mark for every day I didn't cut. I didn't want to ruin it, so I kept trying. (I made it to 104 days! That's my record!)
-Sticky notes. I put sticky notes that said things like "family" "friends" and "you are loved" (Even:"Your cat will miss you if you die") on or near the places I kept my supplies. This helped me hold out a little longer.
-Skin colored paper and red sharpie. I did to the paper what I wanted to do to myself. This often made me feel better. I pretty much just drew jagged lines all over it.
-Inspirational Bracelets. For example, I made a bracelet that said, "Don't" on it. That way whenever I wanted to cut, I saw that, and I was able to last a little longer. I also made a bracelet with an elephant on it. You know how elephants never forget? I use the elephant bracelet to remind me to never forget how strong I am and how much I've survived so far.
-Hot/cold showers. Sometimes it's just nice to go sit in the shower and cry. That way, no one can tell you were crying, unless they heard you. The sting of the hot/cold water can sometimes help me get the same release as cutting.
-(Even though it sounds very cliche) Writing in a journal. Honestly, my journal is my best friend. It knows my every secret, every thought that's ever crossed my mind. By journaling, I can let out the anger or sadness without anybody actually hearing or judging me.
-Pacing and listening to (happy) music. The pacing partly comes from my OCD. I found that I can forget about things if I let myself get lost in music. I like listening to Switchfoot, The Beatles, The Spill Canvas, and LIGHTS. I find that these bands usually lift me up and help me get into a better mood.
-(For when you're in public) Tapping. Again, this partially comes from my OCD. If I tap to a certain beat or make up my own. I usually get really focused on keeping the beat and forget about the urges to hurt myself.
-Reading. Sometimes when you feel lost in your own world, it's nice to get lost in someone else's.
These are the things that have helped me throughout the last year. I hope some of my techniques can help you as well. Feel free to comment or leave the techniques that have worked for you :)