Ways to avoid self-harm
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Methods
List of methods that will help stop your self-harm behaviors.
How you can support your friends who are struggling with self-harm
Things you as a friend can do to help your loved ones who are struggling.
Apps that will help
List of apps that you can use to help you throughout your recovery.
Methods
The butterfly project:
When feeling the urge to self-harm, you draw a butterfly, and if the butterfly fades without self-harming, it means that the butterfly survived and is free, offering you a feeling of achievement. Whereas while the butterfly is already visible, you do self-harm; you have to wash it off. If that happens, you can continue by drawing a new one on it again.
Distracting yourself:
The urge to self-harm will pass, like all urges, if you wait for it out. Distracting yourself from something else allows time to pass and takes your mind away from the urge to self-harm. The more you wait without giving in to the urge, the more your impulses will decrease over time.
ways you can distract yourself:
1. Call a friend and talk about something random
2. Read a book
3. Watch a movie or a show
4. Go for a walk
5. Listen to music
Releasing tension:
Sometimes it can help a person gradually move away from self-harm by doing things that express anger or release tension.
Try this:
1. Ripping up some paper
2. Writing down your hurt, pain, and anger
3. Going for a walk
4. Playing with a stress ball, play-doh, or clay
The list:
Whenever you feel the urge to self-harm, write down the name of someone you care about, this will help remind you that there are people who love and care about and stop you from self-harming.
Practicing self-care:
A reaction to deep emotional pain and depression can be self-harm. Without self-harm, a way to handle these feelings is through self-care.
Self-care activities:
1. Develop a regular sleep routine
2. Aim for a healthy diet
3. Exercising
4. Having long baths or showers
Connecting with others:
Many people who have been self-harming do so because they feel alone, misunderstood, or socially excluded.
Ways you can connect with others:
1. Making plans to look forward to throughout the week
2. Messaging or calling a friend or family member
3. Finding support groups for people who self-harm
Replacing the sensation:
People who self-harm tend to fixate on how it would feel, making it hard to resist.
Ways you can feel the same sensation without hurting yourself:
1. Rubbing an ice cube across your skin
2. Gently snapping a rubber band against your skin
3. Clapping your hands hard
How you can support your friends who are struggling with self-harm
Self-harming behaviors are severe and require a professional's assistance, but there are things you can do to help someone who is self-harming.
Improving communication:
Encourage them to talk to you, a therapist, or even an online resource or support hotline about their problems. If you have a feeling they may be self-harming, say things like, "I'm worried about you, is something going on?" or "You haven’t told me as much as you usually do." A hostile response can be expected. Do not ask why they are self-harming as it can put them on the defensive.
Provide distractions:
Help them replace self-harm behaviors with healthy behaviors such as going for a run or an intense workout. Encourage them to practice self-care. Practice paced breathing with them. Find a calm spot and concentrate for 10 minutes on measured breathing and counting in and out.
Apps that will help
1. Calm Harm
2. I am sober
3. 7-cups
4. Self-heal
5. Moods