Does anyone else find...?

[Miss Punk]

That SI is really distracting from other things in life? It's like half of my life is SI and the other half is everything else that's going on. My exams are going to pot cos all I can think about is cutting. What can I do to keep focused?

[Maizda]

I find it really distracting. I have my GCSEs in three weeks. I cant be disstracted by anything. I havent cut for 3 days, but i am constantly thinking about it.

I have two pet rabbits and a hamster, they distract me alot.

i dont know how to keep focused in exams though sorry. Ill keep watching this thread though x x

[Sapphire]

I actually found that while I was cutting regularly I was more focused. School work was often a distraction from my other problems (albeit only in my more favoured subjects) along with reading. My friendships and family relationships were the most affected by my problems with depression and cutting.

Once I started focusing on stopping and staying cut free, my schoolwork started suffering. I'm still having trouble staying focused 4-3 years later.

Maybe you could make up notes on post its or small notecards. It is a way of breaking up the process of making revision notes and is often easier to revise from. Getting someone to go through them and testing you on them helps you absorb the info too.

[Char_x]

That SI is really distracting from other things in life? It's like half of my life is SI and the other half is everything else that's going on. My exams are going to pot cos all I can think about is cutting. What can I do to keep focused?
Yeah i know what you mean. When im in college, sometimes its all i can think about. Like the course im doing at the moment im really struggling with, im finding the work so hard, i hardly ever understand the work and when im sat there not understanding the work i feel even worse cos i want to cut even more and then im distracted even more.

[Miss Punk]

That is exactly it! The more work I don't do, the more I feel like cutting because then I can avoid the huge amount of stuff I have to catch up on. And it just makes things worse. Today I got a little bit done, but hardly anything.

[Char_x]

Yeah thats same with me. Because i find the work so hard and stresfull i end up leavin it till last minute to do and then as a result its even more frustrating cos i've just let the work pile up. Its not cos im lazy with it tho, like if i understood the work then i wouldnt put it off.
Like the other day i finally decided to get a load of work out the way and i was sat there strugglin so much, i even asked my mum for help and she cudnt understand it. Got 2 sentences done in 1 hour. Felt so crappy that day.

[Miss Punk]

I hate having days like that, when I can sit and stare at a piece of work for hours without getting anything done, once I get started it's usually ok cos I get into it and I can get through it, but it's hard to get to that stage.

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

Oh I know..that's how I have been tonight...It's hard to focus...and I think school is just hard to focus on in general when you have so many problems going on...and I know the thought of cutting just doesn't seem to want to leave your mind alone...It's always kind of just in the back of your mind. I know there are days when I find it extremely hard for me to focus in class...It's not that I don't want to pay attention...I really do and I really try hard but sometimes you just can't focus

[Char_x]

I hate having days like that, when I can sit and stare at a piece of work for hours without getting anything done, once I get started it's usually ok cos I get into it and I can get through it, but it's hard to get to that stage.
Yeah thats the same with me rly.

[Char_x]

Oh I know..that's how I have been tonight...It's hard to focus...and I think school is just hard to focus on in general when you have so many problems going on...and I know the thought of cutting just doesn't seem to want to leave your mind alone...It's always kind of just in the back of your mind. I know there are days when I find it extremely hard for me to focus in class...It's not that I don't want to pay attention...I really do and I really try hard but sometimes you just can't focus
Yeah i know how you feel, it is so hard to focus and concentrate sometimes. Thats probably why i hardly ever understand the work we get, because while the tutors explainin stuff my mind is else where thinkin about cutting.

[cool person]

I actually found that while I was cutting regularly I was more focused. School work was often a distraction from my other problems (albeit only in my more favoured subjects) along with reading. My friendships and family relationships were the most affected by my problems with depression and cutting.

Once I started focusing on stopping and staying cut free, my schoolwork started suffering. I'm still having trouble staying focused 4-3 years later.

Maybe you could make up notes on post its or small notecards. It is a way of breaking up the process of making revision notes and is often easier to revise from. Getting someone to go through them and testing you on them helps you absorb the info too.

Yes, I feel the same way. When I cut, my focus improves. It sometimes is the sole reason that I cut...is I need to get some work done. It is resisting the urge that ruins my focus.

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

Well I definately know that it's really hard to learn anything if your mind is so focused on other things. It's been really hard for me to keep up lately due to lack of concentration and lack of sleep.

[cool person]

Lack of sleep is ever fun.

[STAYING_STRONG4HIM]

I know this is going to sound really weird but sometimes I am afraid to fall asleep.