hi ive been cutting myself here lately i want stop and i keep try ing to but it doesnt seem like i can. ive been cutting on and off for 6 years now. i have pychosis and bpd wich they probably not helping me to stop. well i would like any help i can get. helen ****************************************************************** 10-25-04, 02:36 PM honilov Helen, we have another thread here about cutting that you might find beneficial. Members gave some good replies. Here it is This thread
10-25-04, 03:38 PM DvdGStwrt Like all other bad habits, biting nails, doing drugs, drinking, smoking, eating, not eating, vomiting, blah, blah, blah. One needs to find a substitute "habit" to stop the habit they are addressing.
Yes there are other related emotional ills here, and cutting is a symptom of that. But you have basically stated that treating the illness is not working. Perhaps I read that wrong?
Instead of analyzing the reasons why you cut, lets look into alternative practices, thing you can do instead of cut.
I will give you an example of addictions and the trade off.
Used to be I would deal with anxiety with drugs, I would pursue the needle and the drug when life started getting too hectic. Now days I pursue gardening to the extreme - Yes the extreme. I traded in drug addiction for another addiction. When I start feeling like grabbing a needle, I go out and grab a shovel or a hoe.
I did pursue the reasons behind my addictions later, when I wanted to - However at first I pursued it simply:
"I want to get high, Instead I will do ___________, and if I still feel like getting high afterward I will." Fill in the blank with something constructive, even a made up project like collecting red stones from the rivers edge, or shopping for books at thrift stores with illustrations. Any made-up possible but you have to work at it chore which keeps you occupied meeting that goal works.
Yes there were a few times in my early "clean" life where I did get high afterward - but after a few years I discovered I wasn't getting high anymore I found that my substitute additions (I also pursue other hobbies like carpentry) were taking over.
Instead of investing myself into getting high, I was losing myself in gardening, building things, long walks collecting leaves, et cetera other things which filled the time and gave me something to to do BEFORE getting high.
Being clean and sober is not my life long goal. When the urge hits I put it off. Instead of aiming to be clean and sober all day long, I decide to be clean and sober for this hour, and after that hour if I still have the need I put it off for another hour.
No this is not a magical answer, it doesn't cure the ills behind the cutting, it will only provide you with the ability to put off cutting for an hour, a day - and hopefully you can find something else to do which will take your mind off the needs that govern your desire to cut.
Lose yourself in something "constructive" collect feathers from birds outside - I collected 'little white spheres with dimples' (golf balls) from my local golf course by walking around the golf course outside of the fence looking for golf balls knowing that if I could put off getting high until I finished that project I would most likely not get high that day. Yes I collected a lot of golf balls that year. I even got picky, throwing back the 'little non-white spheres with dimples' It gave me something else to do which though pretty much a useless task, did take up the time and give me something else to worry for a while so I did not stick a needle in my arm.
Anything that takes you out of where you are at physically and mentally, anything that makes you have to put off cutting for a while works - no matter how silly it seems. Far easier to not pick up the blade for an hour than to never pick up a blade.
When you are ready to pursue the deeper issues that cutting is a symptom of then pursue them. You do not have to find a cure for the ills today.
David
10-25-04, 04:05 PM Georgia85 I'll refer you to yet another post that was made that actually goes into quite a bit of detail and might help you understand why you are suffering as you are. I hope it helps. Self Amputation and Body Mutilations
10-26-04, 08:33 AM aleia You are not alone. I have had a problem with self-mutilation for many years. The first time I ever did something to myself, I heated up a paper clip and laid it on my arm. I did this many times and still have the scars. Then I moved on to piercing myself. Ears, nipples, the web of my hand, etc. That's when the cutting began. When I got depressed, out came my knife. When I went on anti-deppressants, that made it worse because I still hated myself. I went off the drugs and started drinking, nothing helped. One day I made a decision. This had to stop. I haven't cut myself in 4 years, although I have been tempted. The hardest thing to do, was to throw out my knife. I recently found out that my sister has the same problem. I search for words to help her through this, but there are none. At least she knows that she is not alone, and neither are you. It's the hardest thing to admit, but once you do, you and your mind can begin to heal.
11-02-04, 12:33 PM hnc1987 tnx for all the help i havent cut scince the 25 when i posted this post tnx
helen 11-02-04, 01:02 PM Georgia85 That's great Helen. You just have to take one day at a time and when you start feeling the overwhelming desire to cut, work real hard at finding another outlet to release that pain. Maybe a good workout could be one solution. Actually anything that makes your mind focus on something could work. Direct your energy to accomplishing something positive instead of dwelling on something negative. My thoughts are with you Smile
11-18-04, 01:00 AM carmen621 What really helped me stop was my boyfriend. The last time I cut myself, it gave my boyfriend a panic attack. He saw it, and I was facing the other way, and all of a sudden I felt his hands grab my leg and I looked down, and his face was contorted in pain and I had to bring him out of it. Yes, he loves me very much. When it started to hurt other people, especially the one person I love more than life, is when I stopped. Only for him, basically. I still feel the needs to, often, but I think of the pain it causes the people that care about me, and that's enough for me to stop. I'm not very good at taking care of myself, I've discovered... So, tell someone. Tell someone who cares about you a lot and who will support you, and not scream at you like I'm sure my mother would if she knew. When you upset other people, it upsets you, and the selfishness goes away. It works for me, hopefully the whole idea will work for you.
11-18-04, 09:05 PM Lucy Unfortunately cutting is a common simptom in mostly all mood disorders. It usually manifests a repressed anger against someone you can`t openly express your feelings. Also, the pain of the cutting makes you phisically feel the pain you have inside, so it becomes easier to deal with.
This kind of behavior is very hard to take off by oneself. If the cutting is too frequent and dangerous, you should search for help ASAP.
Hope I can help and hope things get better and better 4u.
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