Tuesdays Alternatives To Avoid Self-harm

Each Tuesday I've been writing on alternatives to self harm. One of the key points is to identify what you are trying to cope with. So far we've looked at anger & dissociation. Today I'll look at wanting some measure of control & focus in your life.

Control and focus : Feeling that so much is out of your control that the only thing that you can control is the harm you inflict on yourself.

Here are some of the alternatives young people have suggested,

• Try squeezing ice. (more for anger/grounding)
• Try putting a rubber band around a wrist then pinging it when you need to.
• Try taking a cold/hot shower.
• Try biting into something like a lemon. (again, instant grounding)
• Try to focus energy into something positive like exercise, sport or noticing how you breathe. (tennis against a brick wall is good)
• Try ripping or crumpling paper, could collage the ripped pieces or scribble on them.
• Try doing something creative like making play dough models. (Journalling page of 'I Am' statements)
• Try screaming, breaking sticks, punching pillows.
• Try getting out of the house, going to talk to a friend or getting a haircut. (walking/jogging counting each step)
• Try solving a puzzle, playing solitare, tetris, minesweeper or snake. (Anything that requires concentration ie xbox, guitar,Suduko)
• Try setting a target time, for example saying you can harm in 15 minutes, then if you can last, going another 15 minutes.
• Try cleaning. (Amazingly this can work if you get into it 100%, clean room, cupboard, drawer)
• Try thinking in another language.
• Try learning something new. (again, concentration)
  

[taken in part from lcet.Org]