I am a former patient of SAFE. I was a patient from Mid October until Mid November. Recently I had been in a mental health program and due to some circumstances which were not my fault and my fault. I don’t have a clean slate of no self-injury anymore lets just say, I had to move back home in with my parents. This is hard on me because my parents don’t understand about self-injury and why I get the urges so many times a week. They think I do it to feel better or to relieve myself of stress. I guess I am asking for some ideas on what to tell my parents or other people when they ask me why I self-injure. My therapist always asks me if I did and then asks me why. I am starting DBT in a few weeks so I could use some hints or suggestions on what to do in the meantime so my urges don’t get the best of me.
Thanks
Betsy
Hey Betsy…
I’m not sure what would work for you, however, I know what helps me. First off, I pray, run, lift, write, but one thing that really works for me is if I cry with someone. By that I mean when someone is in the same area as you, not necessarily right beside you. When I am that upset and I need to cry it just makes me feel better if someone is in the other room, that way, if I get too worked up and can run into the other room where someone who cares about me is. Its just one more way to protect myself. You need to get rid of everything that you have…even things that you have hidden. Get rid of it all!!!! Its not worth keeping it!!! That only fuels the fire. Also, getting on here helps me a lot…and just typing out my feelings!!! I will pray for you!! Good Luck,you can do this!!! You are strong!!! 🙂
Urges are normal. I get them all the time. I used to get these terrible withdrawals, and I’d feel really stupid and helpless, like an addict. I realized after a while that I AM an addict, this IS a disease, and in order to make it fade, I have to WANT to get better and I have to look for ways to be better. If that means going to therapy, taking medication, talking on the phone for hours, praying three or more times a day and going to church once a week and meetings, then so be it. Accept your problems, and make it a priority to fix them. That’s important.