On World Self-Harm Awareness Day, attention is drawn to people who cause physical harm to their bodies because it is the only way they find to manage emotions that overwhelm them and cannot control.
assures that people who have these desires to hurt themselves do not have to be ashamed because they are “managing to survive and maintain psychological integrity with the only tool” they have, but invites you to abandon these practices because although it may seem impossible, it is possible to stop doing it and “learn other ways to calm emotional pain.”.
This group of experts assures that there are many ways in which someone can cause injury, but that the way it is done “is not as important as recognizing that it is done and the meaning it has.”
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That is why they invite “explore positive ways to understand and manage your emotions”, and allow yourself to realize that it is possible to change, manage emotional pain without hurting yourself, and see how the suffering decreases over time.
I want to stop self-harm, where do I start?
The notes that The first step is to be sure to stop doing it. and you need to have a commitment so that the body stops having wounds or scars. Experts invite you to ask yourself if you are ready to stop doing it and get rid of the elements that are used to inflict wounds.
After that, it is recommended to think about whether you have a solid emotional support network, someone to talk to without feeling uncomfortable if the desire to self-harm appears, have places to visit, be safe from feeling disturbed or scared at times and have confidence in himself to leave it and give himself a lot of love.
How can I stop hurting myself or inflicting harm on myself?
Additionally, a series of actions are proposed that can be done to replace the desire to self-harm.
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The first thing, society says, is to understand what the feeling is in the moments before causing the injuries and then look for alternatives. These are the tips:
When feeling angry, frustrated, or desperate, do something physical and violent:
- Crush aluminum cans as fast as you can.
- An empty plastic bottle cracks.
- Throw ice to break it up.
- Scream as loud as you can.
- Break up an old t-shirt.
- Do 50 squats.
When feeling or depressed:
- Spread a cream or lotion on the parts of your body you want to damage.
- Snuggle up between pillows with a hot chocolate.
- Take a hot bubble bath.
- Do something slow and cozy.
- Listen to soft music.
Feeling disconnected, depersonalized:
- He eagerly crushes ice (it really does hurt).
- Dip one or more fingers into frozen food (or ice cream) for a minute.
- Smear an ointment with a strong, pungent odor under your nose.
- Put a rubber band around your wrist, stretch it and release it.
- Take a very cold shower.
We also recommend:
When feeling scattered:
- Do an activity that requires concentration, and that is fun.
- Play a computer game: tetris, mines, carte blanche.
- Grab a bunch of raisins and eat each one paying close attention to how it feels in your hand, its smell, the sensation on your lips, on your tongue and chew it slowly.
When feeling the need to see blood or marks:
- Paint yourself with a red marker in the places where you want to cut yourself.
- Take a small bottle with red food coloring. Heat it in a cup of hot water for a few minutes. Uncap it and use the bottle as if it were a knife, so that the red, warm liquid comes out.
- Take ice and color it with five or six drops of the same red liquid. Grab the ice and use it like a knife.
What can the family of someone who self-harm do? The answers:
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Do not avoid the topic of self-harm.
- Actively begin an approach.
- Be available for dialogue.
- Set reasonable limits.
- Make it clear with your attitude that the person does not have to self-harm to get love and concern shown.
- Provide distractions if necessary.
- If you do not live with that person, you can offer them a safe physical space.
- Don’t ask “is there anything I can do?” but to look for things that can be done and ask “can I?”