Friday Reader's Story

Instead of Fridays Reader's story I have posted Lynse story from her blog, she hopes others relate.

To most the thought of harming yourself would be so outlandish that you would look at me like I was crazy if I told you that it makes sense to me.

I am choosing to write about this because there is such a need around this generation to bring light and truth to the fact that a lot of this generation is stuck in the rut of Self Injury. It is a painful place to be and takes a lot to get past. It is a dark place to get stuck. And as statistics are showing there are a lot of people stuck there.

So I want to share my story……

I started “cutting” when I was 13. I don't fully remember how I was introduced to it, but within a few days had taken root in my life. The pain that was so deep inside of me was killing me. I was allowing myself to die emotionally. It was a fight that I didn't want to take place but had no idea of how to stop it. It seemed meaningless to fight to keep them alive when i viewed them as the things that were causing me so much pain.

So my only solution to make sure that I was not dying totally was to hurt myself. To feel the pain on the outside assured me that i was still alive. That there was still hope. At least that it how it all started. It started out of my desire for hope. For some feeling to let me know that I was alive. That I could still feel something. That one day maybe I would feel again.

Soon it became an addiction. I had my way of doing it. I had my “ritual.” The when and how. within 2 months it had moved past the need for hope. My body and mind were addicted to the feeling. To the release that it gave me. My rage towards myself and other people had grown so much that I didnt know how to release it. And I thought this was a good way.

As time went on whether I had a bad day or not I had to cut. I had to do it each night before I went to bed. It calmed me enough to rest and go to sleep. (and about addiction, still to this day if I experience intense pain I get tired because my mind was trained to go to sleep after pain.)

I share this because I know that there are people who are in this rut. And honestly, it breaks my heart. Because being on the other side of this “journey” for hope I have found that the only hope that there is is in Christ. I know, i sound super spiritual….but it is true.

The only way that i could figure that out was to get to the darkest part of my life. I was in such darkness. I had been cutting for 4 years and no one knew. I had a secret. And it was a dark dark place to be in, full of pain and the desire to get caught in hope that someone could help me. I was tired of the darkness. And the only solution i knew was to come clean. To get someone in my head and share the journey with.

This was key for me. To let someone in and know the pains and the hurts. I knew that if I let this remain in the darkness it would grow bigger and bigger and the thing that once started in the search for hope was driving me further and further away from it.

The person I went to had no idea what to say. She often looked at me dumbfounded. the thought of doing that to herself was so absurd that she couldnt understand, but she listened. She was determined to help me in any ways she could, even though she didnt understand.

You cant wait until you understand to help someone. And this is what I see happening. So many people know people who self injure and are trying to learn why they do it. Each person has their story. And if you ask, I am sure they will share. It is a very dangerous thing to get into. You may not realize the roots that it can create in your life. But I would encourage you to share your story with someone.

But without sounding like a public service announcement, if you self injure or know someone who does please please please let someone in. Let someone into your darkness. It will hurt at first. It will be uncomfortable. It will be embarrassing. But if you live in the darkness alone your life will never change. Let someone in and bring the light into your pain.

Find your hope.

This is a post by Lynes and she has given permission for others to post it, to raise awareness and promote understanding of self harm. I personally thank her for sharing her story and the compassion she shows for others healin.... Abz

*In no way does Random endorse Christianity or any other form of religion

Responding to a Child’s Self-Injury

“Those are burns?”
“Why would you do that?”
“You don’t just go and burn yourself. What were you thinking?”

From any parent’s perspective, this situation would be extremely difficult. A child chooses to cut, hit, burn, or somehow intentionally hurt herself. It’s disturbing and confusing. Questions fire through your mind as you struggle to understand how this could be possible. You wrestle to recover, but the jab of those initial raw emotions spill out.

Like any parent, you hope your children won’t turn to self-injury. Can you prevent it? Or if a child is already involved in self-injury, can you change its course?

Possibly.

Can you at least make a difference?
Definitely.

You can nurture an atmosphere of relationship, conversation, openness, and safety. You can convey you are someone they can confidently go to with her deepest thoughts, hurts, fears, and anxieties.
To begin:
1. Watch for ways you can model how to cope through challenging circumstances.

2. Mend the relationship as soon as possible when you’ve responded in a quick or hurtful way.

3. Daily encourage and value your child’s expression of thoughts and emotions.

4. Listen well, with compassion and without judgment.

5. Be patient and let their story unfold without asking why.

6. Realize she/he might not tell you everything at once, and be okay with that.

7. Keep your own emotions in check and, if necessary, communicate thoughts later after you’ve had time to think things through.

8. Be trustworthy in how you handle information shared in confidence.

9. Involve her/him in the decision when you need to bring professionals or others into the situation (for depression, anxiety, or possible serious emotional disorders).

10. Remove your child from abusive situations and environments.

Children struggling would feel encouraged by an open, warm response. Instead of despair cloaking their days, they might begin to feel hope. They no longer have to feel trapped or alone or stuck in the cycle of self-injury. As they open up, talk and connect with family or the community, they’ll become aware they are moving toward healthy ways to cope. A day without self-injury will feel possible. Then a year, then a life.

It’s a process. It takes time.
And, more importantly, it takes you.

[Full article]