Help Self Harm

[flightlessbutterfly]

What methods are there to self harm? Is there even a 'safe' way to self harm? Or at least, a way to harm myself in a more comfortable or safe manner? I can't CTB, and I want to spill the beans about my suicidal thoughts to my psychiatrist, but every time I think about it, I just go down an internal rabbit hole of 'what ifs'. I want to seek some sort of help.. But in my country, I just can't 100% guarantee my safety if I do admit so. And I can't guarantee what will happen to me.. In general.

So, to shut off the thoughts of CTB that's positively overwhelming me, what methods of self harming are there and what can I do to.. 'Do it safely'? Thank you in advance.

Edit: I don't care about scars. I just want to know what would work to.. Stop everything. I want to control this pain. I don't know how else to do it.

 

[misatosdiary]

I dont want to give advice or anything but I bet when you google how most people self harm you'll get a good list. Also about the scars thing, i dont want to annoy you but give that another thought please. Living with scars is a burden which affects you everyday, for example now that its summer I feel like im overheating the second I go outside. Scars will impact you emotionally and people staring at them wont be a pleasure. I know this may make you want scars even more, if I wouldve heard what Im saying rn before I had gotten scars I wouldve wanted to sh even more but honestly it was not worth it. If you figure out a good method please lmk :)

 

[Ash]

There was a very good thread just yesterday about why people self harm. I'll try to find it. I highly recommend having a read. It's honest accounts from past and present SHers.

Edit: here you go:

Thread 'Why do People Cut Themselves?' https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/why-do-people-cut-themselves.171200/

Read this first. Then try the resource in the Recovery section. Anything and everything else first.

I'm a cutter. You can read my posts. I really do understand. But I strongly advise trying other more helpful strategies first. Then if you need wound care and safety advice, just shout. I won't tell you how to cut, though.

 

[flightlessbutterfly]

I dont want to give advice or anything but I bet when you google how most people self harm you'll get a good list. Also about the scars thing, i dont want to annoy you but give that another thought please. Living with scars is a burden which affects you everyday, for example now that its summer I feel like im overheating the second I go outside. Scars will impact you emotionally and people staring at them wont be a pleasure. I know this may make you want scars even more, if I wouldve heard what Im saying rn before I had gotten scars I wouldve wanted to sh even more but honestly it was not worth it. If you figure out a good method please lmk :)

I guess I've been told that I should be careful about getting scars (in general) because 'it's not pretty' and 'no man will want me' (though I'm not attracted to men.) kind of just.. Made me uncaring about the presence of them? I have nasty scars all over my legs, so just.. Visualising and even drawing scar marks on my thighs just.. Didn't bother me. But I'll think about it. Thank you.

 

[dinosavr]

Here I come with my magic list:
-cutting your skin, either deeply (with a razor or a knife) or shallowly (with a needle or nail clippers or even paper)
-punching your legs, arms, stomach, chest, head or punching walls/furniture with your knuckles or head
-biting yourself repeatedly or really hard
-digging nails deeply into your skin or scratch it
-forcing yourself to fast or to eat old/disgusting food, for example pouring water on a toast or preparing pasta with no salt or seasoning
-getting too drunk
-getting sleep deprived on purpose
-burning yourself with a cigarette, a lighter, hot water or the oven or anything
-choking yourself long enough to feel discomfort but not long enough to faint
-drugs
-BDSM
-closing the door with your fingers in it
-putting pens or your fingers too deep in your nose to cause bleeding
-cutting or burning your tongue
-getting big dark tattoos or piercings in painful spots (maybe even not taking proper care of them)
-smoking many cigarettes at once
-too intensive workouts
-grazing the skin on your feet where you wear shoes
-provoking vomiting after eating
-breaking the law or using public transport without a ticket
-breaking a bone
-pouring hot coffee on your body
-staying up all night
-fasting for a few days
-eating very hot and/or spicy food
-buckling your belt too tight
-wearing shoes that are too tight
-going to sleep in wet clothes/wet socks

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - these are the methods that I use or would want to use, but I definitely don't advise anyone to ever do that, especially if you haven't self harmed yet, please try to find some other, healthier solutions. Your recovery won't work with self harming. It just seems so simple but it's really hard to stop once you start doing it.

 

[-nobodyknows-]

I cut when I was younger. The scars are definitely awkward, which is why I generally stuck to my upper thighs. Thankfully they faded pretty well, but I was careful not to cut too deep.

