Triggering (SI) - how much worse?

[starskylloyd]

is it worse to be slicing into my arms and legs, wondering how much farther is the end, watching the blood ooze down my leg or arm and liking every second of it, or to be sitting in the dark, holding a single lighter, and burning myself until i have to drop it, then picking it up again and touching the metal until it cools, taking in ever ounce of pain that i can, only so i can wake up later and want to. ive been cutting for two years now and SIing for my whole life as a way to cope, i just got into burning myself and it works sooo much better then cutting, but, how do i find a new way to cope that wont stop working after only a few days?can someone please help me?

[Pomegranate]

To be honest they are both bad options. There are far better options you could take. Cutting and burning both equal the same i.e self harm. They may help short term but they are not actually solving the problem. I also started cutting fairly young (younger than you are now by a while) and I thought I would just keep cutting/burning etc. In reality, neither worked in the long term. People tried to tell me that but I didn't listen.

You asked if someone can help you and what will help you to cope. As boring and annoying and cliched as it sounds (and trust me I told myself everything in the book from they're lying, they're against me, they don't know me and also they are obviously not as bad as me etc etc), the only thing that will truely make all the shit stop for you is talking to someone. For some people just talking to a friend or family member or counsellor works. Others require medication/psychiatrists/therapists etc and just generally more complex care.

You need to open up to somebody, the fact that you even posted suggests that either you are unhappy and want help or maybe you just wanted to post to tell someone about your new self harm activity. Personally I think it is probably the first i.e you are unhappy. If you truely want to get and feel better then you need to open up. That may not be easy....in fact it may be one of the hardest things you ever do but it may also save your life in the long run or at the very least it may mean that eventually you will be able to smile and really truely mean it without feeling any negative overtones.

[Gone.]

I agree with the above. I think you know that both the options you have given us to choose from are the wrong ones. I think you know that what you're doing, you shouldn't be. But I do completely understand how things don't 'work' and you give up after only a few days. I think that talking to someone, fundamentally, is the best thing because it helps you figure out the roots of your problems and try to solve why it is you self-harm. Then, you can figure out how it might be best for you to stop.

It might be useful for you to visit RYL's The Big Distraction List or maybe something like exercise, writing or singing might work for you. I don't know, these are only short-term solutions. I think the best thing is to talk to someone.

Take care xx