PaperdaisySenior Contributor
Self Harm Awareness Month- March 2022
Trigger Warning- Talks about self-harm
March is self-harm awareness month and it’s about raising awareness and reducing stigma. Self-harming behaviour is often a way of coping with negative or overwhelming emotions. For some people, it can centre around a need to have some control, or it can be a way of releasing built up tension and anxiety. There are lots of different reasons why people self harm.
While not uncommon, there are safer ways we can cope with distress, and support our recovery journey. We can do this by learning new ways to manage those uncomfortable emotions and move towards more sustainable ways of dealing with distress- you may have heard this described as “distress tolerance”, “emotion regulation” or “alternatives to self harm”. Here, we call it building up your distress toolbox.
Some immediate alternatives to self-harm/harm minimisation
· Hold some cold ice cubes in your hand
· Place an elastic band around your wrist and flick it
· Distract yourself
· Have a hot or cold shower
· Play loud music
· Breathing exercises
· Go for a walk/ exercise
· Put something sour or spicy in your mouth and focus on the taste/sensation
· Draw on yourself
· Punch a pillow or a punching bag
· Scream into a pillow
· Shake your hands vigorously
· Seek support/call a friend
Everyone experiences both positive and negative emotions throughout their life. Sometimes people who self-harm have difficulty feeling intense emotions, so learning new ways to cope with intense feelings can help overcome the need to self-harm. Emotion regulation is about accepting those negative emotions with some awareness and care. More on this here
For the community: How do you manage distress? Do you have any alternatives to self harm that we haven’t mentioned here?
Some more useful links:
Delay. Distract. Divert. Deep Breathing.
Calm Harm app for managing self-harm
Please note: The purpose of this discussion is to talk about ways of coping with distress. I encourage you to review the community guidelines and please be mindful when talking about self-harm. Thank you 💝
