How can I stop with triggering myself to self harm?
19 Answers
Last Updated: 11/05/2019 at 4:44pm
Moderated by
Penny Dahlen, Ed.D., LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
I am committed to helping you find your passion, heal old wounds, and flow smoother in all aspects of your life path! I use a compassionate listening approach.
Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
July 28th, 2015 7:04pm
Figure out what your triggers are and do what you can to avoid those. If you are around someone who causes you to self harm, you need to get away from that person. If you feel a certain way about a situation, change it if you can.
Anonymous
July 13th, 2015 12:24am
The first step to stopping triggering oneself to self harm is recognizing the triggers. After you recognize those triggers, minimize them as much as you possibly can. When you encounter your triggers, engage in some self-talk: "Okay, that's a trigger. I'm going to feel like self-harming and that's okay." Teach yourself to refrain, and slowly but surely, the triggers will lose their intensity.
Ask yourself what are your specific thoughts when you think you need to self-harm. It's helpful to attempt to put this a simple sentence, so we know what thoughts are leading to this action. Then we can slowly build a habit in recognizing the triggering events and then changing the thought to a coping mechanism you are happy with. Self- harm can come from not having enough control in the events proceeding in your life. We can currently have some control over our thoughts and actions once we have a better understanding of what our subconscious is trying to tell us.
I used to draw with a marker on the part i wanted to hurt. My psychologist told me to try this and this helped me alot.
Try to avoid the things that trigger you, and also create a safe place that you have in case you do get triggered. Also try and find methods besides self-harm that work to calm you down when you get triggered.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2015 5:31pm
I consider self harm as a habit and what I did was to engage in something else when I have the urge to hurt myself. Or if that doesn't work, a rubberband on your wrist instead of a blade is a much safer method.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2015 10:21am
Try to recall when and why you are feeling this way, maybe even write them down. There can be many situations and feelings that trigger the urge, but as soon as you are aware of them you can start fighting and avoiding them. Try to go outside, meet friends or watch a funny movie as soon as you think you might trigger yourself again. Also throw away anything you normally use to selfharm and if you start feeling suicidal please get help from a professional!
First figure out what your triggers are. Knowing you triggers are the first step in getting them under control. Second find coping skill to use instead of self harming. Our self harm guide may help. It had alternates to self harm as well.
Try to figure out which your triggers are, what is making you to wanting to harm yourself? When you've don this try to avoind them and if you ever get triggered go in to a room without sharp objects and such or try to call friend/family
I would suggest you could find a counsellor/expert help, maybe in behavioural theraphy and/or DBT (dialectic behavioural therapy, a concept invented for people who suffer from Borderline disorder, which are very prone to self harm.) Also you can try to find out what triggers you and find coping mechanisms. What might also help is find comforting "skills" you can use when you feel bad. For some it might be making tea, for some taking a bath, for others taking a walk or flicking a hairband on their wrist.
Anonymous
December 5th, 2017 2:51am
What you do to yourself when you self harm (take into consideration that self harm is not only cutting or burning yourself, but also scolding yourself, emotionally abusing yourself ), can you do these things to somebody else when you are just disappointed in them? Can you harm them like that? No? Then why to do it to yourself?
Definitely avoid things that have triggered you in the past. There's no easy way to not self harm. The best strategy for me has been to just tell yourself to wait 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is up, wait another 5 and on and on until you loose the urge.
Anonymous
August 2nd, 2016 7:01pm
Try to think or do something else. Try to draw. Try to write. Remember scars you will have from self-harm.
Wherever you are that triggers it, like your bedroom or bathroom, immediately leave that area, go outside, go shopping or go see a movie with some friends, escape the triggering area
Anonymous
December 14th, 2015 10:02am
You might want to consider how it may look like when you do it. Self - harming yourself would not bring you to self- satisfaction, but in fact, it will make your life harder since you will have to see these scars every single day.
Keep yourself busy at the times of day you are likely to self-harm. Don't be alone during these times.
Stay away from any place where you typically self-injure.
Throw away any tools used to self-mutilate.
Try to keep your mind off of things like, listening to music or taking a small walk. Hang out with friends, if you're triggered then try expressing your feelings by drawing or writing, or take a marker and draw on yourself. That what helped me
Anonymous
June 9th, 2015 8:45pm
I think triggers will always come, you just have to work on becoming stronger to not let them win.
Try and take your mind off things. Video games, going outside, meeting up with friends or merely just talking with them all helps
Related Questions: How can I stop with triggering myself to self harm?
What do you do when you have no passion or drive?My anxiety is getting worse and depression won't let me live my life, how do I overcome this?I feel sad a lot, unmotivated, and I often can't stop crying for many hours. But I sleep and eat decently and I also can smile or laugh sometimes. Am I depressed or just sad?How to get things done professionaly at work when I'm very depressed?How do I keep myself from getting to attached to people?I am struggling with codependency and depression. I cannot afford therapy. What can I do to get help?How do I help explain to a parent that what I feel is valid after they reacted badly?How can I open up to people more even if it scares me?How to deal with depression fallout?Why do I hate myself so much?