 

[flightlessbutterfly]

Here I come with my magic list:
-cutting your skin, either deeply (with a razor or a knife) or shallowly (with a needle or nail clippers or even paper)
-punching your legs, arms, stomach, chest, head or punching walls/furniture with your knuckles or head
-biting yourself repeatedly or really hard
-digging nails deeply into your skin or scratch it
-forcing yourself to fast or to eat old/disgusting food, for example pouring water on a toast or preparing pasta with no salt or seasoning
-getting too drunk
-getting sleep deprived on purpose
-burning yourself with a cigarette, a lighter, hot water or the oven or anything
-choking yourself long enough to feel discomfort but not long enough to faint
-drugs
-BDSM
-closing the door with your fingers in it
-putting pens or your fingers too deep in your nose to cause bleeding
-cutting or burning your tongue
-big dark tattoos or piercings in painful spots (maybe even not taking proper care of them)
-smoking many cigarettes at once
-too intensive workouts
-graze the skin on your feet where you wear shoes
-provoking vomiting after eating
-breaking the law or using public transport without a ticket
-breaking a bone
-pouring hot coffee on your body
-staying up all night
-fasting for a few days
-eating very hot and/or spicy food
-buckling your belt too tight
-wearing shoes that are too tight
-going to sleep in wet clothes/wet socks

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - these are the methods that I use or would want to use, but I definitely don't advise anyone to ever do that, especially if you haven't self harmed yet, please try to find some other, healthier solutions. Your recovery won't work with self harming. It just seems so simple but it's really hard to stop once you start doing it.

I'm at the point where the only other healthy solution is telling someone how I feel about living, and where I live? I may be signing my own death warrant. I don't know if I want to CTB or plan to CTB but I also just can't handle living, I've held myself back from self harming for years that have actually made me regress. I just want an outlet. And some of these (eyeing the smaller things like spilling hot coffee or BDSM) might actually give me a chance to breathe. I've been coping with healthy methods for years that just.. Never worked, made me worse. So, thank you.

 

[misatosdiary]

I guess I've been told that I should be careful about getting scars (in general) because 'it's not pretty' and 'no man will want me' (though I'm not attracted to men.) kind of just.. Made me uncaring about the presence of them? I have nasty scars all over my legs, so just.. Visualising and even drawing scar marks on my thighs just.. Didn't bother me. But I'll think about it. Thank you.

Looking at your quote ,,The things is, if I could restart and try again, I would do everything differently." That's exactly how youre gonna feel after looking at your entire body being covered in scars. They dont have to be ugly but I'll promise you the addiction to sh is not worth the small amount of pain youre getting out of it.

btw, i know hot water has already been mentioned but what I like to do is whenever I wash my hands I turn the water as hot as possible and just hold my hands under it for some time. Its easy fast and wont even hurt afterwards if you dont overdo it

 

[flightlessbutterfly]

Looking at your quote ,,The things is, if I could restart and try again, I would do everything differently." That's exactly how youre gonna feel after looking at your entire body being covered in scars. They dont have to be ugly but I'll promise you the addiction to sh is not worth the small amount of pain youre getting out of it.

btw, i know hot water has already been mentioned but what I like to do is whenever I wash my hands I turn the water as hot as possible and just hold my hands under it for some time. Its easy fast and wont even hurt afterwards if you dont overdo it

So I've heard. The addiction is merciless. It's probably one of the main driving reasons that stopped me from harming myself for years. But then what do I do? How else can I handle this? I just.. Don't want to hold on so tightly anymore.

 

[dinosavr]

So I've heard. The addiction is merciless. It's probably one of the main driving reasons that stopped me from harming myself for years. But then what do I do? How else can I handle this? I just.. Don't want to hold on so tightly anymore.

Sometimes life is just too much and honestly I think it's okay to try to cope with it with anything that helps, even just a little bit, even temporarily.

 

[Ash]

So I've heard. The addiction is merciless. It's probably one of the main driving reasons that stopped me from harming myself for years. But then what do I do? How else can I handle this? I just.. Don't want to hold on so tightly anymore.

There are ways to access the same endorphins that aren't self destructive. Running, cycling, dancing, climbing, swimming, cold water swimming, martial arts, boxing, weights, hiking.... Any "healthy" activity (i.e. even sex where you're empowered rather than objectified. Do BDSM right and it's the former, not the latter) that raises the heartbeat and gets the adrenaline and endorphins flowing will give you the same release and pain and control and suffering and self care and self punishment and routine and euphoria.

Edit: until my physical health got in the way, I cycled, hiked, ran and boxed for years instead of cutting. They were better than cutting. I went back to cutting when I couldn't do them any more.

