10 years
 

Hey guys, I'm sorry if this thread is repeating another, or not posted in the correct place etc...it's down to pure laziness, and any re-direction would be much appreciated.
I have not self-harmed in 10 years, and in those years I could count on one hand the number of times I have thought about it (not as in that I would do it...more just thinking about my past...).
Anyhow, I've had a bizzare day, with people commenting on my scars...and I something made me google self-harm....just wondering if their are any other EX-self-harmers who know what it is like to wear their pasts on their sleeves? Would be nice to chat......
Thanks

well done on 10 years that's an amazing achievement, i so proud of you. xxx

I'll have to wear my past on my sleeves but I'm no where near 10 years free. Well done you, that's an amazing achievement. I'm so pleased for you :) x

Yes, this is the right place for a thread of this type. =] And congrats on 10 years...it definately is an inspiration. Hope you find someone who fits what you need, since I'm only 10 months free.

i have not self harmed in like almost a year and a half, but i still pay for those days. I self harmed for almost 15 years, started as a teen, and so needless to say i have several severe scars. when people notice, especially medical personnal and such, they begin treating me diffrent. It is obvious that these scars are old, nothing is even remotly fresh, and yet they treat me as if i were still doing it and must be a psycho so many times they act as if the illness I there for is faked or psychsymatic. I had surgery on my hand, carpal tunnel, and when I went to have the sutures looked at because they were seeming infected they actually acused me of having done it and lying about the surgery, they actually tried to have me committed to a psych ward. thank the surgery had been performed at that hospital so that the records were there. they looked it up to prove I was lying but found i was not.

Thats such a brilliant achievement! Well done!! Im really proud of you. Keep up the fantastic work.

All the best Ian

Wow, what an inspiration! One day I hope I can be like you, I congratulate you on the strength you have shown xxx

This board is probably one of the best places to post about the concerns you have :) You might want to try having a nosey around the Veterans Corner too, where the generally older demographic of RYL "hang out" as well.

Hey there, thanks to all who have bothered to read this, and reply to it! I was really torn between writing the post... I didn't want people to be thinking "if they've gone 10 years and still have to post on here, what does that say about stopping?" because it wasn't like that, and I hope I made that clear... and please don't think that there is no point in stopping because in 10 years time people will comment on your scars, cuz that in itself didn't bother me.... I was more confused about peoples everyday reactions to others....
I just want to say that there is no difference between the strength you have to muster between going 10 days, 10 months, or 10 years...except it gets so much easier! At least I can gain strength from looking back at 10 years of a fantastic life, which puts the 10 years beforehand in to the shade.
The one thing I have gained from 'googling' self-harm is reading the posts on this forum, and being taken back to a previous time in my life, and realising that YES I was there once, and it was soooo hard for me to change my life. But I managed it. (And please, I really aren't being patronizing, I remember all to well the shrinks that thought they knew what i felt like!).
And maybe I should had added to my previous thread, that when those people commented on my scars, i replied "I didn't have the nicest upbringing, I used to have a mental illness, I used to Self-harm, those scars are 10 years old"...every one of those people attempted to make a conversation about it... maybe just cuz people aren't educated about SI it makes them scared, but they still want to learn about it and understand it.
Anyway, thanks again, and I wish all of you the best, you will all be fine...

well done herwegi i wish i had you stregth and courage to not si
im here if you need to talk im here

Wow 10 years what an amazing achievement, you are an inspiration to me as I am sure others as well

wow 10 years...

I've been just over two years now. I stopped when I found out I was pregnant (my baby is 18 months old now). My scars are totally white and old looking, but still very visable.

I've had people ask how I got my scars (someone asked if my cat did it?!) and I've always mumbled a reply.... 'mumble mumble got cut mumble' and change the subject. Mine look nothing like cat scratches, some people are just a bit thick LOL.

how do you do that? I think about it a lot, and sometimes I really want to do it again. I stop myself by being logical. I always regretted it afterwards. I keep telling myself that, and how it takes so many months for cuts to heal and you have to hide... etc.

Did something happen that made your life better (circumstance change) and you were happier and that's why you don't think about it anymore?

I'm just trying to understand how you get rid of the thoughts. Because it's obviously working, having been ten years. GIVE ME TIPS!!!! lol