I'm new here...

[xootfly]

I just found this site, a friend reccomended it. I'm 19, so I think I may be a little older than some of you here.

I have been cutting and using other forms of self harm for over 4 years now, this community seems a great place for people to post questions.

Although I have stopped self harming so much, I am finding the 'urges' very hard to control during exams at school.

How do you cope with these?

[lenny774]

drawing writing singing running etc

[Afraid Of Me]

music haha
preferebly metal? idkk if yr into that kind of stuff

[Noooooooooo]

Welcome to VT ;)
I also sometimes find it hard not to SH in class. Maybe put a rubber band on your wrist and pull it when you have the urge. I sometimes do that and it kinda works.

[xootfly]

The rubber band one works quite well too I find. Classes can be very hard, I used to just leave sometimes and say I had to go. But now I make myself stay. The only problem with a rubber band is that I sometimes do it too much and end up making a mark. But definetly a good short term solution.

[Quahog]

Hey welcome you. I learned to play piano/do track which is basically running, to get rid of it. It was very hard. It took about 6 months or so. I still have urges, but you have urges to anything that you quit, whether it be cutting, or another habit.

[Love.Hate]

Find something you enjoy doing,
It doesnt always work but try to do that to work through it.
For me its dancing or tearing up lots of paper.
Hope this helps and welcome to VT x

[FullyAlive]

Hey, Welcome. I too find it really hard in exams, I would try the elastic band thing that has been mentioned previously. I also have another suggestion I find that when i get stressed or get urges I'll start holding my wrist and now instead of this I'll wear bracelets, the elasticated ones and just count the beads or twist it round my wrist. This way my hand will be doing sonething, and it helps with the shaking i get. I don't know if this will work for you but I thought I may as well suggest it.

[mynameisnotimportant]

it sounds stupid but a really good way is to excercise...if you do something like swimming and concentrate on doing as many lengths as possible it takes your mind off things, as well as releasing endorphines which do something or other to make you feel better :)