YOU'RE NOT ALONE

ALTERNATIVES TO SELF-HARM

Dear, whoever is reading this, You are BEAUTIFUL and someone out there is crazy about You. So SMILE, LIFE is too short to be unhappy.

Hi! Guys, I want to talk to you about self-harming. Don't use anything sharp. Throughout this book I'll be posting Music. 

 Draw on yourself with sharpie/draw pretend wounds where you want to cut.

It's a physiological thing. Your mind sees red where you want to cut, and sometimes the urge goes away. Or, instead of cutting you can buy brand new sharpies with semi sharp edges and draw on the undersides of your arms. It can also be fun and artistic.

When you want to cut, go outside and distract yourself, or pick up a hobby.

If possible, go on a walk. It's a good idea to get some fresh air where these thoughts don't seem to trap you. Exercise is a natural way of releasing endorphins, a similar reaction to harming oneself. Good hobbies to pick up are painting or writing in a journal. You don't have to be good at it; nobody will be critiquing your work. It's a healthy way to express emotion, which is highly beneficial. Sit and draw or read a book. Whatever you're comfortable with works!

A very simple one, blast music.

One of my various mottos: Headphones in, world out. Just get some music, somewhat cheerful preferably, and tune out the world. Embrace music and embrace yourself. Feel free to dance like a hooligan as well.

Practice Mindfulness (Meditate)

Put on some light music or find a quiet place and try to clear your mind. Take deep breaths and try to control your heartbeat. Try to observe everything that is going on around you in the moment. (You don't even have to sit in the stupid pretzel position!) If you're going to cry, then let the tears flow. This is your personal time to relax and do whatever you want. A piece of advice, it is better to focus on something that's NOT stress, or trigger related. 

Other Ideas:

Take a hot or cold shower. Not luke warm and take your time! Play an instrument if you have one. Run an ice cube down wherever you SI. Do it until it melts away completely. It's a sub for those urges and feelings. Get a ballpoint pen, the finest one you can find, and when you want to cut use the pen to make lines. It's unlikely to cut you (unless you keep going over it..dont recommend that) but thin pens are sharp and scratchy and cause the closest thing to the sting from cutting I have found. It will also leave red marks there for a day or two which could be good or bad, depending on where you do it Pluck your brows. It hurts. Write what you're feeling in a book, then use whatever you normally SI with to destroy the page. (If you burn, make sure you have something to smother potential fire with nearby!) Wrap bandages around your area of SI(draw bloody patches on it if you must). It will deter you from SI in that area. Pull the hair on your legs and cut it with your tool. The pulling sensation causes pain and could curb your urges Take a notebook and hand write all the nice things people have said to you. Either from tumblr, real life or what have you. When you're triggered you must read the book front to back before you're allowed to do anything to yourself. Make a playlist of songs exactly how you're feeling at the moment. Triggering, soothing, it's all up to you. Optional; You must listen to it all the way through before getting up and harming yourself.

Please keep in mind that unfortunately, not everything on this list will work for everyone.

So, if you try something and it doesn't work for you, don't get discouraged! Remember, sometimes the point of trying things is to prove they don't work. Some of these choices are complicated, and you might want to utilize the help of a therapist or trusted friend when undertaking them. Recovery is not a process that can be walked through alone, so don't be afraid to reach out for help.