Help alternatives to not cutting yourself?

[waqs]

ive been clean for 2-3 years at this point, since i have had support outlets i no longer do. everyday it gets harder to not cut myself and give back into those habits? does anyone have any other ways to deal with sh, ive tried things like holding ice cubes but it just doesnt work.

 

[Lions303]

Umm my experience was to basically catch the urges and gaslight myself into just going one more day. Basically 'can it wait until tomorrow?' Like in meditation when your mind wonders you just bring it back to breathing, id just do the same with urges. Worked for me, may work for you, may not. Either way I wish you all the best in recovery and amazing things for the future <3

 

[waqs]

Umm my experience was to basically catch the urges and gaslight myself into just going one more day. Basically 'can it wait until tomorrow?' Like in meditation when your mind wonders you just bring it back to breathing, id just do the same with urges. Worked for me, may work for you, may not. Either way I wish you all the best in recovery and amazing things for the future <3

hm maybe, i do procrastinate a lot of things in life so it seems like something that could work. ty for your advice <3

 

[Manaaja]

How about a really cold or a hot shower? Does it help in anyway? Or eating really hot chili? Hmm, maybe putting really hot chili on skin? Having intense discussions online? Like, if you had a really tiresome and stupid 8 hour internet fight over a random topic like video games or music or animals, maybe you'd be too tired to cut.

 

[apearl]

I mean if you got the place and time, intense aerobic exercise is pretty helpful. If you exercise a ton you'll kind of get a similar pain feeling and the spike in some happy chemical that you get with sh. (speaking out of my ass but I kinda feel similar after both in my own experience) Or you'll be too tired to try anything after that lol.

Congrats for being clean for so long! :)

 

[westerly_merlin]

I journal my thoughts. I usually SH as a distraction when my thoughts are spiralling and the act of writing down the reason I am in a tail-spin heading for a crash and reading them back makes them seem less severe.

However I am not as clean as you, there are some times where I am so wrapped up in a negative thought train and my whole body just feels itchy and crawling that the only relief is a little pain ….

I hope you find an answer my friends, If I do I will l Let you all know

 

[Keridwen]

ive been clean for 2-3 years at this point, since i have had support outlets i no longer do. everyday it gets harder to not cut myself and give back into those habits? does anyone have any other ways to deal with sh, ive tried things like holding ice cubes but it just doesnt work.

Have you tried dipping your hand into a bowl of cold water with ice In it ? It's similar to ice cubes but after some time (like 30 seconds) is unbearably painful

 

[kazatte]

Have you tried dipping your hand into a bowl of cold water with ice In it ? It's similar to ice cubes but after some time (like 30 seconds) is unbearably painful

i was just gonna say this!! this or the good old rubber band on your wrist habit. snap that thing really hard

alternatively, as has been said in the thread already, procrastinate. just repeat that it can wait over and over to yourself until you're able to believe it

no matter what advice you choose to take, i wish you the best in your recovery, and i'm very proud of you for having stayed clean for so long!! that's a HUGE accomplishment. any day you spend clean is a day you should be proud of

 

[Someplace_nice]

You could try drawing or playing an instrument if you have any, popping your bones. I usually just stuff the urges deep down so I can barely feel them so they are easier to deal with

 

[waqs]

Have you tried dipping your hand into a bowl of cold water with ice In it ? It's similar to ice cubes but after some time (like 30 seconds) is unbearably painful

ill try this today, thank you for the suggestion