Self-harm is not a mental illness, but it is a mental health concern as it usually happens because someone is struggling and is looking for a way to cope. Many individuals, regardless of age, may resort to self-harm as a response to intense feelings. Once someone begins self-harming, it can be hard to stop, as it offers a feeling of escape or relief. Self-harm can be a way of externalizing internal pain or feeling something through a feeling of numbness. However, as with other unhealthy coping strategies, an individual has to continually increase the intensity of the harm to experience the same effect as the first time. This brings many risks to safety and creates a cycle many people cannot change on their own. How can you change this cycle if you’ve started self-harming?
Healthier Coping Mechanisms
Self-harm may offer temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the deeper feelings you’re feeling. Instead, seeking support and learning healthy coping strategies can help you to heal in the long term. Begin by exploring positive alternatives alongside your current coping methods. mindyourmind offers resources and tools to help you gradually reduce self-harm behaviours. Consider incorporating mindfulness practices, therapy, medication, and positive self-talk into your routine. Emphasizing long-term self-care can create a foundation for emotional resilience, allowing you to manage your feelings better.
Emotional and Physical Well-being
Self-harm is a physical health issue as well as a mental health issue. The physical harm can have serious, long-lasting health consequences. Beyond the immediate pain, self-harm can lead to infections, scarring, and other complications. If you find yourself self-harming, consider these harm reduction tips: sterilize your wounds with antiseptic, bandage them as needed, and keep the area clean. It’s also important to share with someone you trust that you’ve self-harmed. If you’re unsure whether you need further medical intervention, don’t hesitate to reach out to Health811 for guidance or visit your local hospital.
Replacement Behaviours
In addition to trying out and adding new coping strategies, another way to reduce self-harm is to find activities that can replace the behaviour. Different individuals find different strategies to be helpful, so try a few and find what works for you. Drawing on yourself with a marker, scribbling on a piece of paper or ripping it into small pieces, snapping a rubber band on your wrist or jumping into a cold shower could be a start. How to Stop Hurting Yourself explores how one youth uses art as their replacement behaviour. You can also try strategies to delay the urge to self-harm and notice how the urge sits in your body. Let someone help you by holding the instruments you may use for self-harm or practice making the instruments hard to access such as wrapping them up in many layers of tape, etc.
Building Resilience
By confronting the thoughts you’re looking to escape and seeking support, you give yourself the power to handle difficult emotions and situations in healthier ways. mindyourmind emphasizes the importance of developing skills to navigate life’s ups and downs effectively providing engaging games and practical tools to help you manage anxiety and build resilience.
There is always hope, and support is available for you. While the pain you’re feeling may seem overwhelming now, it won’t last forever. Explore mindyourmind’s resources and reach out for help, knowing that any step you take toward healing or positive coping strategies is a major achievement. You are not alone on this journey, and we encourage you to visit Self-Harm for information and resources for support.
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