Anyone tried it?
My PDN suggested it yesterday as a less harmful form of punishment/release. I have one on now i guess i just leave it on and ping it when i want to sh ae?
The BRAVEST thing
I ever did was CONTINUING MY LIFE when I wanted to die.
Hi yeah. Yeha i have tried this. It can be really effective i think so it is deffanetly woth a try. As you said the idea is to keep it on and ping it when you feel the urge to hurt your self.
I think the trick is to catch the urge quick enough because i fould it quickly got to big for the elastic band to help.
The only other advise i can give is watch out for pinging it to hard. the idea is for it to stop the self harm, not replase it
"The body faught to survive, it evacuated toxins in any way it knew how. It made clots to stop the bleeding.Bones would find the quickest ways to heal themselves. It made scar tissue. In the face of violence towards it, it would become violent. It was amazing, yet excruciating. "
To me it is still self-harm, so you aren't really changing anything other than the method. Whilst it may not be doing as much damage as say cutting, it is still causing some damage.
To me it is still self-harm, so you aren't really changing anything other than the method. Whilst it may not be doing as much damage as say cutting, it is still causing some damage.
When trying to quit coffee, it's always kindest to switch gradually to decaf first.
I think, if you are struggling with SI, or trying to quit, harm reduction is at least kinder to your body. It's obviously no better than more damaging SI, but at least you're less likely to end up needing the ER. I use the rubber band at work from time to time, on especially bad days.
When trying to quit coffee, it's always kindest to switch gradually to decaf first.
I think, if you are struggling with SI, or trying to quit, harm reduction is at least kinder to your body. It's obviously no better than more damaging SI, but at least you're less likely to end up needing the ER. I use the rubber band at work from time to time, on especially bad days.
I disagree. I think this sort of thing puts self-harm into a hierarchy, and it is essentially saying that one form of self-harm is 'better' than another because it is less damaging. Both methods are causing harm. In the same way that holding ice (another common distraction/harm reduction method) still causes harm. There are plenty of people who 'only' bruise or who 'only' scratch or 'only' pick at their skin or pull hairs. All of these people are still self-harming, and simply swapping one way of doing it for another isn't really solving anything in my opinion.
Take the focus completely off the act of harming and direct it towards the causes and you may find the person doesn't really need to self-harm any more.
This was recommended to me too - I have tried it but PERSONALLY didn't find it massively effective. However, that's just me. I'd still say it was worth a try.
I disagree. I think this sort of thing puts self-harm into a hierarchy, and it is essentially saying that one form of self-harm is 'better' than another because it is less damaging. Both methods are causing harm. In the same way that holding ice (another common distraction/harm reduction method) still causes harm. There are plenty of people who 'only' bruise or who 'only' scratch or 'only' pick at their skin or pull hairs. All of these people are still self-harming, and simply swapping one way of doing it for another isn't really solving anything in my opinion.
Take the focus completely off the act of harming and direct it towards the causes and you may find the person doesn't really need to self-harm any more.
You see an argument where there isn't one. Let me be more blunt.
Self harm is self harm. Universally. Perhaps someone who has "only" ever scratched thinks they are better than I am, with my scars and permanent nerve damage and all that garbage; or vice versa. Well, that's bull. The idea of a hierarchy is a dangerous piece of propaganda which places way too much importance on non-central aspects of self harm.
Self harm is not about the physical damage. It goes on in the head first and foremost. Physical damage is a symptom, not the condition. That being said, harm reduction makes complete sense to me when it's used as part of an overall treatment plan to try to stop. It's a stopgap. To a person who is struggling to quit, yet gives in to an urge, I fail to see how something less physically damaging is a bad thing, or fits into a "hierarchy." To me, it's acknowledging that the body, as well as the mind, has needs and deserves consideration.
Obviously it's better to remove that focus, and substitute healthier coping methods permanently, if quitting is what a person wishes. That's how quitting works. However, it's not a magical process which works in days or weeks. It requires support over the long term, and a certain refiguring of the way one sees the world and oneself. Therefore, slips are common. To me, I'd rather slip and snap myself with a rubber band than slip and take a straight razor to my inner forearm. But that's just me.
Well, my thought is always, if it gets you through, and keeps you from cutting, it's a good thing. I've been using it for a while. Sometimes it'll leave a bruise, but I never want it to. I find that using it gets me through the worst of the urge sometimes. It doesn't always work, but when it does I'm glad. I don't think it's actually self harm... I think it's an alternative. Kind of like detox for a drug addict. I don't know, I struggled with that question too, but I decided that if it helps me get through the worst of it so that my urges don't build and I SI badly, then it's worth it.
Thank you for the personal accounts and postive replies. I will continue trying it as i think that anything is better the my normal forms of self harm.
The BRAVEST thing
I ever did was CONTINUING MY LIFE when I wanted to die.
What I find useful about it is that, when my mind starts to turn to those thoughts, a swift *snap* sometimes shakes me out of it. Sort of like aversion therapy, I suppose.
Rubber bands can be less damaging, but it really should only be used a short team thing. I, personally, have never tried it. But give it a go and see how it goes for you. Also, if it doesn't work or you don't find it helpful there are other things you could do, such as holding ice.
I don't want to intervene but yeah, I don't agree with it either, and it's not because it causes "physical damage". You're still using pain to deal with stress and solve your problems, and the pain can be addictive. I would rather someone snap a band against their wrist than cut themselves of course, but it's not a good idea to use this in the long run. If it's just for awhile, go for it, but I still find it weird that therapists support it.
As for me, it didn't work. Because it didn't leave a mark and didn't feel like the same thing, it had me focusing on cutting and burning. It triggered me. However, it works wonders for some people. Especially when you have an urge so bad it feels completely out of your control. If it works for you, continue. :)
Ive used this method before and it didint work for me. It turned into another form SI. everything is worth a shot. if it works for you, kudos! but just remember tha it takes alot alot alot of self control!
I've tried the rubber band before and it actually did work for a while. The rubber band I used was more like a hair tie with one of those little metal thingies that hurts really bad when you flick yourself with it. However, after a while, it stopped working so I stopped doing it. I guess I just needed more pain than what flipping myself with the metal piece on the hair tie was giving me. Besides, my therapist didn't want me to do it anymore because I was flipping myself so much that I had very sore red welts on my arms. But if it works for you then great, keep doing it.
The idea of the rubber band isn't a replacement for self-harm, it's meant to be an aversion. When you start to dwell on SI thoughts, snap the rubber band to bring yourself back into the moment. It's a much better "slip" than harming, and as an aversion tactic can be very effective. If you're using it as a replacement for harming, it's always going to prove inadequate
