First off Hi Maddie, I'm Jen. Well done for taking that first step and reaching out for ideas of how to recover.
I can see you don't feel comfortable opening up to your parents, is there any particular reason you are scared to tell them?
Is there anyone in your life you do trust you could open up too? Maybe a friend or a teacher or a sibling? The internet can be helpful and I know everyone here at RYL will do their best to support you when they can but in person support from people who know you in real life can be really valuable.
I would also recommend reaching out to a helpline or web chat service. There are often resources in place specifically to support young people who are struggling with self harm or their mental health (under 18's to under 25's). I don't know where you are located so will just put down a few options I am aware of (no pressure to reveal your location). For example in the UK you can ring Childline on 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor or you can chat online 1-2-1. In Australia, Kids Helpline appears to offer a similar service by phone on 1800 55 1800 or online. Hopefully others can add suggestions for other countries.
As for what helped me to start my recovery from self harm, a combination of this site, therapy, offline friends, distractions and techniques such as the 5 minute rule.
The 5 minute rules says to try and wait 5 minutes before you self-harm. Then push yourself for another 5 minutes.
Try to keep going until the urge has surpassed. While you wait you can try whatever distractions that work best for you.
Here are some examples of distractions that have helped me:
- Drawing on myself with red pen instead of harming.
- Holding an ice cube and focusing on the cold.
- Listening to my favourite music on headphones and singing along.
- Writing about how I am feeling on paper and destroying that paper or writing in my Ranting and Venting Thread.
- Meditating
- Doing something active like star jumps or dancing
I haven't self harmed regularly in the last 9 years but have slipped up occasionally. along the way. Point of me saying that is recovery isn't linear but it is possible and recovery doesn't have to mean a perfect streak of no self harm ever again. That's the ultimate aim but you have to be kind to yourself along the way. Just try your best not to harm each and every day, to use distractions to get past the urges, to seek out the support you need and find healthier coping mechanisms.
Wishing you the best and hoping I haven't overloaded you with this reply.
|
