I stumbled across this site and thought I'd join because I'm in a helpful mood recently and I have this crazy idea that my experiences and support might be useful to people who are going through something like what I went through! I'm 26, a dude, and I live in the UK. I got really ill with M.E. around the time I turned 17, sleeping 16 hours a day really screwed with my education, and I consequently developed a self-harm habit from 2000 to 2001, after which it petered out gradually. I can't actually remember the last time I did it (which may seem odd to people) but it's been a few years and I don't think I'm going to do it again. I never told anyone and no-one knows I did it, and I've been thinking about it recently because it seems like enough distance has passed that I could, without making a big thing out of it, tell some members of my family without feeling ashamed or embarrassed... maybe it could give them some insight into my feelings and behaviour when I was ill, some 'closure'. Anyways thanks for having me
Hi, welcome Ryl, you sound like a very strong person to have been through what you have and congratulations for not SIing for so long. There is a Vets corner here for those of us (but not exclusively) who are over 18 so feel free to drop by :) take care, Hannah
"I am me and me is good enough if I would only be it openly"
Welcome to RYL
Hope you find everything your looking for
Feel free to pm me if you need anything
I don't bite..well much
Take care
Much Love
Kathryn
xx
You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.
Hey hun.
*waves*
Welcome to RYL
Hope you get all the help and support you need.
*hugs*
Look forward to seeing you around the boards.
My PM box is always open.
Take care.
Amy x
'Cause I'll always remember you the same.
Oh eyes like wild flowers within demons of change ♥
That's awesome that you want to help out, just be mindful that with reading about self-injury it is very easy to get sucked back in. Came here in very similar circumstances to yourself and ended up in a pretty bad way as a result - only really getting out of it now some five years later. If you notice that the idea of SI is becoming alluring again, get the hell away and don't look back.
XXXX
That's a good point and I'll bear your experience in mind. After the initial burst though, a lot of the time I was harming I felt like I took it, I dunno, perhaps less seriously compared to many of the people on the boards I used to visit? I think that's how I broke from the habit- I made it less and less of a big deal in my own mind, so that I could cut without feeling disappointed in myself... then I could discard it, it didn't have the power. Basically treating it like a cheap and nasty coping method so I could rationally look for better ones, as opposed to seeing myself as defined by the symptom and treating myself like an addict. Maybe I just got lucky, but the net effect is that SI doesn't seem to have that seductive power over me, I've never been 'triggered' for example, so fingers crossed.
Thanks for the welcome guys, I'm not sure how regularly I'll be around but anyone should feel free to PM me particularly if they're interested in a 'recovered' perspective, albeit possibly a daft one.
Hey
Welcome to RYL :)
Congratulations for not cutting for so long! I agree with what the others have said about being careful not to get sucked back into it though.
PM me anytime
Jess x
~Here I am at your feet in my brokenness complete~
