any tips or tricks? (could be triggering not sure)

Palladion · 25-11-2008, 11:09 PM

hi everyone, i'm still quite new to ryl so this would be my first proper thread yay me :)
anyway i'm having a really hard time at the moment, i'm trying to stop self harming but i do media studies at school and unfortunately in class we are watching horror movies, as prep for coursework, and many contain lots of blood and knives (as you would expect) however i find this extremely triggering and i've managed to go nearly 10 days now, but it is so hard when i'm faced with this every day.

does anyone have any tips or tricks they use to resist urges to harm i could really use them.

thanks.

Wonderland. · 25-11-2008, 11:21 PM

Sweetie it might be a good idea to inform the teacher that you feel uncomfortable watching films like that. I'm sure they would understand.
Snapping an elastic band against your wrist or ankle is something some people find effective, drawing on yourself with red pen is another.

Amy x

Wolfstar · 26-11-2008, 12:04 AM

Wow, 10 days when you're faced with something as triggering as that is so fantastic. Well done for that, hun!
Like AmyShmamy said, an elastic band or red pen might work. Some people find holding an ice cube in the palm of their hand helps too.
Good luck with it. I'm looking at horror films in January for film studies, so I hope the techniques work!
x

Palladion · 26-11-2008, 12:16 AM

thanks for the quick responses. i don't really want to talk to my teacher i dont think i'm ready for anyone at school to know yet. i havn't tried the red pen before i might try that next time, as for the elastic bands i have tried that, i found it didn't give me the same relief as cutting so i did it more and more to try and get something from it and now i just have bruises.

thanks again

Kitsch · 26-11-2008, 02:53 AM

You don't have to explain the specific reasons that the movies make you uncomfortable.

As for coping techniques, distractions have never worked for me. The only way I can beat urges is by setting myself a time period (say, 2 minutes) to go without cutting. After I've managed that, I set myself another, and make the time period longer each time (10 minutes, 20, 30, an hour, etc) until the urge passes. I don't know if this would work for you, but it's a suggestion. Urges usually only last for short periods of time.

Isoverity · 26-11-2008, 08:48 AM

Watch the urge without being for it or against it. If you get upset and struggle with it it gets worse. If you "watch" or observe any urge objectively it builds and then breaks like a fever. You learn to exceed urges by doing nothing basically. Do that enough times and one day you'll wake up and just wont have the urges. You'll quit by not trying.

Lou_Pie · 26-11-2008, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isoverity

Watch the urge without being for it or against it. If you get upset and struggle with it it gets worse. If you "watch" or observe any urge objectively it builds and then breaks like a fever. You learn to exceed urges by doing nothing basically. Do that enough times and one day you'll wake up and just wont have the urges. You'll quit by not trying.

Yes, this worked for me. I was surprised to find that when I stopped trying not to self-harm, and not battling the urges but acknowledging them (without doing anything) stopping became easier.

I also recommend the 'waiting' technique. It's very effective.

Best of luck.