Pictures causing urges?

[candabear17]

Anytime I see picture of someone self harming or bleeding because of it, I really want to cut. Idk why. It seems like it would keep me from wanting to cut because some of them are so gruesome but I just want to cut more. I haven't cut in almost a month and I really don't want to start again. I'll just see random pictures on instagram or something and it triggers me. It doesn't seem like there's a way to prevent seeing the pictures but maybe there's a way to keep it from effecting me like this... Any advice?

[xXl0sth0peXx]

yes yes yes yes yes yes. pictures are the biggest trigger for me. i can not stand seeing a picture of SH or anything. I mean like recovery faint scars or whatever i'm fine with but like fresh stuff and deep stuff and bloody stuff i can't handle. it just triggers me so much. so i unfollow most tumblr blogs and stuff that post triggering material and if i do come across some, i try and think of better stuff and keep myself distracted. it's just not worth it. it actually disgusts me like. why would you take a picture of your cuts..

but anyways. if you see pictures like this, just think of other things, do something else, scroll past it. try not to look at the picture.

congrats on the month, & stay strong <3

[candabear17]

I'm crying and shaking right now... I'm really afraid. I don't want to do it but I want to do it so much more... I don't know what to do right now...

[xXl0sth0peXx]

don't do it. i promise you on my life it isn't worth it, and it won't be worth it.
talk to someone - anyone, myself included. or a friend or anyone, it doesn't matter. Keep yourself busy. Watch a movie, play a game, draw, anything. You can do this. <3

[candabear17]

I wound up tracing all the veins in my arms... it helped but I'm still afraid I'm going to try to cut again.... I seriously just got out of the hospital for this like 2 weeks ago. I just want to get better and not have to think about this anymore.

[xarvon1412]

I don't know quite what you mean, I don't get triggered by pictures. I could see the bloodiest image, or any form of self harm and it doesn't trigger me. You'll be okay :) Just get talking to somebody. Get your mind off of it. Don't look at those pictures anymore. Just get away from all of that in general. You won't cut, you won't. You won't after being a month clean. Don't worry, just keep fighting it and you will get better. Soon enough, you won't even have to think twice about it. It won't even matter to you anymore. Don't you want that? You'll get there! Just keep fighting it, and don't give in. Wall me if you need somebody to talk to, I'll get back to you as soon as I can :)

[candabear17]

I don't know quite what you mean, I don't get triggered by pictures. I could see the bloodiest image, or any form of self harm and it doesn't trigger me. You'll be okay :) Just get talking to somebody. Get your mind off of it. Don't look at those pictures anymore. Just get away from all of that in general. You won't cut, you won't. You won't after being a month clean. Don't worry, just keep fighting it and you will get better. Soon enough, you won't even have to think twice about it. It won't even matter to you anymore. Don't you want that? You'll get there! Just keep fighting it, and don't give in. Wall me if you need somebody to talk to, I'll get back to you as soon as I can :)

I hadn't cut for over a year before I relapsed this last time... It just never seems to go away.

[Atonement]

I used to be triggered by some images but not others. It was kind of an odd situation. It's very common though.

You say there seems to be no way to avoid it, but I'm pretty confident there is. You mentioned Instagram. If something like that pops up on your Instagram, simply unfollow the poster. Anything else that person may post isn't worth being triggered.

I'm glad you're working on avoiding self-harm. There will come a day when it won't cross your mind once. It seems far-fetched, but it will come. One of the things I did in a way to kind of reward myself at first was to take a pad of sticky notes and start making a count up from the last time I self-harmed. Start at one and make it five across each line at the time then count down. I hope that makes sense. Then, you see your progress and taking it down when you have to start over is not fun, but also not impossible.

Stay safe. :)