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Distractions from wanting to self harm?

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Hi @SeekingAfrica.. Sorry your having a bad time... If you're a cutter then try drawing on your leg or arm instead... Anything you want.. It sometimes works...

This will pass... Temporary... It will get better... Big hugs... X
 
Hi @SeekingAfrica.. Sorry your having a bad time... If you're a cutter then try drawing...
Thanks, I just did that. Helps a bit. I used to cut. I haven't in years, but it was a really low day and the thought appeared. It wasn't can't-get-out-of-bed day. It was more of me doing productive things, and relaxing things and anything I can think to feel better, and still feeling worse and worse, until I couldn't think of anything good to try anymore. And since that moment I'm struggling with the desire to do something more, even if it was cutting. Trying to fight it though. I have dance class in the weekend and the idea that I'll be in leotard helped stop me so far...but it's still a dangerously low mood and I don't want to cross the point where I won't care what I'm doing.

Movies? Tv? Internet surfing?
Starting that now. I'm going to watch something funny and drink something warm and hope how I feel subsides a bit. But it's been relentless all day, which is why I needed to do all I can to distract myself.
 
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Can you go for a walk, stop and see a friend things to get out of the house and away from those temptations and tools that you might use?
 
Hi @SeekingAfrica... Other suggestions, punching... Pillow or punch bag. Screaming. Into pillow. Smashing dishes..... Now that's fun.... I know this will pass... I'm so sorry it's hard just now.... Hugs xx
 
My therapist suggested anything positive to keep from harming myself, there are plenty of positive things you can do,...can you think of any? Perhaps painting a picture, coloring in a book, planting some flowers, taking a walk outdoors, taking a hot bath, watching a good movie, playing with your fur-baby(pet), cuddling up with a good book, etc. ....as she said, "anything positive".

i hope you find this helpful and will refrain from harming yourself. You deserve gentle, love and kindness, not pain.
 
I've started snapping a rubber band. Sure, it may get excessive, but it's still a lesser degree than other things I'm trying to stop. If I'm able to think of it in the moment, coloring helps calm me and gives me hands something to do.
 
Any ideas? Having a hard night.
I knew a lady that would use crayons; colors were more like affect/mood. The darker, say black, the darker the shame/depression, or whatever. Also, say red, could be aggression, and sometimes that would be dark red. Lighter intensity of color, and force may be milder moods, or happy, and so on. It seemed to get the energy out.
I know someone who drew very well in charcoal, or art pens on pads. She drew, say, like her child after she went back in her mind as an adult, rescued her child. The thing about it, she never had a mouth when she drew her pictures. The Child was on a cloud, covered up with a part of the cloud...and the baby had a smile; I almost started crying; it was beautiful!
And.. there is getting a butterfly tattoo; which represents someone you love. If you harm the butterfly, you harm the person you love.

Also, it seem to me that cutting keeps a mood from occurring sometimes. I mean; I know a lady that has figured out that a part of her schema is a child that wanted to kill her mother; since as an adult she really didn't want to kill her; so she would cut her own self to; well self-soothe, or I guess punish that part of her? Have you identified what sets yours off: maybe a trigger? There is always journaling; just have a way to relax if journaling starts triggering you in itself.....
 
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