Do you count how long since last si?
 

If you do then why? I'm just curious really because although I know I haven't self-harmed for a while I've never counted and couldn't tell you how long it's been. I don't care to know really. I feel a bit weird because I have a different attitude to a lot here. I say that I've stopped which is mostly true but when I slip up I don't feel bad about it and I don't feel that it's the end of the world. I don't feel the need to count days, weeks or months because it just isn't that important.

So yes, answer the poll and tell me I'm normal :P

Yes I do ... the reason is because I used to do it the same way you do and that worked for a while... but then I started to slip up a lot and because I didn't count I convinced myself that they were just slip-ups. Then one day I thought about how frequent these "slip-ups" were and I found I had them at least once a week (which is a bit more than a slip up)... so now I really decided to stop and I chose a good date (1st March) and now I count because it makes me less likely to have a slip up because then I think " I've done x months without and I would break my promise to myself if I did it' and that has helped me until now :)

Hope this made some sense :)

I don't count it, but I can normally work it out once it's been a while.

Like, "I know it was the week that my parents went away with Ted and Sue, which was about 2 months ago, so it must've been about 2 months" kinda thing.

Or, "it was before that exam, so that makes it 45 days".

But like, I won't count every single day, I'll work it out roughly when it's been a couple of months or so.

Saying that, I have no idea when my last cut was, but I can probably find out if I really wanted to, through posts on here or asking the person I tell.

Make sense, or am I totally crazy?

It does make sense both of you

Chels I kinda do that, well I know the last time was around christmas/new year but it just seems that others have the actual dates and it makes me feel I'm weird for not knowing the precise date. It's also something I watche in desperate housewives about alcoholism and Bree told the AA dude she didn't know the date of her last drink and he said that all alcoholics know that and I guess it'd be similar for self-harmers and stuff.

I don't count because if everyday you count, everyday you think about it at least once so it stays in your daily life.

I think that counting days works for some people, however I know it doesn't work for me.

I mean like currently I'll go a month or two, then slip up for a week/couple of days/maybe just one, and then go another month or two. So if I was counting, I'd be like, where do I start counting from, you know?

[*Hopes that makes sense*]

i count. i had a cycle of stop then slip then stop for about 4 months before i actuallly quit. i like be able to say i've quite for 11 months and counting.

I don't count because for me it isn't how long i've been without it.
it's about stopping so that i never even have to think about it as a resort.
i guess it's strange, because i can never fully stop thinking about it.
but i mean, when it gets to the point that everything is ****,
but i'm still don't cut.
that's what it's about for me

i dont count as each day passes by but sometimes it pops up in my mind so i just remember but i dont try to

I do, because I like to keep tabs on how long I've been SI free

I count (not every day) but I always know how long its been. Its something to be proud of for me. My friends like to know whats going on and theyre always really proud when I can tell them that I've managed 6 months so far! Its gives me something to aim for, I'm working towards the next milestone. It would drive me mad if I didn't know how I was doing. I stopped on the 1st January 2007 so I always know how many months :)

Counting never really helped me, because every time I looked at my signature I'd see something that reminded me of self harm, and as long as I was being reminded, I wasn't going to stop.

I don't know when I last intentionally self harmed, but I do know that it was years ago.

I normally keep a rough idea in my head so if its been a while i can think "oooh its been *so long* since i last did it" i can be all proud :)

I have done in the past but I am not bothering atm because I am only getting a couple of days before I mess up again and being so frequent there seems no point in me saying to myself I am trying to stop because I am clearly not very good at it.

I did count when I got to about three weeks, then I actually feel like its something worth remembering. Also it can help me keep going without it.

It depends on how I feel and if I have anything worth stopping for or anyone taking any interest in how I'm doing. I dont see anybody anymore so nobody can ever find out so it doesnt matter. I could be dead before anyone would notice the SH.

x Marie x

I count because stopping cutting was the ahrdest thing i have ever had to do and each day i go without is a small victory. I am over 2 years now, but still now the exact date (812 days ago). I do that to remind myself how far i've come. i wish i could just forget about ever cutting, but the truth it, i am who i am because of what i've been through (good and bad) and i am proud of who i am. Dismissing part of my past would be being ashamed of it. and while i would never cut again, i know that at the time it saved my life. I count to show myself that I am ok and will always be. it;s jsut something that helps me

I dont count. I know when i last did it, I dont count that time tho, but i have no idea how long it was before that. i know it has been about a yeah and a half since i was doing it a lot but not too sure.
I think i mostly dont count because if i do its kinda reminder of it and makes me think about it more. But i see that a lot of people would use it as a type of motivation to quit or to try stop for longer

Yes i count. The only reason i know when exactly i stopped is becuase it was a week after my friends funeral. I keep it in mind so i dont slip up too much. But when i do slip up, i dont stop counting. I dont feel bad and i dont beat myself up about it. I dont count days, but i do celebrate anniversaries. It gives me something to look forward to. That probably makes little sense.

What ever works for you is best. You arent weird at all.

I write down the last time.....mainly b/c when I'm triggered, I can say to myself that's it's been so many weeks or months and if I made it that far I can go even further........keeping track helps me

heh...hopefully that makes sense...

I used to count how long it's been, but I quit doing so because it was actually a trigger for me, now I just try not to think about it. I assume it's been about 3 months since I have last cut myself...

I don't count anymore.