Share your tips for staying SH free
 

Hi all. Firstly well done to everyone who has quit and is on the path to recovery!

Its really inspiring seeing and reading all the success stories!

I thought it might be kinda nice to have a thread where people can write down their tips and secrets for staying SH free. How you overcome the urges and how you begin to start to cope without SH. Then hopefully others (like myself) can get inspired from it too and we can all learn from each-other.

Nice Idea!

I find not counting days works better for me. I mean *technically* i'm not recovering, but I find when i don't put pressure on myself, or try to measure success in days, i get further!

xxx

getting out a lot has helped me not cut a few times. Just go somewhere where you know you'll be safe, and just have a fun time.

It helps me to count the days then I can see how far I have come, and how much I would throw away if I gave up.

Just spending time with my horse when I have such urges helps me.

Even though I'm currently not quitting, I suggest that people find something that works and STICKS with it.

Red pen sometimes worked for me. Texting a friend when things got tough helps too. Just talking to someone or typing things out, getting things out of your system in a healthy way.

calling someone, so my hands were physically occupied and my brain was off the subject, has been really helpful.

great idea for a thread by the way :]

music and video games usually work too... it's all about doing something to keep your hands busy

Definitely going out with people who you really like and whos company you enjoy helps. Doing things that you really enjoy, along with listening to music, reading a good book or watching a film. Just trying to calm down and relax as best you can, I think.

Staying away from a particular place where you normally cut, helps for me. If I have a bad urge I stay away from my bedroom for awhile, even if it means camping out in the bathroom with a book :-P.

Do anything that distracts you, no matter how silly. Ive spent hours browsing through wikipedia.org, looking up the randomest things.

Set a goal and stick to it, it helps keeping that in mind. For instance say to yourself "Im going to go a week without SH". Then when you make that goal reward yourself (not by cutting!) and make another.
Setting goals has probably been the main thing that has kept me SI free.
Make sure you have a good support system as well.

Do things that you know are going to upset you and stress you out but make sure you don't have anything that you could hurt yourself with. The more you encounter stressy situations without being able to cut you learn to deal with them instead and eventually hurting yourself doesnt even become an issue.

If you avoid certain situations then your never going to learn to cope and realise that it's not really that bad.

I find the whole "if i get through 15 minutes, then I can cut after"
and saying the same thing after them 15 minutes too, and sometimes the urges have past.
x

I love this thread, would you all like it stickied as a quick reference?

Personally I don't count. It means it is not constantly on my mind.

I think that would be rather splendid! :)

i count, days hours minutes... whatever it takes to remind me i cant screw up and start over or when that doesnt work i leave the house taking nothing with me- just walk out and dont come back til its safe
i've also promised myself i could get a tattoo if i go a year, sometimes i sketch what i want the tattoo to look like to distract myself

come on here.
rant, post in serious discussion, or go on f&d.

or just go out and see your friends.
don't tell them why you need to be out and about, just say you'd like to meet up, anyone free.

also, remembering how you feel after you cut - not the relief immediately after/during, but the shame, hurt, guilt etc.
it's a bad feeling and mostly people want to avoid feeling like that.
but then again, different people cope in different ways and this one especially could trigger people even more.

Internet, talking to friends & playing computer games works for me.

i try and talk to my friend when i feel like cutting
she really helps =)

By rewarding yourself for achievemtns you've done. For instance if you've gone a week free then reward yourself. Then say to yourself you will rewward yourself if you do another 2 weeks etc. Giving you something to focus on and also the reward being something you really want.

That's what works for me =) xx

Any sort of physical exercise distracts me from doing something i shouldnt. I'd recommend it to anyone, not only does it distract, but it also makes you a healthier/slimmer person :)


Also, do what chloe said (Y)