Hello, my name is Laura and I periodically post here on the SAFE page. I should more often because I owe so much to where I am at to them. Well actually they gave me some tools and I went with what I learned and therefore, I am at where I am today because of what I learned from SAFE and how I put it to action. I feel proud of where I’m at today, being injury free and actually living a life. I seriously thought I was going to die because of my injuring and so did many others. I am so glad those days are over for me. I get a brief thought now and then, but honestly I never really think of injuring anymore. I have so many other options than to do that. The tools I learned at SAFE and learning that I have alternatives. I never thought I had alternatives. My thoughts went into immediate action and sometimes it seemed liked I didn’t even think about injuring…it just happened. Well that is not the case. I have gone over 10 or 11 years now without injuring and I have gone to SAFE starting way back, way way back. I have Karen and Wendy to thank for helping me out. You know, I wrote to Karen contantly seeing if they accepted my insurance yet. One day I got the call that the hospital now did. I was down there in no time. I didn’t get it the first time though. I had no clue as to who I was and my walls were up so high. I ended up going back. That time really helped but I didn’ t quit right away. Then one day I just picked up what I learned and put it into action and here I am years later still injury free. Some days I just cannot believe it and other days I’m here living it every day. I am living a life that I am actually injury free and do not have the obsession. I don’t scan a room anymore …. nothing like that.
There is a but though, I needed a new doctor, a medical doctor. He denied me because of my past. He went by how I was years ago and denied me treatment. I didn’t think that doctors could really do that, but he did. I felt very hurt and angry, and I cried over it. I never once thought about going back to injuring though. For that I’m greatful. You know, I think I’m sitting here babbling trying to think of something that may help others and I’m not coming up with the so-called “perfect” statement. So what I really wanted to say is that Wendy told me a long time ago that recovery begins when you start acting and not reacting. Today with the help of SAFE I can act and my reactions are few and far apart. Good luck with your recovery. The tools are there you just gotta use them no matter what and no matter what….Don’t Give In. It’s worth hanging in there. Sorry so long and that I babbled, but I guess that sometimes I just need to tell myself all this too for a reminder. Take care everyone ~~
Thanks so much for sharing that Laura! I think it’s so helpful to everyone here to know that it’s possible to get through difficult times without injuring. You’ve done a lot of hard work to get where you’re at today. You have much to be proud of yourself for. Though there have been bumps in the road, you’ve made it through.
Thanks again for sharing.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I find it inspiring. I too am alumni from SAFE and still struggle some days. But what is encouraging to me is that I’ve gone from having impulses several times a day every day to now once a day several days apart. It’s such a relief to see my life changing b/c I continue to do the work needed to be SI free.
So thx again for posting – you are awesome!
Kelly
Dear Laura, I am so thankful to you that you posted! I have been injury free for the last five, going on six years, and I still have thoughts every once in awhile about injuring. I haven’t heard from anyone who has went this long without injuring, and I begain to wonder if that meant I was going to slide back into it at any moment. So hearing that you have gone so long, double my time, well that just gave me more encouragement! Thank you so much for posting, for telling your story, I am thankful that even after so many years, you still come to the site and you still post to help others and maybe even yourself in ways. It helps me just to know that someone has made it so long without giving back into it. I didn’t go into treatment to do the S.A.F.E. program, I just couldn’t do it, but I had contacted Karen and talked to her several times, and she had sent me a copy of the book and after a few years of receiving the book, I was actually in a place where I could start working on the program that was outlined, with a trusted person, and within a year of starting, I was thrilled that I was about to go 3 months without injuring and then 4 months and so on until it was finally a whole year. But even after five years, I have thoughts and sometimes some urges and was scared to death that I was going to slip and fail again, like I have in the past. So once again, thank you so much for posting. And keep up the great work!