 

[flightlessbutterfly]

There are ways to access the same endorphins that aren't self destructive. Running, cycling, dancing, climbing, swimming, cold water swimming, martial arts, boxing, weights, hiking.... Any "healthy" activity (i.e. even sex where you're empowered rather than objectified. Do BDSM right and it's the former, not the latter) that raises the heartbeat and gets the adrenaline and endorphins flowing will give you the same release and pain and control and suffering and self care and self punishment and routine and euphoria.

Edit: until my physical health got in the way, I cycled, hiked, ran and boxed for years instead of cutting. They were better than cutting. I went back to cutting when I couldn't do them any more.

I've done a lot of it. But especially in recent months, everything that used to help me feel lighter like taking a walk or swinging in the park and exercising just made me feel worse. It scared me. It heightened my urges to self harm instead of suppress them. I don't want to feel that hopeless again, but it just really isn't helping for me anymore. I'm sorry.

 

[Ash]

I've done a lot of it. But especially in recent months, everything that used to help me feel lighter like taking a walk or swinging in the park and exercising just made me feel worse. It scared me. It heightened my urges to self harm instead of suppress them. I don't want to feel that hopeless again, but it just really isn't helping for me anymore. I'm sorry.

Absolutely fair enough. A lot of people ask on here and have never tried alternatives. But you have and full credit to you. I mean that.

It's fucking shit when you're sinking. But we've got you. As I said, if you need practical self care advice, never hesitate to ask. There's enough of us here who know what you're going through.

 

[flightlessbutterfly]

Absolutely fair enough. A lot of people ask on here and have never tried alternatives. But you have and full credit to you. I mean that.

It's fucking shit when you're sinking. But we've got you. As I said, if you need practical self care advice, never hesitate to ask. There's enough of us here who know what you're going through.

Thank you. And I am trying, I haven't felt happy in many years now, but I'm not ready to give up just yet.

 

[Dot]

Self Harm Resources

This post is written by @Dot, I am just the messenger Self Harm It's known that there are many users on the forum who self harm for different reasons. This thread is focused mostly on habitual or impulsive/physical self harm. This thread has not been made for any glorification of self harm...

sanctioned-suicide.net

Thre r sme distractn rsourcs on ths thred

 

[Ash]

Oh, and never apologise for hanging on. And screw anyone who bangs on about beauty standards.

 

[phantompanda]

What methods are there to self harm? Is there even a 'safe' way to self harm? Or at least, a way to harm myself in a more comfortable or safe manner? I can't CTB, and I want to spill the beans about my suicidal thoughts to my psychiatrist, but every time I think about it, I just go down an internal rabbit hole of 'what ifs'. I want to seek some sort of help.. But in my country, I just can't 100% guarantee my safety if I do admit so. And I can't guarantee what will happen to me.. In general.

So, to shut off the thoughts of CTB that's positively overwhelming me, what methods of self harming are there and what can I do to.. 'Do it safely'? Thank you in advance.

Edit: I don't care about scars. I just want to know what would work to.. Stop everything. I want to control this pain. I don't know how else to do it.

i really don't want to encourage you to harm yourself, because it really is a miserable addiction to have. i get where you're coming from though. its obviously all harmful, but if you really have tried every other outlet, you can try to keep it to the "smaller things" like you mentioned earlier in this thread. be aware though that things can (and often do) escalate, and part of what is so hard about being addicted to self harm is how difficult it is to stop yourself from getting worse and doing things you might regret. best of luck to you, and be careful

 

[EvisceratedJester]

There is no such thing as a safe self-harm method. Self-harm involves harming yourself, it's in the name. At best, there are methods of reducing the harm you may cause yourself, such as, for example, cutting more lightly and practicing good aftercare. There are probably much healthier and safer ways to get that endorphin release, such as exercising. I'd recommend trying to find healthy ways to deal with your emotions instead of opting for SH. SH can lead to permanent physical and psychological issues and just isn't worth it.

Also, you should care about scarring. SH scars, depending on their severity, suck. I'm pretty sure I have nerve damage or something around my scars as they get itchy and hurt sometimes (especially when pressure is applied to them). I have to wear a sleeve on one of my arms and I constantly find myself readjusting it because it seems to irritate my scar tissue. It's also really uncomfortable when people take note of them (including those close to you). I remember having some dude I was sexting a few months back asking if I was a "sad gorl" when he noticed them (he wasn't trying to be mean or anything, for reference).

 

[LocalAngel]

Sometimes... people just need to self harm. I don't know your circumstances, but if it's life or death... i really don't blame you at all. We all have to have some way of coping.

I know everyone here is saying that scars suck, but... honestly i don't mind mine. What i don't like is the nerve pain, or the fact that, as self harm eventually becomes worse, less and less works to make you feel better. You usually have to make it much more intense and that's where it can get very distressing. Early on it wasn't so bad for me, but. Yeah it can get pretty bad to even start to feel better. (Much like any addiction.)

