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How do I stop cutting?

20 Answers
Last Updated: 04/03/2018 at 4:49pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
South Africa
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Claudette Pretorius, MA Counselling Psychology

Licensed Professional Counselor

I know how overwhelming it can feel when you're having a tough time. I offer clients a space that is non-judgemental and empathetic whilst navigating these times together.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
April 10th, 2015 5:53am
Something I've found helpful is to keep a jar with the names of people you care about on little slips of paper. Every time you feel the urge to hurt yourself, draw a name out of the jar. I would always draw a butterfly on my arm in sharpie and name it after whoever's name I drew. So long as the butterfly was visible, I made a mental promise to the person that I wouldn't hurt myself.
charlxro
April 5th, 2016 1:10am
Think of it as overtime you cut you will be cutting someone you love. A way that helped me is to write the names of those you love and care for in places that you feel the urge to cut. Then in order to cut yourself you would be cutting through them, the people that you hold close in your life. and I'm sure you would't want that.
Naomi0307
April 3rd, 2018 4:49pm
In order to stop cutting maybe you should cut out any part of your life that makes you feel a bad way I want you to know a lot of people suffer from this and i just want to make it all better for you and anybody else that suffers from this. It’s not a healthy thing to do at all. And you have to really try and work in order to completely stop it.
Anonymous
January 24th, 2015 1:43pm
When you realize cutting is not the answer you will be able to stop.There are things that you can do on your own but it is better you get help.Like you can try to embroider your mind when you want to cut with watching film or reading a book.You can sleep when you want do it.
Anonymous
November 13th, 2017 8:43am
I believe in getting to the root of the issue, of why cutting. What is it that cutting does for you and then considering other options that can achieve the same function.
soothingOcean93
June 13th, 2017 1:22am
Try different things. Snap a rubber band on your arm, cup up paper, smear red marker over your arm to make it look like blood, draw, watch a movie, read, talk to someone like a friend, play with an animal, go for a walk.
PitchBlackCat
January 3rd, 2017 12:03am
Personally, I stopped self harm using the ice method. Get some ice and put it in your hand, or rub it in the place you want to hurt yourself. Let the cold do the work. It's much less harmful.
PrincessDove13
November 14th, 2016 7:33pm
There are many things you can do to help stop yourself from giving yourself harm. One of the first important steps is to realize why you cut. Do you enjoy the sight of blood or the sting and pain? Is it to just feel something? From there you can move on to alternatives that are a lot less harmful and don't leave scars. So if you like the sight of blood and cuts, you can get a red marker and draw the cuts on and simply wash them off when you are done and satisfied. If you want the pain and you just want to feel something, you can try holding ice in your hands, snapping rubber bands or hair ties on your wrists, or take a cold shower. When you are on the road to recovery, you may slip up a few times and end up cutting again. But do not beat yourself up over "failing". It is not failure, it is almost guaranteed that at least once you will relapse and give in. That is okay. Keep on the bright side of things! You've made it this far until you did it, that is a big step! I hope these helped you, good luck on your path to healing! :)
Anonymous
October 11th, 2016 12:25pm
It's hard. It's so terribly hard to stop something that potentially has been happening for so long. The final realisation that it does not help anything, and hurting yourself does not stop what you are feeling in the inside will be a hard one, but recovery is so worth it. You are worth it.
CopperSkies
August 9th, 2016 9:31pm
Self-harm is something that takes quite a lot of time, patience and determination to stop. The best thing to do would be to try out different techniques (such as self-care, distraction and alternative techniques) to find out what works for you.
Anonymous
June 28th, 2016 6:34pm
You can get help through therapy and even medications, and learn ways to distract yourself from self harm.
bigDreamer94
June 6th, 2016 3:08am
Find someone to talk to. I stop hurting myself when I realized it was hurting my favorite person who cared for me. I made a promise not to ever do it again.
Andrew1137
November 10th, 2015 6:48pm
Think about different things! Go to a psychologist and ask the same exact question!! They can better help you understand alternatives to it.
shutteredsilence
November 3rd, 2015 3:02am
You must first find out what is causing you to feel like you need to cut. The root for your problems. The reason why you think cutting is going to help you. Then you need to practice restraint. To realize that cutting does not solve your problems. To realize that it, in fact, causes more problems than it solves. Distract yourself. Do something compulsive. Clean. Talk to a friend. Read. Draw. Write. Take that destructive energy and turn it into something creative.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2015 9:00pm
You've got to learn to love yourself. That's the first step. Secondly, you have to acknowledge that you are hurting inside. I used to cut, but I did those things and am currently 10.5 months clean.
Anonymous
July 21st, 2015 1:42am
Find an alternative! Get out and away from what make you cut! Hang with friends, watch a movie, or the urge may subside for a while and you no longer do it. The want to cut never truly goes away, but once you find the spot where you can be and no longer cut, you have stopped and it barely occurs to you to do so, or fight it with your will until it has been beaten into submission.
iamsodone
June 17th, 2015 9:23pm
Just look at the beautifully plain skin of your arm. Do you want that place to be ruined forever with an ugly bruise? If the answer is no, you know what to do. If yes, try getting a tattoo instead.
SilverFeather99
April 24th, 2015 3:46am
I stopped cutting by finding a replacement, in my case I used rubber bands. No blood, no mess, no cutting, no problem. It seems pretty hard now but just remember people do love you.
colourfulRose14
March 15th, 2015 9:13am
You can always restrain yourself from that, by doing stuff that you like. (drawing, singing, dancing, etc.) Throw whatever you are using to cut away and ignore the bad feelings. Stay strong.
Anonymous
February 16th, 2015 8:17pm
A good way to stop cutting would be to find an alternative that would replace it. The alternative would still have the same effect on your body but it wouldn't cause any physical harm