Self-Help For Self-Harm: What to Do Instead of Hurting Yourself
TRIGGER WARNING - This post will discuss self-harm and suicide and talk about prevention and coping strategies. If you are in crisis or distress and need to talk to someone right now here are quick links. These resources are here for you to use. There is no right or wrong way to use them, This post is not a replacement for professional help or outreach. It simply shares from personal experience.
CANADA:
Text Someone - Talk Suicide Canada - Text 45645 (4pm-midnight)
Online Chat - ONTX Distress Centre Durham - CLICK HERE (2pm-2am)
Text Chat - ONTX Distress Centre Durham - Text 258258 (2pm-2am)
Phone Line - ONTX Distress Centre Durham - 905-430-2522 (27/7)
Pride Phone Line - ONTX - Distress Centre Durham - 1-855-877-7433
UNITED STATES:
Online Chat - Crisis Text Line - CLICK HERE
What’sApp Chat - CLICK HERE
Phone Line - 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Text or call 988 (24/7)
I’m going to keep this one quick and to the point. When you need help…you need help now. It can be hard to sift through the millions of resources out there when you’re in crisis or distress so I’ve gone ahead and done the work for you and put it all in one neat little place. This isn’t a solutions or fix-all. It’s just the information that I felt was most helpful pulled from professionals and reliable resources. When your emotions and your energy builds, the sitting in your emotions and distracting doesn’t work as well. And you can feel at a loss. Here some quick things to try instead of hurting yourself when you feel that emotional build-up.
Take a cold shower.
2. Get outside, listen to upbeat music and try running to the music.
3. Reach out to someone you know will support you in the way you need. (You can ask them before hand if they can be someone that you reach out to.) It can be a friend, family member, therapist or a help line.
4. Put ice cubes on your cheeks or in your mouth for a few second.
5. Eat some really sour candies
6. Tear pieces of paper up into tiny pieces
7. Scream into or punch a pillow.
8. Blast Music, Sing Dance Shake Whatever Comes Out (I like blasting EMO 2000’s)
9. Wax your legs.
10. Scribble or draw on a magazine or piece of paper (Fill empty pages with cross-hatches)
You’ve got this. I’m so glad you’re here. And I’m proud of you. Pick your favourites from this list and come up with a plan and write it down. When you feel that urge turn to your plan and reset that voice and those urges. Most importantly, talk to someone. When you feel alone, you sometimes just need someone to remind you that they love you and that they’re there with you.
Stay strong. It will get better.
Love,
B