How Do I Stop?

[anjelgomez_]

about a year ago this month, i was diagnosed with mild to severe depression. honestly, i could feel myself slipping into a depression coma with every new day; i didn't care about my school work, friends, family, or myself. it got to the point where i started cutting my wrists.
i remember going to school on a monday morning, with cuts more than half way down my left arm, balling my eyes out. (i was depressed from my parents divorce... only seeing my dad every 5 months(his choice) & having to live with my mother & stepfather... get the picture?) i needed my dad in my life. i never understood why they split, but i always felt it was my mom's fault, even though now, i know it was my dad's. he did cocaine & heroine, & had a horrible drinking problem.
anyway, this monday morning... i was sent to the guidance counselor by my 1st period teacher & i told her what was bothering me, & showed her my cuts on my wrist. the administrators called my mom to come in. they didn't talk about it on the phone, but they told her it was urgent.
my mom finally got to the school asking what happened... all i could do was cry even more. i knew if she knew i cut myself for the first time the night before, it would hurt her so much. they told me to show her my arm, so eventually i did. she broke down into tears. i was sent to the parkview behavioral health center, but wasn't forced to stay. i'm on depression medicine right now & have been successfully progressing ever since then.
over the summer, i had about 4 different times that i let my depression get the best of me. (i was cutting again)
i haven't cut in about 2 months... longest i've gone without marking on myself. sometimes i get the urge to do it... especially right now. anybody out there who has/does cut & know how to stop???? :confused:

[tubanic]

Cutting is really addictive yeah I know and it sounds like you're having a tough time :(
Have you tried alternatives to self harm, like holding ice-cubes really tight or hitting pillows? There's loads of things to do to get release instead of cutting when you feel like cutting. Look on the internet for some other ideas?
Do you see a therapist? They can sometimes help, another way to get all the crap feelings out of your body.
When you feel like you want to cut, could you go and tell someone or phone a close trustworthy friend? If you don't have anyone you feel you could talk to, there are free-phone numbers like Samaritens and Child-Line. Again look on the internet for some help-lines that work in your country.
Again, really sorry you're going through a bad time, if you ever need to talk, I'm here :)

[ackmedsgirl666]

i think of distractions... belting out my favourite tune... reading a book
cooking... cleaning.... drawling on lines onto my wrists in red marker in the places i wanna cut or sometimes i use elastic bands. try some of those things.... they might work

[jayyy-lmao]

You should talk to someone about it. It really helps to talk, even if it's just to us. We're here to help you and we will listen. If you depressed and really feel like cutting, try singing. When I get very angry, I pour my emotion into singing. I emphasise every verse, and make the song my way of saying "I am strong, and I will get through this." You need to be Brave, Strong and Persistent if you want to stop cutting. Every time you get down and feel the need to cut, think of someone you love, something you love or something you enjoy.