Other Things To Do Then Self Harm

So the day has not been going well and out of left field comes the thought "You know if you self harm you will feel a lot better". Anyone who has gone through self harm recovery has dealt with urges but what you do with it is what counts. Either you jump back on the run away train or you find something that will make the damn urge to go away. Here is a list of possible solutions to killing the urge.

1. Grab an ice cube and squeeze it in the palm of your hand as hard as you can.

2. Slip an elastic over your wrist and repeatedly snap it.

3. Grab a marker and make slashes across your body that you would normally do with a razor then jump into a hot shower to erase the marks

4. Find someone and stick to them like glue. You don't need to tell them why you are doing this but you may feel better if you do.

5. Free writing. Transfer everything that is in your head, on your chest and bothering your soul onto paper. Some people go one set further and set the paper on fire as an additional way of releasing the emotions.

6. Go for a long walk or a long drive sometimes all a brain needs is fresh air to clear it.

7. Go to a crowded place. Wander around the mall till the urge is gone. One piece of advice here and that is to leave your money, debit card and credit card at home as emotional spending tends to be rather expensive.

8. Exercise. Want your body to feel pain? Do it the healthy way. Step ups are a great way to focus and to sweat out the negative emotions.

9. Find something that keeps your hands busy such as knitting, crocheting, video games or a Rubik's cube if you can find one.

10. Nothing working so far then call 1-800-DONTCUT in the USA, yes its an actual number. In Canada call the Kids Help Line at 1-800-668-6868 who will direct adults to the right place. In the UK call 08457 909090. If anyone knows any other numbers please leave a comment with the information

Urges suck but they are a part of the recovery process and with time they will get easier then eventually disappear. As for me I tend to write posts on self harm when the urges appear, almost five months so I guess it is working. If you are trying to help someone who self harms take a look back at this article. take care