My DM's are open if you'd like to talk about this more. I won't judge, i've been doing this actively for awhile now and i get it. The "brainworms" never really go away once you get them, they only lesser in intensity sometimes.

 

[Dot]

What methods are there to self harm? Is there even a 'safe' way to self harm? Or at least, a way to harm myself in a more comfortable or safe manner? I can't CTB, and I want to spill the beans about my suicidal thoughts to my psychiatrist, but every time I think about it, I just go down an internal rabbit hole of 'what ifs'. I want to seek some sort of help.. But in my country, I just can't 100% guarantee my safety if I do admit so. And I can't guarantee what will happen to me.. In general.

So, to shut off the thoughts of CTB that's positively overwhelming me, what methods of self harming are there and what can I do to.. 'Do it safely'? Thank you in advance.

Edit: I don't care about scars. I just want to know what would work to.. Stop everything. I want to control this pain. I don't know how else to do it.

Squeezng ic-cbes = knwn wy t/ s.h w/o damge btw

 

[Felodese]

Here I come with my magic list:
-cutting your skin, either deeply (with a razor or a knife) or shallowly (with a needle or nail clippers or even paper)
-punching your legs, arms, stomach, chest, head or punching walls/furniture with your knuckles or head
-biting yourself repeatedly or really hard
-digging nails deeply into your skin or scratch it
-forcing yourself to fast or to eat old/disgusting food, for example pouring water on a toast or preparing pasta with no salt or seasoning
-getting too drunk
-getting sleep deprived on purpose
-burning yourself with a cigarette, a lighter, hot water or the oven or anything
-choking yourself long enough to feel discomfort but not long enough to faint
-drugs
-BDSM
-closing the door with your fingers in it
-putting pens or your fingers too deep in your nose to cause bleeding
-cutting or burning your tongue
-getting big dark tattoos or piercings in painful spots (maybe even not taking proper care of them)
-smoking many cigarettes at once
-too intensive workouts
-grazing the skin on your feet where you wear shoes
-provoking vomiting after eating
-breaking the law or using public transport without a ticket
-breaking a bone
-pouring hot coffee on your body
-staying up all night
-fasting for a few days
-eating very hot and/or spicy food
-buckling your belt too tight
-wearing shoes that are too tight
-going to sleep in wet clothes/wet socks

VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - these are the methods that I use or would want to use, but I definitely don't advise anyone to ever do that, especially if you haven't self harmed yet, please try to find some other, healthier solutions. Your recovery won't work with self harming. It just seems so simple but it's really hard to stop once you start doing it.

I might just be a bit dumb, but I've only recently - when trying to find "safe" ways of self harming - realized that my way of working out apparently is a form of self harm
I've always done things like running, cycling, using a crosstrainer at the gym and so on until my whole body hurts, till I physically can't go on any more and I can taste blood in my mouth. And I actually thought that this was a pretty healthy coping mechanism, cause exercise is always good, right? and everyone claims it helps depression and all of that.

Now that I'm reading your list I realize there are actually a number of things I've been doing that qualifies as self harm... And I honestly thought that I had never self harmed - until now that is, since I've now started hitting myself or the walls to let the anxiety out.
Well, I learned something today..
Soooo, turns out I have no healthy coping mechanisms what so ever... and that I've might also have been just a tiny bit delusional.
Wow, I'm even more fucked up than I thought... and that's saying quite a lot

 

[dinosavr]

I might just be a bit dumb, but I've only recently - when trying to find "safe" ways of self harming - realized that my way of working out apparently is a form of self harm
I've always done things like running, cycling, using a crosstrainer at the gym and so on until my whole body hurts, till I physically can't go on any more and I can taste blood in my mouth. And I actually thought that this was a pretty healthy coping mechanism, cause exercise is always good, right? and everyone claims it helps depression and all of that.

Now that I'm reading your list I realize there are actually a number of things I've been doing that qualifies as self harm... And I honestly thought that I had never self harmed - until now that is, since I've now started hitting myself or the walls to let the anxiety out.
Well, I learned something today..
Soooo, turns out I have no healthy coping mechanisms what so ever... and that I've might also have been just a tiny bit delusional.
Wow, I'm even more fucked up than I thought... and that's saying quite a lot

Some of these might be fine, like bdsm, sleep deprivation from time to time, spicy food, of course. The main difference that makes it self harm is the will to harm yourself. If you have a tattoo because you like it, it's fine. If you stay up all night because of olympics that you're excited about - good for you. Or you can accidentally pour some hot coffee on your legs. But it's a fine line so please pay attention to it to discover what it is.